Novellas

Waldo

Post category:Novellas

Waldo: Novella by Robert Heinlein In this science fiction fantasy by Robert Heinlein, Earth needs help from “Waldo”, an eccentric genius born with degenerative muscle weakness. Angry at mankind after being cheated out of a ground-breaking invention, Waldo lives as a recluse in a gravity-free home in orbit above the planet. Earth’s problem is a series of physically impossible breakdowns in “deKalbs”, radiant power receptors used to power everything from vehicles to cities. With help from a little magic, he not only solves this but also makes three other important discoveries. Themes: identity, conquering disability, self-reliance and independence, science vs. “magic”.

The Bear

Post category:Novellas Short Stories

The Bear: Short story / novel by William Faulkner William Faulkner published several versions of this classic story, the most notable of which are a short story that appeared in the Saturday Evening Post and a novel-sized chapter in his book, Go Down, Moses. In the short story, an unnamed boy becomes a skilled woodsman over six years of annual hunting trips. His dream is to bag “Old Ben”, a huge bear that has terrorized farmers on the fringes of their hunting grounds for years. When he finally gets the chance, he doesn’t shoot. Themes: family, land and people ownership, racial identity, love of and respect for the wilderness.

The Old Man and the Sea

Post category:Novellas

The Old Man and the Sea: Novella by Ernest Hemingway The central character in this award-winning novella by Ernest Hemingway is a down on his luck, aging fisherman who hasn’t caught a fish for 84 days. Convinced things are about to change, he ventures further out to sea than usual and hooks a giant marlin longer than his small boat. He finally reels it in after a three-day struggle and secures it to the side of his boat. Sadly, his prize is “stolen” on the way back to shore. Themes: man vs. nature, friendship, luck, memories, perseverance, suffering, religion, pride, defeat (a man can be destroyed but not defeated).

See top menu for all 1,500+ stories

Approximate Reading Times

Quick Read: under 5 minutes
Short Story: 5 to 30 minutes
Novelette: 30 to 90 minutes
Novella: 1.5 to 2.5 hours

Other stories you may like:

Other People
Quick Read by Neil Gaiman. Upon entering a room in hell, a man meets the “demon” that will become his tormentor. After suffering excruciating pain from each of the 211 torture instruments lining the walls, he asks the demon what comes next. The answer: the true pain begins!
The House on Mango Street / Those Who Don’t / Alicia and I Talking…
Three Vignettes by Sandra Cisneros. Each deals with an aspect of "place". A Mexican-American family moves to a new neighborhood that most outsiders consider dangerous. Their small house is special because they own it. A year later, the protagonist wonders why the new house still doesn’t feel like "home".
A Cup of Tea
Short Story by Katherine Mansfield. The desire for a “cup of tea” symbolizes the one similarity (womanhood) between a poor, desperate and “astonishingly pretty” young beggar and a rich, entitled and “not exactly beautiful” middle-aged socialite. The socialite’s insecurity about her appearance prevents her from helping the girl.
Train
Short Story by Joy Williams. A sensitive, compassionate girl (Dan) rides a long-distance train with the family of a rude, cynical, self-absorbed friend (Jane). Dan “comes of age” as she realizes the world is not always a happy place, and that Jane is unfit to be her friend.
Animal Farm
Novella by George Orwell. An allegory of the 1917 Russian Revolution and rise of Stalinism, highlighting the lust for and corrupting effect of power, progressive exploitation of the working class, and how an unenlightened populace can be manipulated into continued acceptance of a failed/corrupt political system.

The Snake and the Mirror
Grade 7-8 Story by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. On the surface, a humorous tale about a tense encounter between a young doctor and a cobra that becomes taken with its own beauty. However, if one looks more deeply, it is not clear which “snake” the title refers to
La Grande Bretèche
Novelette by Honoré de Balzac. An French doctor entertains guests at a dinner party by relating how, by seducing a hotel maid to complete the puzzle, he was able to solve the mystery of a dilapidated, abandoned mansion. When he finished, some of the listeners were almost shivering in horror
The Encyclopedia of the Dead
Novelette by Danilo Kiš. The legendary Encyclopedia of the Dead records minute details of the lives of all people not famous enough to have a published biography. A woman makes a surreal discovery after writing down details of a dream she has about her father's entry in the book.
The Blue Jar
Quick Read by Isak Dinesen. A sailor and the daughter of an art-collecting nobleman become lovers during a nine-day ordeal in a lifeboat. The nobleman pays the sailor to return to sea, and spends the rest of her life sailing the world, ostensibly seeking a uniquely colored Chinese porcelain jar.
Big Brother / Bade Bhai Sahab
Short Story by Premchand. Two Indian brothers with opposite personalities attend boarding school. The older, more studios brother consistently fails; the younger, irresponsible brother excels. The story teaches the danger of arrogant pride, and that there is always something to learn from those with more life experience