A favorite pastime among many is reading. Unfortunately, we do not always have the time to sit down and finish a 500-page novel. On the other hand, we do have the time to sit down and finish a short story less than 10 pages. Does the length make a short story less of a story than a novel?
On the contrary, a short story does this amazing thing where it can fit an entire tale into a few pages, usually using an abundant amount of symbolism to discretely share the message. A short story always leaves my head turning, and they are always a great go-to option when I have limited free time.
Here are 5 short stories you won't regret reading.
1. "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant
"The Necklace" is a short story by the French writer Guy de Maupassant. The story takes place in Paris during the late 1800s. Maupassant tells a story of a very unhappy woman, Mathilde Loisel.
Mathilde Loisel was a beautiful woman who believed she was made to live a wealthy life. She dreamed of a life filled with dresses, jewels, dainty dinners, shining silverware, and more. Instead, she was born into a family of clerks, and eventually married a clerk.
Mathilde was not happy with her poor lifestyle. Her husband, on the other hand, was content with their lives. The only thing he wanted was to make his wife happy. So, he got her an invite to a ball. After Mathilde sulked over not having anything to wear, he gave her money to buy a brand new, beautiful dress for this party and encouraged her to ask her friend, Mme.
Forestier, to lend her jewelry for the night. Mathilde found a beautiful diamond necklace which she borrowed from Forestier. Mathilde Loisel was not only seen as royalty at this party, but she also felt like royalty. However, the night took a turn when she had gotten home and could not find the necklace.
2. "The Man in the Black Suit" by Stephen King
"The Man in the Black Suit" is a short story written by Stephen King. Stephen King, known for his horror stories, wrote about Gary's traumatic encounter with a man in a black suit. Gary, the narrator, is an old man when he writes his story. It happened in 1914 when Gary was nine years old. Gary went fishing at a stream in his town.
While he's fishing, he's attacked by a bee. This terrifies him more than it would anyone else because his brother was killed by a bee. But what was behind Gary is what made this story so traumatic: the man in the black suit.
3. "The Magic Barrel" by Bernard Malamud
“The Magic Barrel” by Bernard Malamud is set in Uptown New York not long ago, which we can assume by the date it was published (the 1950s). The story begins with Leo Finkle in his "small, almost meager room, though crowded with books."
He is a rabbi student and he was advised that it will help his career if he was married. This advice began Leo's quest for a wife. He found an ad in the newspaper for a “matchmaker", Pinye Salzman. Salzman gives Leo the matches he found for him. Leo eventually caves in and goes on a date with one girl, Lily. After the date with Lily, Leo realized he did not want to meet a wife this way; he wanted to find love. Salzman left the pictures with Leo and disappeared.
As time went by, Leo looked at the pictures Salzman left in the packet behind. He found a snapshot and fell in love. He was so moved by this photo of a woman he’s never met that he tracked down Salzman again to find her. When Leo informs Salzman about his new love, Salzman tells him she is no good. In fact, she is Salzman’s daughter, although Salzman did indeed agree to put Leo in touch with her. What will happen when they finally meet?
4. "A&P" by John Updike
John Updike's “A&P” short story is narrated by a nineteen-year-old boy, Sammy, who works at the A&P. Sammy's attention is caught when three girls walk in with bikinis on. The story follows Sammy's thought process while he watches these girls shop. His thoughts were typical thoughts of a teenage boy and it was expected. He took interest in all three girls, but especially one.
This one he called “Queenie.” Queenie seemed to be the leader of the pack. Luckily for Sammy, the girls end up coming to his cashier line to check out. While he checks them out, his boss, Mr. Lengel, began criticizing the girls for their “outfits." Sammy stood up for the girls and quit his job. After he leaves, he cannot find the girls. This is when he “felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter."
5. "Paul’s Case" by Willa Cather
Willa Cather's story, “Paul's Case: A Study In Temperament”, is about the life of a troubled teen, Paul. The story begins with him meeting with his teachers after a recent suspension. His teachers make it evident that they aren’t fond of Paul.
A teacher mentions the fact that Paul’s mother died, which is possibly a reason for his acting out. Later in the story, it’s revealed that Paul is very into theater and art. He shows so much interest in the arts that he tells his teachers that he doesn’t have time for their lessons. This, among other things, sends the teachers off and results in Paul's dad taking him out of school and essentially trying to control and change Paul's life. This is when Paul runs away and finds himself in New York.
He steals money from his work and is living the life in the city, though he doesn’t know what’s in store for him.
