Thursday, 31 March 2016

9 short stories that will make you wonder why you haven't been reading short stories all this long

The author is not what you would call a bookworm. However, he grew tired of reading the 10 reasons why this and 10 reasons why that things that he sometimes writes himself. The author then took to wondering what people read before these top 10 lists took over the internet and the internet took over the world. He decided to ask the internet and the internet pointed him to some good old short stories. The author decided  to point you, dear readers to the 9 short stories that he found to be most entertaining.

1. The Ransom Of Red Chief by O.Henry



William Sydney Porter, known better by his pen name O.Henry is a true master of storytelling. His stories are light hearted funny ones and are known to have a "sting in the tail". The one being discussed here involves a kidnapping and it is not the kidnapped person who suffers! Funny things keep happening throughout the story you'll have a lot of rofl and lol moments. Dunno if O.Henry would appreciate modern society's way of complimenting funny things.
Read it here.
   

2. The Fall Of The House Of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe



Don't read this one at night under a torchlight like the author of this blog did. It is established that Edgar Allen Poe suffered from depression and his stories can be described by the word weird. Well, weird but exceptional at the same time. It contains a lot of unconventional themes like incest, reanimation of the dead and likewise. The story ends in a climax and that is one climax to read! It is sure to give you some scares.
Read it here.

3. The Prize Poem by P.G.Wodehouse



The plot of this short story is as simple as three different students copying the same poem to submit for their school's poetry competition which is mandatory for all the students. P.G Wodehouse wittily brings out the lazy and lackluster attitude of students towards something that they are made to do and do not want to do. The principal takes the incident as a challenge to his authority. How the events unfold thereafter makes for an interesting read.
Read it here.

4. The Eyes Have It by Ruskin Bond



This story is written in the form of a first person narrative. For a brief period of time, Mr. Bond suffered from blindness. As he travels alone by train, a girl whom he senses to be beautiful comes to sit across him. He doesn't want the girl to know that he is blind and starts a conversation. This conversation and the revelation that follows makes this story an awesome read.
Read it here.

5. Dusk by H.H.Munro



Norman Gortsby is sitting on  a park bench. The other end of the bench is occupied by an old man who is wearing a carnation. Norman Gortsby begins to contemplate about the time of the day i.e. Dusk. He considers it to be the time of those who have been defeated by life and he considers the old man to be one of them. Soon, the old man goes away and his place is taken by another person who says that he is new to the city and has lost his way as he came out of his hotel  to buy a cake of soap. He asks Gortsby for help and what follows after is an awesome second part of the story.
Read it here.

6. The Cop And The Anthem by O.Henry



Its O.Henry again! No I am not biased, he is actually that good. This story is about a homeless man in New York named Soapy. It is the winter season and terribly cold for a homeless person to survive. So much so that Soapy decides to spend his winter in a prison. The prison, with its warm blankets and guaranteed meals is definitely more hospitable for a homeless guy than the cold streets of New York. Soapy tries to get himself arrested and fails ludicrously many times.  He then comes to the street where he lived as a child. Those memories fill him with inspiration and he decides to turn his life around. What follows after this, no one can expect!
Read it here.

7. At Home by Anton Chekhov



A treat from Russia, this one is about a father trying to convince his infant son not to smoke!  Eugene Bikovsy is a lawyer whose 7 year old son Seriozha is placed under the care of a governess as Eugene's wife is no more. The conversation between the father and the son makes for an awesome read.
Read it here.

8. The Cabuliwallah by Rabindranath Tagore



Asia's first Nobel winner writes about his five year old daughter, Mini's  friendship with a dry fruits peddler. The friendship ends abruptly after the Kabuliwala is convicted of a crime and sent to prison. He is released years after and comes to meet Mini on the day of her wedding. A good read, this one.
Read it here.

9. The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant



Mathilde is born relatively poor, but dreams of an aristocratic life. She eventually marries a low paid clerk who tries his best to keep her happy. After a lot of begging, he somehow manages to get two tickets to a ministry of education party. Mathilde loses something that she has borrowed for the party. She tries to compensate and the story takes a different course.
Read it here.

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