Short stories | Lecturia

H. P. Lovecraft: Polaris

“Polaris” is a story by H. P. Lovecraft, written in 1918 and published in December 1920 in the magazine Philosopher. It narrates the disturbing visions of a man who, under the motionless light of the North Star, begins to have strange dreams in which he contemplates an ancient marble city set among unknown mountains. Fascinated by the beauty and mystery, the protagonist, as he is submerged in this dream world, finds himself increasingly trapped between two realities: sleep and wakefulness.

Juan Rulfo: Paso del Norte

“Paso del Norte” is a story by Juan Rulfo published in 1953 in the El llano en llamas collection. It tells of a man’s determination to abandon his impoverished life in Mexico to seek better opportunities in El Norte. Despite the risks and family opposition, his desperation to escape misery drives him to set out on a dangerous journey, symbolizing the universal struggle for survival and the search for a dignified life.

Bram Stoker: The Burial of the Rats

“The Burial of the Rats” is a short story by Bram Stoker, included in the collection Dracula’s Guest and Other Weird Stories, published in 1914. Set in the slums of Paris in the mid-19th century, it narrates the disturbing experience of a young Englishman who, driven by melancholy and tedium, decides to explore the dark sectors where those who live off the garbage do so. Fascinated by this marginal world, he enters a labyrinth of waste, shacks, and sinister figures. What starts as a curious excursion soon becomes a disturbing experience of danger and suspense.

Richard Connell: The Most Dangerous Game

“The Most Dangerous Game” is a short story by Richard Connell, published on January 19, 1924 in Collier’s magazine. The story follows Sanger Rainsford, an experienced hunter who falls into the sea near a mysterious island in the Caribbean. After reaching land, he discovers a mansion inhabited by the sophisticated and enigmatic General Zaroff, who shares his passion for hunting. However, the rules of the game on the island are different. As Rainsford explores the place, he begins to perceive a disturbing change in the role he has traditionally played as a hunter.

Dorothy Parker: A Telephone Call

“A Phone Call” is a short story by Dorothy Parker, published in January 1928 in The Bookman. Through an anxious inner monologue, a woman desperately waits for the man she loves to keep his promise to call her. As she watches the clock and struggles not to succumb to the temptation to dial him, her mind wanders between hope, pleading, and humiliation. With an intimate and direct style, Parker sharply portrays the emotional fragility, the self-deception, and the intensity of unrequited desire in an everyday but deeply moving situation.

Doris Lessing: An Old Woman and her Cat

An Old Woman and her Cat is a short story by Doris Lessing, published in 1972 in the New American Review. It tells the story of Hetty, an older woman marginalized by her family and society, who survives as best she can on the fringes of London. Proud, eccentric, and free, Hetty finds comfort in Tibby, a stray cat she adopts and makes her only companion. The story focuses on her wanderings through run-down neighborhoods, her struggle to remain independent, and her endearing bond with the animal in an environment that becomes increasingly hostile and indifferent.