Short stories | Lecturia

Edgar Allan Poe: Morella

“Morella” is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, published in April 1835 in the Southern Literary Messenger. A man marries Morella, a woman of great erudition and a marked inclination toward metaphysics and mystical knowledge. Although he initially feels deeply attached to her, over time he experiences a growing detachment and an inexplicable aversion toward his wife, a feeling that intensifies as she languishes and her presence becomes increasingly disturbing.

Julio Cortázar: A Yellow Flower

“A Yellow Flower” is a short story by Julio Cortázar, published in 1956 in the collection Final del juego. In a Paris bistro, a drunken man claims to have made an extraordinary discovery: we are immortal. As he tells it, the revelation came to him on a bus, when he recognized in a thirteen-year-old boy named Luc an exact replica of himself at that age—the same face, the same gestures, the same shyness, the same voice. Determined to investigate, he insinuates himself into the boy’s life: he visits his home and meets his family. As he learns more about Luc’s story, he finds astonishing parallels between their two lives, as though existence were repeating itself in endless cycles.

Mary Shelley: The Pilgrims

“The Pilgrims” is a short story by Mary Shelley, published in 1837 in The Keepsake and later included in the collection Tales and Stories (1891). Burkhardt of Unspunnen, a lonely old knight, lives tormented by painful memories. One night, two young pilgrims arrive at his castle seeking shelter, and he welcomes them generously. The strangers, moved by their host’s obvious distress, beg him to share the reason for his sorrow. Burkhardt then recounts the story of an irreparable loss and devastating regret that consumes his existence.

Poul Anderson: Quixote and the Windmill

“Quixote and the Windmill” is a short story by Poul Anderson, published in November 1950 in Astounding Science Fiction. In the future, Earth has achieved full automation: production is almost entirely automatic, machines perform all routine tasks, and human beings live surrounded by comfort, leisure, and abundance. The workday is minimal, basic needs are met, and people can devote their time to creativity and recreation. In this world of technological utopia, two men drink in a bar as they drown their frustration over a world that seems no longer to need them.

Jack London: Love Of Life

In “Love of Life,” Jack London recounts the harrowing journey of two men lost in the Canadian wilderness. Weak and starving, they struggle to survive as an unforgiving nature subjects them to relentless trials. Faced with dwindling food supplies and mounting injuries, their bond fractures and one abandons the other. From that moment on, the narrative follows the solitary odyssey of the deserted man, who—stripped of nearly everything—must find the strength and the means to keep going. The story explores the outer limits of human endurance and the tenacious fight for life amid overwhelming desolation.

Gabriel García Márquez: I Sell My Dreams

“I Sell My Dreams” (Me alquilo para soñar) is a short story by Gabriel García Márquez, published in 1992 in the collection 12 cuentos peregrinos. It recounts the author’s own experiences with a mysterious woman he met in Vienna. A tragic event that took place in Havana serves García Márquez as the occasion to evoke this fascinating character, who possesses a very special gift: the ability to foresee the future through dreams. The story moves between the fantastic and the journalistic, and also includes a delightful anecdote involving Pablo Neruda.