What are some of the best short stories ever written?
Legendary writer Neil Gaiman once said that “Short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other minds and other dreams.” Short stories are nothing less than magic according to me. Where else can you find a bunch of stringed words that can hypnotize you? There are so many short stories, many of them written exceptionally well, that new readers might get confused as to which one should we start from? So here is the list of the top 8 short stories that you will ever find.
8. The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County (Mark Twain)
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County was the first short story that got Mark Twain the publicity he had hoped for. The story is set in a fictional mining town. Mark Twain was probably inspired by real-life people and places in California gold mining history when he chose the setting for this short story. The story follows Jim Smiley, a man who could bet on anything possible. He once found a frog and made him his pet. He found a stranger and bet him that his frog, whom he had named Dan’l Webster, could jump higher than any other frog. Thus, the story revolves around this very bet and how Jim learns a valuable lesson: gambling is a bad habit.
7. The Ransom of Red Chief (O. Henry)
The Ransom of Red Chief by O. Henry is filled with irony as a plan to kidnap and boy and hold him for ransom goes wrong. … The reader and Sam can see that the boy is still there as Bill apologizes for giving up the ransom. The most important comedic element in “The Ransom of Red Chief” comes from the role-reversal at the heart of the story. Sam and Bill, the two hapless kidnappers, are supposed to be the ones in control. … Further comedy is to be had when Johnny’s father demands that Sam and Bill pay him to take his son off their hands.
6. The Lady or The Tiger? (Frank R. Stockton)
A person accused of a crime is brought into a public arena and must choose one of two doors. Behind one door is a lady whom the king has deemed an appropriate match for the accused; behind the other is a fierce, hungry tiger. The lady whom the king has chosen is one of the princess’s handmaidens whom the princess despises and suspects of coveting her lover. Choosing the other door would release the tiger and result in a gruesome death for her beloved.
5. The Most Dangerous Game (Richard Connell)
The theme of “The Most Dangerous Game” is civilization versus savagery. Its main characters, Sangor Rainsford and General Zaroff are both hunters, and Rainsford justifies killing by claiming that animals can’t feel. This logic fails, however, when Zaroff starts hunting humans. This is a great story as it shows how much humans have derogated and what is the status of animals in the minds of such people.
4. The Gift of Magi (O. Henry)
The Gift of Magi is one of the best ironic stories ever written. The story follows a family of two with bare resources on Christmas Eve. The wife’s name is Della and the husband is Jim. They both try to buy a gift with limited money for the other’s most valuable feature, Della’s hair and Jim’s golden watch. But when they both bring the gift they realise they have put at stake the things the other loves the most in them.
3. The Necklace (Guy De Maupassant)
The Necklace is a satire classic famous for its twist ending, a hallmark of Guy’s style. The Necklace is a story about a girl who always felt that she deserved more luxuries. She marries a middle-class man and is not happy. One day her husband comes home with a party invitation like one the girl always wanted to go to. But she starts complaining yet again, that she doesn’t have a good dress and jewellery. She takes a diamond necklace from her friend for the party and the story takes a turn when the girl loses it by mistake. One of the most unique features of the story is that the girl is both the protagonist and the antagonist. The only person in the story that you’ll feel sorry for is the husband, who does everything to set matters straight. This story teaches us one thing: never aim for things that are out of your control unless you can work hard to achieve them.
2. The Fall of the House of the Usher (Edgar Allan Poe)
The Fall of the House of the Usher is one of the greatest short stories I have ever read. And as it is written by Edgar, you should prepare yourself for great visual imagery as he has done a great job in writing in a way the readers can feel what is happening in the story. The story is about a family named Usher whose lineage is about to get over when only a pair of twins, Roderick Usher and Madeline Usher, is all that is left. The narrator is a friend of Roderick and visits him when the Usher complains of a strange disease, the disease of fear. That’s when everything bad happens and the narrator’s life changes forever.
- The Tell-Tale Heart (Edgar Allan Poe)
Yes, The Tell-Tale Heart is the best short story ever. Again an Edgar classic, the writer shows that there is no limit of insanity in man as he can do anything. The narrator is shown a madman in the story as he tries to convince the readers of his sanity while showing the details of a heinous murder that he has committed. I must accept, when I was reading the story, I dived into the mind of the narrator and could imagine what he was going through. This, without a doubt, is the best feature of the story.
So this is it fellow readers. I promise to bring more articles of the same, actually better calibre for you. Till then, I have a challenge for you. Try pressing the clap button with your wrist. It will definitely help me. And do me a favour please. Share this article as much as you can. Farewell all!
