Short stories | Lecturia

Charlotte Brontë: Napoleon and the Spectre

“Napoleon and the Spectre” is a Gothic tale by Charlotte Brontë, written in 1833 and published in 1925 in the collection The Twelve Adventurers and Other Stories. Emperor Napoleon is in his bedroom attempting to rest when a series of strange occurrences begin to manifest themselves: creaking sounds, moans, and a shadow that darkens the candles. As he tries to convince himself that everything is merely an illusion, a mysterious voice addresses him and a sinister-looking spectre appears before him, urging him to leave his bed. Driven by an irresistible force, Napoleon follows it into the night of Paris, where a disturbing experience awaits him.

Jean Paul Sartre: Erostratus

“Erostratus” (Érostrate) is a short story by Jean-Paul Sartre, published in 1939 in the book Le Mur. It tells the story of a solitary and resentful man who observes humanity with a mixture of superiority and revulsion. Obsessed with the pursuit of infamous glory and inspired by the figure of Erostratus—who in antiquity set fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus for the sole purpose of passing into posterity—he acquires a revolver and begins to plan a crime that will grant him the fame he believes he needs in order to transcend his own insignificance.

Bertolt Brecht: The unseemly old lady

“The Unseemly Old Lady” (Die unwürdige Greisin) is a short story by Bertolt Brecht, written in 1939 and first published in the collection Kalendergeschichten (1949). It recounts the life of a woman who, after her husband’s death, finds herself faced with a dilemma: whether to depend on her children or fend for herself. Against all expectations, she rejects her family’s guardianship and chooses to live alone, accepting only modest financial support. From that moment on, she begins to chart her own course through small acts of independence that bewilder her children and arouse the curiosity of the townspeople.

Harlan Ellison: All the Sounds of Fear

Harlan Ellison - Todos los sonidos del miedo

“All the Sounds of Fear” is a short story by Harlan Ellison, published in 1962 in the collection Ellison Wonderland. It recounts the extraordinary career of the actor Richard Becker, who develops a revolutionary acting technique based on total immersion in his characters—living them in reality in order to achieve absolute authenticity on stage. Over the course of twenty-four years, Becker conquers Broadway with legendary characterizations, turning down offers from Hollywood because he believes his art requires the reality of the theater. However, his extreme dedication to assuming other identities drags him toward a breaking point where the line between actor and character fades away irretrievably.

H. P. Lovecraft: The Tomb

“The Tomb,” a psychological horror story by H.P. Lovecraft, published in 1922, immerses us in the disturbing story of Jervas Dudley, a young man obsessed with an ancient family mausoleum. Narrated in the first person, the story offers a disturbing journey through the disturbed mind of Dudley, who claims to have established a supernatural connection with the ancient occupants of the tomb. As the story progresses, the line between the protagonist’s delusions and supernatural events becomes blurred, leaving the reader in a state of uncertainty about the veracity of the events narrated.

Juan Rulfo: Macario

“Macario,” a short story by Juan Rulfo included in El llano en llamas (1953), is an intimate narrative that immerses us in the world of a young man with an intellectual disability under the care of his godmother. Caught between violence and tenderness, Macario finds solace in his relationship with Felipa, an alternative maternal figure. The narration captures his daily struggle, his simple desires, and his peculiar view of life, offering a window into his deepest thoughts and his marginal existence.