Hi all,
Today I realized that I have omitted one major type of literature in my blog posts so far: short stories. Despite my negligence, I do think short stories are important and deserving of discussion. So, this is me, opening up discussion.
I have not read as many short stories as I have books. Nor have I taken any classes on short stories. Thus, my experience and thoughts on them are somewhat limited. I’m going to start talking about short stories by sharing several of the ones that I have found most compelling.
Most of these stories could be classified as “classics” so you may have already read them. (However, in that case, I would suggest you read them again because they are that good 😉 ) The majority of stories on this list I had to read in school but others I just stumbled upon. I won’t say I exactly enjoyed all of them; a few are sad while others are quite vivid. For whatever reason, the stories have stuck with me long after I finished them.
*Note: The links below are mostly to pdf files so you may need to update your Adobe Reader in order to read them.*
And away we go (in no particular order):
“Araby”, James Joyce
“The Dead”, James Joyce
“The Monkey’s Paw”, W. W. Jacobs
“The Lady, or the Tiger?”, Frank R. Stockton
“Everyday Use”, Alice Walker
“The Lottery”, Shirley Jackson
“The Most Dangerous Game”, Richard Connell
“The Yellow Wall-Paper”, Charlotte Perkins Stetson
“A Good Man is Hard to Find”, Flannery O’Connor
“The Gift of the Magi”, O. Henry
All of the “Sherlock Holmes” stories, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sorry, but I can’t pick just one. I’m a big “Sherlock Holmes” fan. Have I never mentioned that?) This website has good links to take you to the text of each story.
I would also include Charles de Lint’s “Somewhere in My Mind There Is a Painting Box”, “Riding Shotgun”, and “The World in a Box” here but I can’t link to them because a) they are still in print and b) de Lint is still alive today, living with his wife in Canada and so his writing is not in the public domain. I found those three stories in his print collection titled Muse and Reverie. I would highly recommend his work to you, if you ever have the chance to pursue it.
What do you think about these stories? Feel free to let me know!
Happy reading!
reasoningredhead 