Other books that might interest you

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  Top 10 Short Stories The - The...

  Edith Wharton, Guy de...

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  Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart.  A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere. 
   
  In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted ‘Top Tens’ across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author?  
   
  The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme.  Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature. 
   
  Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made.  If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something. 
   
  In this volume we enjoy a favourite device of authors; the story is heading one way and suddenly twists in another direction entirely. In the pens of Ambrose Bierce, Nikolai Gogol, Saki and a host of others where you end up is the very question they propose.  
   
  01 - The Top 10 - The Twist - An Introduction 
  02 - Roman Fever by Edith Wharton 
  03 - The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant 
  04 - The Nose by Nikolai Gogol 
  05 - Miss Brill by Katherine Mansfield 
  06 - The Gift of the Magi by O Henry 
  07 - Desiree's Baby by Kate Chopin 
  08 - Man Size in Marble by Edith Nesbit 
  09 - An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce 
  10 - The Open Window by Saki 
  11 - The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

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  Natural History - Stories

  Andrea Barrett

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  A masterful new collection of interconnected stories, from the renowned National Book Award–winning author 
   
   
   
  In Natural History, Andrea Barrett completes the beautiful arc of intertwined lives of a family of scientists, teachers, and innovators that she has been weaving through multiple books since her National Book Award–winning collection, Ship Fever. The six exquisite stories in Natural History are set largely in a small community in central New York state and portray some of her most beloved characters, spanning the decades between the Civil War to the present day. In "Henrietta and Her Moths," a woman tends to an insect nursery as her sister's life follows a different path. In "Open House," a young man grapples with a choice between a thrilling life spent discovering fossils and a desire to remain close to home. And in the magnificent title novella, "Natural History," Barrett deepens the connection between her characters, bringing us through to the present day and providing an unforgettable capstone. 
   
   
   
  Told with Barrett's characteristic elegance, passion for science, and wonderful eye for the natural world, the psychologically astute and moving stories gathered in this collection evoke the ways women's lives and expectations—in families, in work, and in love—have shifted across a century and more.

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  Letters to you to her to no one

  Vasilena Spasova

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  "Hand in hand, two on the grey concrete, him and I. And we, Mum...We had just wanted some vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips. We hadn't wanted anything more out of life, but life surprised us." Sometimes, one's most sincere thoughts and feelings can only be expressed in a letter to their mother. Letters to you, to her, to no one is a moving story about a girl growing up in a Bulgarian orphanage told through intimate letters to her imaginary mother. The letters span years, recording a journey exploring friendship, loss, anorexia, and, most of all, dreams.

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  Top 10 Short Stories The - Anton...

  Anton Chekhov

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  Anton Chekhov is amongst the most vaunted of authors. His tales can take a small fragment of a person’s life and turn it into a narrative of unrivalled and compelling power.   This volume perfectly illustrates Chekhov and his miniature masterpieces. 
   
  1 - The Top Ten - Anton Chekhov 
   
  2 - The Bet 
   
  3 - Vanka 
   
  4 - Misery 
   
  5 - The Lady with the Dog 
   
  6 - The Kiss 
   
  7 - The Death of a Government Clerk 
   
  8 - Volodya 
   
  9 - The Student 
   
  10 - About Love 
   
  11 - Gooseberries

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  Porter the Porpoise and Josie's...

  Alan Cavanagh

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  In "Porter the Porpoise and Josie's Cove Adventure," readers are transported to the picturesque Maheramore Cove in County Wicklow, Ireland, where a heartwarming tale of friendship, courage, and environmental stewardship unfolds. When a grumpy fisherman accuses Porter a Porpoise of causing the disappearance of fish in the cove, Josie, his human friend, springs into action to defend him. Together, they embark on a daring mission to confront the fisherman and uncover the true source of the problem. Amidst the rolling waves and stormy seas, Josie and Porter's bond grows stronger as they face challenges head-on, ultimately uniting with unexpected allies to protect their beloved cove from harm. Filled with suspense, adventure, and heartwarming moments, "Porter the Porpoise and Josie's Cove Adventure" is a captivating story that celebrates the power of friendship and the importance of standing up for what's right. Join Josie and Porter as they navigate the waters of Maheramore Cove and discover the true meaning of bravery and resilience.

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  A Madman's Diary

  Lu Xun

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  “A Madman’s Diary” is a short story by Lu Xun first published in 1918. Written in vernacular Chinese, it is considered “China’s first modern short story” and the most influential modern work in the republican era. Lu was inspired by “Diary of a Madman" by Nicolai Gogol, both in the use of the diary form and in the idea that the madman sees things more clearly than others. The story comes about when the narrator decides to visit two friends with whom he has lost touch when he learns that one of them has fallen ill. When he arrives, he is met by the brother, who informs him that his brother is no longer ill and hands him a copy of his brother’s diary. It is immediately apparent that the diarist is indeed mad. He believes he is surrounded by cannibals and that everyone has cannibalistic designs on him. His paranoia grows and he begins to see threats everywhere. He even sees  the words “Eat People” between the lines of classic Confucian texts. He eventually suspects that his late sister had been eaten by his brother, and that he himself may have unknowingly done so. He ardently hopes that everyone will have a change of heart and change their ways. The story ends with a plea to “save the children”.The story is not readily comprehensible, and it took several years for it to be recognized as important. Gradually the madman is seen as a revolutionary contemptuous of Chinese tradition and its feudal society that “eats people”, people who themselves are corrupted by traditions they cannot escape.

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