50 World’s Greatest Short Stories

Dating back to the early traditions of oral storytelling, the short story has evolved through the ages from myths, legends, fairy tales, fables, parables, stories in the Ramayana and Mahabharata, tales in the Panchatantra, the adventure tales of the Odyssey, biblical stories, the Norse sagas, and many others. As the oriental tale and Gothic novel gained popularity in the latter half of the eighteenth century, short story began developing in Britain. And by the beginning of nineteenth century, it had highly evolved as a form. This anthology is a compilation of some of the classic short stories of the eighteenth and early nineteenth century, from around the world. Beginning with the realistic stories of Pushkin and Chekov, it includes ‘The Necklace’ by Guy de Maupassant, ‘Eve’s Diary’ by Mark Twain, ‘The “Slapping Sal”’ by Arthur Conan Doyle, ‘The Fly’ by Katherine Mansfield, ‘A Little Cloud’ by James Joyce, ‘White Nights’ by Fyodor Dostoevsky, ‘The Postmaster’ by Rabindranath Tagore, and ‘The Gift of Magi’ by O. Henry. “Short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other minds and other dreams. They are journeys you can make to the far side of the universe and still be back in time for dinner.” – Neil Gaiman “‘What shall I write?’ said Yegor, and he dipped his pen in the ink.” – Anton Chekov, At Christmas Time “There was a woman who was beautiful, who started with all the advantages, yet she had no luck.” – D. H. Lawrence, The Rocking-Horse Winner