Source : Literature News
Short Stories have been shorter, short and sometimes a little longer as well. However, the people’s approach towards them seldom changed. We loved short stories back in the 19th and 20th century and we love them now. However, there has been a shortage of authors producing quality short stories and that’s why we see people’s inclination towards the novellas or the pastime novels in a popular term. However, we have brought you a quick list of popular short stories collection – a mix-bag to be honest. There are the gold-classics as well as some of the modern collections which you might be interested in if you, like me, are an old-school short story lover.
1. Life’s Little Ironies by Thomas Hardy: Well, if you have read Hardy, you won’t need any commentary on his excellence from my side. There are seven short stories in this collection and one compilation of various character sketches (interesting enough!) which make another short story to take the toll to 8. Written in his trademark language, the collection will keep you occupied. However, you can surely take pauses and breaks because reading Hardy, sometimes, demands that. To sum it up, Life’s Little Ironies will be your perfect bedtime book for the next three days from the day you bring it home!
2. The Gambler and Other Stories by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: Who does not know this Crime and Punishment guy? Well, many of you might not have been introduced to his exceptional writing abilities when it comes to writing short stories as well. Exceptional as most of the Russians were in writing those trendy novels once upon a time, his collection (which has an interesting story as well) The Gambler and Other Stories will certainly be a classic wave for most of the readers. It also contains the popular (really, tell me if you knew the title coming next) story The Dream of a Ridiculous Man. You will have a good time reading the collection and it can be read in 5 pieces!
3. Sikkim in my Love Story by Narsing Nirzat: Well, most of you might be thinking who this new guy is whose name I have inserted below two great names. Well, certainly we cannot compare those geniuses with anyone. However, can we give a little space for the talent? Narsing is a well-known author from Sikkim and he has written previously in Nepali – poetry and short stories. This collection by him is to celebrate the beauty and tradition of Sikkim and it contains 9 short stories. An interesting thing about the book is that all of the short stories are exactly 34-pages long… Written with a little focus on Sikkim’s natural beauty, the collection celebrates humanity, love and a few twists that you will like.
4. Best Short Stories of Anton Chekov: Can any list be complete without mentioning this great short story writer? I think NO! Anton Chekov’s fame relies on his famous short stories and if you haven’t read them yet, it’s your time to do so! He is one of those authors whom you must read at least once in your lifetime. I will not say more about it – just go for it!
5. Metamorphosis And Other Stories by Franz Kafka: However, I won’t say this – but I love this guy! Kafka’s contribution to the world of writing is certainly something to be ignored because he is too tough to be handled and too fragile to be understood in a certain way! If you want to give your mind a spin and give your spines a good taste of literature in its weird form, you MUST read Franz Kafka. I understand that reading all his short stories together won’t be a good idea because it would probably make one mad! So, begin with this wonderful Penguin collection and once you grasp all these, you can go for higher Kafka!
So, guys, this is my list of 5 best short stories collection one must read. Hope you will like it. Do comment as you make progress reading these collections and I will also share my reviews of these books individually. Happy reading!
