Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Favourite short stories

Options
  • 09-02-2015 9:28pm
    #1
    pavb2
    Registered Users Posts: 2,928 ✭✭✭


    Here's 3 of mine but then I had to put in a 4th

    An incident at Owl Creek Bridge - Ambrose Bierce

    The Lottery - Shirley Jackson

    Leningen versus the ants - Carl Stephenson

    The Lady or the Tiger - Frank Stockton


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Dirty Dingus McGee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,631 ✭✭✭Dirty Dingus McGee


    The Dead by James Joyce


  • Options
    #3
    Mr.Buzz
    Registered Users Posts: 58 ✭✭Mr.Buzz


    The snows of Kilimanjaro (Hemingway)


  • Options
    #4
    First_October
    Registered Users Posts: 70 ✭✭First_October


    Have to agree with An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge; it's unbelievably good!

    Other favourites:

    The Lumber Room - Saki

    The October Game - Ray Bradbury

    Guests of the Nation - Frank O'Connor

    Up The Bare Stairs - Sean O'Faolain


  • Options
    #5
    FrKurtFahrt
    Registered Users Posts: 899 ✭✭✭FrKurtFahrt


    The Artificial ****** - Flannery O'Connor

    Two Gallants - James Joyce

    Or for a laugh:

    The Unrest-cure
    Tobermory - Both Saki


  • Options
    #6
    lockman
    Registered Users Posts: 550 ✭✭✭lockman


    Pastures of Heaven - John Steinbeck; a wonderful expose on human nature.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Harry Angstrom
    Registered Users Posts: 19,351 ✭✭✭✭Harry Angstrom


    The Widow's Son by Mary Lavin.

    Left a lasting impression on me from when I first read it many years ago.


  • Options
    #8
    Mr.Nice Guy
    Registered Users Posts: 45,552 ✭✭✭✭Mr.Nice Guy


    A Perfect Day for Bananafish by J.D. Salinger.

    I thought this was stunning when I first read it, and it has stayed in my mind since.

    I'd highly recommend 'Nine Stories' which is the short story collection that features this work.


  • Options
    #9
    Richard Roma
    Registered Users Posts: 259 ✭✭Richard Roma


    Ms. Lola - Junot Diaz
    A Shingawa Monkey - Haruki Murakami
    The Lottery - Shirley Jackson
    Extreme Solitude (later incorporated into the Marriage Plot) - Jeffrey Eugenides


  • Options
    #10
    Oink
    Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 2,151 Mod ✭✭✭✭Oink


    Tales of unrest - Conrad
    Especially "Karain - A memory"


  • Options
    #11
    Swiper the fox
    Registered Users Posts: 6,745 ✭✭✭Swiper the fox


    What is the William Trevor story about the old Anglo-Irish brother and sister who were hanging on to the big house with the background of local nationalism??

    I used to love the stories from Padraig O'Conaire on the leaving cert course, Nora Mharcais Bhig, Na lig sin I gcathú.

    Kevin Barry is an outstanding modern short story writer, Beer trip to Llandudno is one that springs to mind as it won a very big award a couple of years ago.

    Frank O'Connor's first confession story is onei have very fond memories of from primary school.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    scream
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 430 ✭✭scream


    'Fish' by Anna Taborska,

    That link takes you to a PDF of the story that Anna Taborska has kindly given the site in question permission to use. It's one of my all time favourite stories, very Lovecraftian in feel, and quite pulpy in it's own way. It's a fantastic tale of transformation and vengeance that manages to inject a little humour into the guts of it all, and the way in which the author brings it all together is inspired.

    If you like it, she has a collection out called 'For Those Who Dream Monsters'.


  • Options
    #13
    Neleven
    Registered Users Posts: 102 ✭✭Neleven


    Raymond Carver - almost anything by him.


  • Options
    #14
    FaulknersFav
    Registered Users Posts: 72 ✭✭FaulknersFav


    Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »
    A Perfect Day for Bananafish by J.D. Salinger.

    I thought this was stunning when I first read it, and it has stayed in my mind since.

    I'd highly recommend 'Nine Stories' which is the short story collection that features this work.

    A Perfect Day for Bananafish is my favourite ever short story.

    Coincidentally I read a short story by Salinger last weekend called "The Ocean Was Full of Bowling Balls." It's unpublished but available online. It reduced me to tears, even the third time I read it. Since you loved A Perfect Day for Bananafish you should check this out if you haven't yet :)


  • Options
    #15
    FaulknersFav
    Registered Users Posts: 72 ✭✭FaulknersFav


    A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner is a masterpiece.

    George Orwell's Such, Such Were the Joys


  • Options
    #16
    adrian522
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 16,103 Mod ✭✭✭✭adrian522


    Currently working my way through Hemmingway's short stories. Some very good stuff in there, most of them are worth a second read.

    I'd go with "Hills like White Elephants" and "A Simple Enquiry" as my favourites so far, so much going on that is just beneath the surface.


  • Options
    #17
    Stechkin
    Registered Users Posts: 69 ✭✭Stechkin


    Leo Tolstoy "War and Peace" .


  • Options
    #18
    Mr.Nice Guy
    Registered Users Posts: 45,552 ✭✭✭✭Mr.Nice Guy


    I recently listened to a recording of the short story The Last Question by Isaac Asimov. You can listen to it here:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojEq-tTjcc0



    I thought this was great. I will definitely have to check out more works by the author.


  • Options
    #19
    buck65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,969 ✭✭✭buck65


    Colin Barrett's "Young Skins" is an excellent collection from a brilliant young Irish writer.

    Denis Johnson "Jesus' Son"


  • Options
    #20
    Das Kitty
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 17,231 Mod ✭✭✭✭Das Kitty


    The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains by Neil Gaiman. Dark and strange and shocking, a masterclass in slow burn tension building.

    The Other Place by Mary Gaitskill is compelling and terrifying.

    The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Stetson. When I read it first it was like someone had documented my worst nightmare.

    The Beast and the Bear by Ethel Rohan. It really stayed with me.


  • Options
    #21
    Right Turn Clyde
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,487 ✭✭✭Right Turn Clyde


    [QUOTE=FaulknersFav;94668274
    George Orwell's Such, Such Were the Joys[/QUOTE]

    I know I'm nitpicking here but that's an essay, not a short story.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #22
    Qiaonasen
    Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭Qiaonasen


    Out of curiosity. Where do people read short stories? Do you buy the short story collections. I was under the impression they are published elsewhere and add to collections at a later time. But like are their regular places that are not short story collections to read them?


  • Options
    #23
    scream
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 430 ✭✭scream


    Qiaonasen wrote: »
    Out of curiosity. Where do people read short stories? Do you buy the short story collections. I was under the impression they are published elsewhere and add to collections at a later time. But like are their regular places that are not short story collections to read them?

    I read collections and anthologies but also frequent a horror forum that posts lots of out of copyright short stories(as well as some new ones that they have specific permission from the respective authors to host). As well as that, each year they post a story a day for advent in the lead up to Christmas, strangely enough. For example, here's a list of daily horror short stories for advent for the past 4 years. Loads of stories for to enjoy here. They really are worth your time too,
    http://vaultofevil.proboards.com/post/42586/thread


    (I'm not sure if you have to be a forum member to download each story though, but it's free, quick and simple to join(of course))

    Enjoy.


  • Options
    #24
    scream
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 430 ✭✭scream


    Das Kitty wrote: »
    The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains by Neil Gaiman. Dark and strange and shocking, a masterclass in slow burn tension building.

    The Other Place by Mary Gaitskill is compelling and terrifying.

    The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Stetson. When I read it first it was like someone had documented my worst nightmare.

    The Beast and the Bear by Ethel Rohan. It really stayed with me.

    The Yellow Wallpaper really is a great story. I only came across it myself recently.


  • Options
    #25
    PressRun
    Registered Users Posts: 3,129 ✭✭✭PressRun


    A Good Man is Hard To Find by Flannery O'Connor is a great example of Southern Gothic literature.

    http://www.boyd.k12.ky.us/userfiles/447/Classes/28660/A%20Good%20Man%20Is%20Hard%20To%20Find.pdf


  • Options
    #26
    pavb2
    Registered Users Posts: 2,928 ✭✭✭pavb2


    PressRun wrote: »
    A Good Man is Hard To Find by Flannery O'Connor is a great example of Southern Gothic literature.

    http://www.boyd.k12.ky.us/userfiles/447/Classes/28660/A%20Good%20Man%20Is%20Hard%20To%20Find.pdf
    Yes that story definitely leaves an impression.


  • Options
    #27
    Qiaonasen
    Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭Qiaonasen


    pavb2 wrote: »
    Yes that story definitely leaves an impression.


    A good man is hard to find. Just click the link. How is it possible to class that as a short story. It's 300 pages.


  • Options
    #28
    Das Kitty
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 17,231 Mod ✭✭✭✭Das Kitty


    Qiaonasen wrote: »
    A good man is hard to find. Just click the link. How is it possible to class that as a short story. It's 300 pages.

    "... and other stories."

    ?


  • Options
    #29
    GLaDOS
    Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 23,209 Mod ✭✭✭✭GLaDOS


    About 30 pages going by the PDF numeration :)

    Cake, and grief counseling, will be available at the conclusion of the test



Advertisement