This one centers around a newly married couple who wakes up hungry one night. It’s always hard to describe what his books are about, and this one’s no different. ‘The Second Bakery Attack’ by Haruki MurakamiĪnother eccentric work by Murakami. I think it’s an important reminder of what a person can become if they’re suddenly handed power over the weak. If you haven’t read his longer works, this short story might convince you to start doing so.Ī winged old man appears in a couple’s backyard and what follows is their response, which in turn exposes the capacity for cruelty that lies in us all. Marquez is arguably one of the most successful Latin American writers. ‘A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings’ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez I loved it exactly because of the simple language that takes such a dark theme and portrays it with misplaced lightness and humour. ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ is a brilliant example of black comedy. This is about a wife who kills her husband and hides the murder weapon in such an unexpected way that the investigating policemen will probably never, ever, find it. Not surprisingly, he has written his share of famous short stories.

From Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to the recently filmized The BFG. Roald Dahl is the British writer who has created many of our childhood favourites. You can read ‘The Lottery’ in the New Yorker, where it was first published back in 1948. I love the eeriness and that it reminds us how blindly following tradition can be dangerous. By the time we realize what the Lottery entails, however, it’s already too late for the ‘winner’. We’re introduced to the village families and taken through their rituals. It starts by describing a village and its annual lottery. ‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jacksonīest known for her horror novel, The Haunting of Hill House, Jackson’s short story is not any less chilling. Here are some famous short stories that you can read online for free : 1. I’ve compiled here some of my own favorites, plus a synopsis for each and why I think you’d enjoy them. The good news is, there are plenty of famous short stories by renowned authors you’re probably familiar with. Do you ever want to read famous literary work, but find it hard to actually make the time to sit down and open a book? I know I do sometimes.

The lottery short story