As an English major and an avid reader, my telling you, someone who would choose Netflix over a book for leisurely entertainment 11 times out of 10, why you should read may seem a bit ridiculous. However, as many joy-readers experience, I didn't always love to read. In fact, I used to hate it. My infatuation with novels and stories began with one book: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I was in eighth grade and it took me fifteen hours (straight) to get through it.
In my opinion, every intelligent person has the capacity to love reading. Even the strongest book-haters out there often claim some affinity for one of the few novels they actually bothered to crack open in high school. I have compiled a short list of short stories (nice and easy), all Google-able and simple to find online, to wet the appetite of any of you brave enough to give them a try. We are in college; we have brains. There's a world of joy, sadness, excitement and wonder out there that the majority of us have never given a fair chance. Give any one of these stories the old college try and I promise you- it's worth the half hour you could have spent watching Friends.
1. "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson
I know a lot of people were assigned to read this in high school. I personally read it in my freshman year, five years ago. But have you given it another look since then? Less than seven pages long, it is a remarkable and shocking story that leaves you with your jaw on the floor. For those of you that have read it before, maybe give it another read and look for something you didn't notice the first time around. And for anyone who has neither read nor heard of the story, you're in for a real treat.
2. "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway
Hemingway is obviously one of the most famous writers in history, but more so for his novels than his shorter works. This one is a bit more difficult than some on this list, but once you figure out what is going on, it's astonishing. He writes this story as beautifully as he does everything else he has written, cropped sentence structure and heavy dialogue. The story is brief and gives you only that tip of the massive iceberg underneath, but if you're up for a bit of a challenge, give it a try. It will not disappoint.
3. "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
This is an extremely famous story, so I wouldn't be surprised if you know the premise or have at least heard of it. When I first read the story, I had no idea what I was in for. That's how I prefer to read something- knowing absolutely nothing about it and just diving right in. So, if you do know what it's about, you know how twisted and exciting it is; and if you don't, trust me, and take a leap of faith.
4. "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" by J.D. Salinger
Most of you were probably assigned to read The Catcher in the Rye in high school. If you did read it and enjoy it, you're like me and perhaps madly in love with the recluse that is Salinger. However, if you have never experienced the language and staccato flow of the author, this story is a good way to get your feet wet. Although it is more than a little bizarre, what I love about it -- along with the rest of his Nine Stories collection -- is the way he writes his characters. You may read the last page feeling confused or unsatisfied, but if you let it sit with you, and think about PTSD and the psychological stress of ex-soldiers during and after World War II, it will resonate with you.
5. "Cold Pastoral" by Marina Keegan
For this story I can provide no image. It was written by Marina Keegan before she died in a car accident at the age of 22. She was a Yale graduate, about to start working for the New Yorker, when tragedy struck one day in May a few years ago. The story is about a girl like myself or any other average college girl thrown into an absolutely impossible situation. It is the perfect read for everyone our age and in our current stage of life, both boys and girls. Keegan was brilliant and figured out how to put words to certain emotions 20-something girls all have, striking the precise balance between overanalyzing and under developing. The story is a phenomenal read, and the perfect way to end this list.
