The Landlady

The Landlady: Short story by Roald DahlThe theme of this Roald Dahl story is the commonly adopted things aren’t always as they seem. What sets it apart is the way Dahl gradually builds tension, starting with his descriptions of the weather and outdoor setting, then moving on to the supernatural before young Billy even meets the “motherly” landlady. (Each word was like a large black eye staring at him through the glass, holding him …) From then on, almost every step involves dramatic irony. The reader can see that something is wrong, which softens the impact of the horror ending, but naïve Billy remains frustratingly oblivious.

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Stone Mattress

Stone Mattress: Short story by Margaret AtwoodFrom the opening line of this Margaret Atwood story (At the outset Verna had not intended to kill anyone), we know someone will die. An woman who has become wealthy by helping four elderly husbands depart not only happy but grateful, if a little sooner than might have been expected, treats herself to an arctic cruise. Everything changes at the pre-cruise meet-and-greet, when she recognizes a man who had brutally raped her fifty years earlier. He doesn’t recognize her, and she begins to plot the perfect murder. Themes include rape, self-righteousness, resilience, seduction and manipulation, anger, violence, revenge, aging.

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Snow

Snow: Short story by Ann BeattieOn the surface, Anne Beattie’s Snow is a simple story about a woman’s recollections of a romantic winter in the snow-covered countryside. She doesn’t appear to be speaking directly to the man, so one wonders if she might be writing him a letter, looking at his photograph, or simply re-living events in her mind. The major theme of the story is nostalgia and the nature of memory. She recalls the good times they had together and a bitter-sweet return visit after their parting, but suggests that the man may remember the winter differently. Other themes: storytelling, love, loss.

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The Rememberer

The Rememberer: Short story by Aimee BenderIn this story from Aimee Bender, a man who is so sad about the world that he laments thinking about it has a wish come true. For no apparent reason he begins to experience reverse evolution, shedding millions of years a day. He regresses into an ape, then a sea turtle, and finally a small salamander, which his lover frees into the ocean. All she has left is her memories of him, which she clings to because if he’s not here, it’s her job to remember. Themes include overthinking and emotional detachment, love and caregiving, loss and remembrance.

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The House Opposite

The House Opposite: Short story by R. K. NarayanIn this story by R. K. Narayan, an Indian “hermit” is both offended and titillated by the activities of a prostitute living opposite. His initial reaction is to label her a “monstrous” devil. However, imagining what she does night after night excites him to the point of obsession. There is a double irony here. The hermit, who has supposedly given up all pleasures, is consumed by desire. The prostitute, who regards him as a saint, respectfully seeks his blessing. It is not until this request that the hermit recognizes the woman’s humanity. Themes include spirituality, desire, self-righteousness, judging others, humanity.

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The Nose

The Nose: Short story by Nikolai GogolNikolai Gogol was a pioneer in absurdist fiction, writing this story almost eighty years before Franz Kafka’s iconic Metamorphosis. Gogol’s absurdism served an important purpose: social criticism. The Nose is a comical account of “Major” Platon Kovaloff, a vain, pompous and narcissistic municipal official who goes looking for his wandering proboscis. Kovaloff is so obsessed with improving and capitalizing on his social position that he feels emasculated without it. The story satirizes three aspects of Russian society: 1) the corrupt government bureaucracy; 2) its fixation on superficial signs of importance; and 3) how different social classes view and treat women.

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Bliss

Bliss: Short story by Katherine MansfieldIn this story from Katherine Mansfield, a thirty-year-old wife and mother who marvels at her joyful, upper middle-class life learns the meaning of the proverb ignorance is bliss. Throughout the story, which takes place over a single day, she seeks to identify the source of her happiness. Over dinner with some artistic friends, there is an indication that it may be linked to a new friendship with a female guest. Strangely, this results in her first ever strong sexual desire for her husband. Alas, her lust and bliss are soon shattered. Themes: happiness, modernity, sexuality and desire, deception, adultery.

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The Town Musicians of Bremen

The Town Musicians of Bremen: German folktale from the Brothers GrimmThe Town Musicians of Bremen is a story about four animals that have worked hard all their lives. They are now too old to work and face either being badly treated or killed by their owners. One by one they leave their homes and set out together to become musicians in the town of Bremen. However, they never reach Bremen. During the journey, the animals come upon a house owned by a band of robbers. By working together, they are able to frighten the robbers away and live happily in the house for the rest of their days.

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