The Pearl – John Steinbeck

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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

Eyes of a Blue Dog
Short Story by Gabriel Garcia Márquez. While in a dream state, a man has an ongoing relationship with a woman in which each desires the other but they cannot touch. In his absence, the woman wanders the city searching for him, calling out and writing Eyes of a Blue Dog.
Evening Primrose
Short Story by John Collier. A failed poet gives up the outside world and plans to spend the rest of his life in a department store, hiding by day and collecting food and other necessities at night. To his surprise, he finds a small community of like-minded people already living there.
The Chosen Vessel
Short Story by Barbara Baynton. A graphic picture of the isolation and dangers faced by women living in 19th century ‘outback’ Australia. A ‘swagman’ traveling the countryside looking for work visits a woman on a farm whose husband is away. Things end badly for the woman and her baby.

Exotic Pleasures
Novelette by Peter Carey. A woman buys a brightly coloured exotic bird that gives a rush of pleasure to those who stroke it. She travels the country selling time with the bird, little realizing that it has a dark side which will destroy her marriage and cause mass destruction.
A Face in the Dark
Quick Read by Ruskin Bond. A teacher walking through some woods late at night comes across a crying student. When the boy lifts his face, he runs away in fear and calls for help. When he encounters a night watchman, he gets an even bigger fright.
In Paris
Short Story by Ivan Bunin. A well-to-do, middle-aged Russian exile becomes “animated” for the first time in years when he encounters a sophisticated Russian waitress in a Paris restaurant. Both live in isolation and solitude, and a date at the cinema predictably leads to a steamy romance.
The Nightingale and the Rose
Grade 5-6 Story by Oscar Wilde. A nightingale sacrifices its life in exchange for a red rose to help a love-smitten student attend a dance with the girl of his dreams. Sadly, the fickle girl’s request was a ploy (red roses are not in season), and she has other plans.

A Night in the Life of the Mayor
Short Story by Manoj Das. An Indian mayor belittles his old professor for complaining about a stray cow that chewed up his granddaughter’s schoolbooks. Karma strikes when that same cow runs off with the mayor’s half-eaten clothes and car keys as he is taking a naked dip in a river.
The Treasure of Lemon Brown
Grade 7-8 Story by Walter Dean Myers. Lemon Brown’s ‘Treasure’ comprises press clippings and an old harmonica he gave his son before he went off to war. Helping the old man protect it from thugs teaches a boy to better appreciate the value of family and education.
The Magic Shop
Short Story by H. G. Wells. A father and son enter a strange Magic Shop. The shopkeeper appears and entertains them with some ‘magic’. As the pair moves further into the store, they witness additional, seemingly impossible wonders. The father becomes increasingly uncomfortable, suspecting the presence of unnatural forces.