The Tell-Tale Heart is indeed an excellent Poe story. There's also a compelling animation to look out for narrated by the late James Mason, a really fine actor known for his remarkable voice.
I'm glad you included "A Good Man Is Hard to Find", it's a great story but I fear that Flannery O'Connor is now in the sights of the Wokeists who are clutching their pearls because O'Connor's stories make them "uncomfortable", which I thought was the point of many of her stories. Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if they add her short stories to their next book burning.
Another candidate for a list of great short stories would be Hemingway's "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place". An incredibly concise story that rips away the pretensions of life as we're supposed to see it and instead shows us that it's nada, nada, nada...
I have read The Tell-Tale Heart (which left me in a spiral) and Leaf By Niggle. AMAZING STORIES. Also, BULLET IN THE BRAIN by Tobias Wolff is one such mind blowing (pun intended) short story.
Thank you for such brilliant recommendations. As an English literature student and a teacher in training, these are of great help. Can't believe I haven't read a single one of these. Will definitely check out all of them, with time. 🩷🩷
Great list. I'd definitely add The Lottery by Shirley Jackson and The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin. Both prove that a short story can leave a deeper impression than many novels. There's something remarkable about writers who can build an entire world and dismantle your assumptions in just a few pages.
I strongly recommend listening to Flannery O'Connor herself read A Good Man Is Hard to Find. She has a wonderful accent.
That story’s ending destroyed me emotionally when I first read it. I still get chills. I’ll check her reading out. Thank you!
Leaf By Niggle is also a lovely allegory.
Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber & The Stranger
Thank you so much for this list. I'm going to read a few of them this month.
Thank you for compiling. I have read the first two before, will read the rest.
Leaf by niggle reminds me of the story The Last Leaf by O Henry, which is another classic.
I love "The Last Leaf" each time I read it - and end up reading it every few years.
"The Last Leaf" was such a beautiful story. I enjoyed O Henry's stories with much delight.
It's thought of, sometimes, as a Christmas story, but O'Henrys The Gift of the Magi has always been one of my favorites.
The Tell-Tale Heart is indeed an excellent Poe story. There's also a compelling animation to look out for narrated by the late James Mason, a really fine actor known for his remarkable voice.
I'm glad you included "A Good Man Is Hard to Find", it's a great story but I fear that Flannery O'Connor is now in the sights of the Wokeists who are clutching their pearls because O'Connor's stories make them "uncomfortable", which I thought was the point of many of her stories. Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if they add her short stories to their next book burning.
Another candidate for a list of great short stories would be Hemingway's "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place". An incredibly concise story that rips away the pretensions of life as we're supposed to see it and instead shows us that it's nada, nada, nada...
I cannot find The Tell-Tale Heart in Indonesian. That is made me sad. I should translate it before because a lot of them in English🥲
I have read The Tell-Tale Heart (which left me in a spiral) and Leaf By Niggle. AMAZING STORIES. Also, BULLET IN THE BRAIN by Tobias Wolff is one such mind blowing (pun intended) short story.
Please check out my short story Hades’ Companion! I just published it on my Substack today! :)
Great list. Can you add links to the stories?
I had never heard of Leaf by Niggle before this post, and I think I will never forget it now.
I reviewed "The Tell-Tale Heart" after reading it from your suggestion list. I also plan to read and review the rest. I posted it with credits to your article, here's the link - https://substack.com/@diyamukherjee2/note/c-295656229?r=6w2kri
Thank you for such brilliant recommendations. As an English literature student and a teacher in training, these are of great help. Can't believe I haven't read a single one of these. Will definitely check out all of them, with time. 🩷🩷
Great list. I'd definitely add The Lottery by Shirley Jackson and The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin. Both prove that a short story can leave a deeper impression than many novels. There's something remarkable about writers who can build an entire world and dismantle your assumptions in just a few pages.