Short stories | Lecturia

Virginia Woolf: The String Quartet

The String Quartet is a short story by Virginia Woolf, published in 1921 in the collection Monday or Tuesday. The narrative captures the sensory experience of a chamber music concert through a spectator’s mind immersed in a stream of thoughts and memories. As she watches the musicians and listens to the melody, her consciousness drifts between fleeting impressions of the audience, dialogues between strangers, and scenes evoked by the music. The fragmented and lyrical story explores the relationship between art and perception, allowing the harmony of the quartet to intertwine with the flow of memory and imagination.

Shirley Jackson: The Summer People

“The Summer People” is a disturbing story by the acclaimed American author Shirley Jackson, published in September 1950 in the magazine Charm. The story explores the story of an elderly couple, the Allisons, who, after years of spending their summers in a quiet country cottage, decide to extend their stay beyond the usual season. However, this harmless decision triggers a series of unexpected events.

Shirley Jackson: The Lottery

In “The Lottery,” a short story by Shirley Jackson published in The New Yorker on June 26, 1948, the residents of a small town participate in an annual lottery, which at first glance appears to be an innocent community tradition. However, a disturbing reality behind this entrenched practice is revealed as the narrative unfolds. The story delves into social conformity, the aversion to change, and the sinister nature that can lie in the traditions of a community. It is a disturbing story, controversial in its time, which has become one of the most relevant short stories in the history of the American narrative.

Isabel Allende: The Gold of Tomás Vargas

The Gold of Tomás Vargas (El oro de Tomás Vargas) is a story by Isabel Allende, published in Cuentos de Eva Luna (1989). It tells the story of Tomás Vargas, a greedy, quarrelsome, and womanizing man who the people of Agua Santa despise. His meanness and selfishness lead him to accumulate a treasure in gold coins while his wife, Antonia Sierra, and their children live in misery. When a pregnant young woman arrives claiming his protection, Vargas takes her into his home, unleashing a conflict that changes the family dynamic. Her destiny becomes intertwined with the gambling, greed, and tensions of a town that tolerates him but does not respect him.

Ray Bradbury: The Dragon

“The Dragon” is a short story by Ray Bradbury published in Esquire in August 1955. It tells the story of two men waiting by a fire in a desolate nocturnal wasteland, fearful of the presence of a legendary dragon that devours solitary travelers. The darkness and the cold increase their anxiety as they talk about the terrifying beast, described as having eyes of fire and deadly breath. As the night progresses, the men prepare for an inevitable confrontation. When the dragon appears, they don their armor and mount their horses, marching towards an inevitable clash with their destiny.

Clark Ashton Smith: The Death of Malygris

The Death of Malygris is a story by Clark Ashton Smith, published in April 1934 in the magazine Weird Tales. Set in the mythical Poseidonis, it explores the mystery surrounding the fate of the fearsome sorcerer Malygris. King Gadeiron summons the most powerful magicians of Susran to confirm whether the sorcerer is dead, because although no one has seen him move or speak in a long time, his presence continues to inspire terror. Using forbidden arts, and knowing the dangers to which they are exposed, the conjurers try to unravel the enigma surrounding the sorcerer.