Bedtime story

When I was in 7th grade I got my hands on some excellent anthologies of short stories, and went to town on them. On a whim, I went looking for some of my favorite ones online and, to my delight, found a good number of them. I'll be posting links here from time to time, as much for myself as I am for you.

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It's funny to me now that I initially knew Chekhov more as a short story writer than a playwright. I think his plays are possibly some of the best pieces of work ever in prose--I swear, every time I read Uncle Vanya (my absolute favorite), it's just as fresh and heart wrenching as the first time--but this is the story that made me fall in love with him in the first place. (May I suggest you read the entire collection?)

The Bet - Anton Chekhov

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This is just a delightful little story, not only for it's punchline, which is unforgettable, but for the multiangled narrative, which was rather ahead of its time, considering when Katherine Mansfield wrote this. (And from another collection I recommend you read.)

Feuille D'Album - Katherine Mansfield

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Once again, it's funny to remember now that, for about year or so, all I knew of Thomas Hardy initially was this short story which absolutely fascinated me. Then I came across a copy of Far From The Madding Crowd (which stayed a favorite despite fierce competition from Tess and Jude--but how can you compete with a heroine called Bathsheba, I ask you?) and I never went back to reading any of his short stories (something I mean to correct some time this year, I hope).

The Withered Arm - Thomas Hardy