Short stories | Lecturia

Juan Carlos Onetti: The Cat

“The Cat” is a short story by Juan Carlos Onetti, published in the collection Liminar in 1980. The story follows John, a cynical and distant Englishman, who confesses to a friend the reason behind his decision not to marry. In his account, he recalls a former engagement to Marie, a French woman with whom he was deeply in love. Everything was ready for them to begin their life together, until an unexpected and strange situation changed the course of their plans.

Guy de Maupassant: Boule de Suif

“Boule de Suif” is Guy de Maupassant’s most emblematic short story, the one that marked his rise to literary stardom. Published in 1880, it recounts the flight of a motley group of people from Rouen amid the turmoil of the Franco-Prussian War. Among the passengers are three upper-class couples, two nuns, a self-proclaimed revolutionary, and a well-known prostitute nicknamed Boule de Suif. Throughout the journey, Boule de Suif emerges as a shy and generous figure, selflessly concerned for the well-being of her companions. In return, however, she faces disdain, humiliation, and hypocrisy.

Isaac Asimov: The Fun They Had

“The Fun They Had” is a short story by Isaac Asimov, published in December 1951 in Boys and Girls Page. Margie and Tommy, two children living in a future society, discover something they have never seen before: a real book printed on paper. The two friends—and Margie in particular—are fascinated by this unusual object, which describes a distant time when education was conducted in a way very different from the one they know.

Shirley Jackson: Jack the Ripper

“Jack the Ripper” is a short story by the American writer Shirley Jackson, published posthumously in 1996 in the book Just an Ordinary Day. On a New York night, a man walks down a deserted street when he comes upon a young woman who has fainted beside a bar, apparently drunk. Alarmed by her condition, he goes inside the establishment and tries to get help for her, but he encounters the indifference of the bartender and the other men present, who prefer to wash their hands of the matter, claiming they know her and that she usually sleeps on the street. Faced with this general apathy, the man decides to take matters into his own hands and help the young woman himself.

J. D. Beresford: The Misanthrope

“The Misanthrope” is a short story by the English writer J. D. Beresford, published in 1918 in the book Nineteen Impressions. Intrigued by the stories about a mysterious hermit living on the remote islet of Gulland, a man decides to travel there. Once there, he meets William Copley, who has chosen to live apart from society. Invited to spend the night with him, the visitor gradually becomes Copley’s confidant, who reveals the disturbing condition that afflicts him: a peculiar faculty of perception that has driven him into a profound rejection of humanity.

Roald Dahl: The Sound Machine

“The Sound Machine” is a science fiction short story by Roald Dahl, published on September 17, 1949, in The New Yorker. It tells the story of Klausner, a solitary and obsessive man who builds a device capable of detecting sounds inaudible to the human ear. Convinced that the world is filled with hidden voices, he tests his invention in the garden and makes a disturbing discovery as he observes how the plants react. His fascination turns into mounting unease as he ventures deeper into an invisible sonic realm that could radically transform our understanding of plant sensitivity.