Realism | Lecturia

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.

Arthur Conan Doyle: The New Catacomb

“The New Catacomb” is a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle, published in 1898 in The Sunlight Year-Book. In late nineteenth-century Rome, Burger and Kennedy are two young, eminent archaeologists bound by a relationship of intellectual rivalry and mutual admiration. During a conversation at Kennedy’s house, Burger confides to him an extraordinary discovery: he has found a Christian catacomb from the Roman period, intact and previously unknown. Fascinated, Kennedy presses to see the site and gain access to its secrets. After showing some reluctance, Burger agrees to guide him on a nocturnal exploration, but first imposes a peculiar condition.

Mary Shelley: The Evil Eye

“The Evil Eye” is a short story by Mary Shelley, first published in 1829 in The Keepsake and later collected in Tales and Stories (1891). Set in the Balkans under Ottoman rule, it tells the story of Dmitri, a feared Albanian bandit believed to possess the supernatural power to cause harm with his gaze. His tragic past and formidable reputation inspire fear and superstition among the region’s inhabitants. When a former companion arrives seeking his help to recover a family inheritance, Dmitri agrees to take part in a scheme that will lead him through a labyrinth of adventures, where violence, honor, and a thirst for revenge threaten to awaken ghosts long thought buried.

Charles Dickens: The Poor Relation’s Story

“The Poor Relation’s Story” is a short story by Charles Dickens, published on December 25, 1852, in the magazine Household Words. During a family gathering, Michael—a humble, discreet man—is compelled to begin the round of Christmas tales. In a reflective tone, he opens his narration by setting out the image his family has of him: a failed relative, solitary and penniless, condemned to a drab and routine existence, whose chief enemy is himself. Yet he maintains that behind this appearance, accepted by all, there lies a story very different from the one others believe they know.

Arthur Conan Doyle: The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle

“The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle” is a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle, published in January 1892 in The Strand Magazine. Two days after Christmas, Dr. Watson finds Sherlock Holmes examining an old hat and a lost goose recovered after a street altercation. What initially seems a trivial incident takes an unexpected turn when a valuable jewel, stolen days earlier, is discovered inside the bird. From this surprising find, Holmes embarks on a meticulous investigation to trace the goose’s journey and determine how an object of such value came to be hidden in so improbable a place.

Nathaniel Hawthorne: Roger Malvin’s Burial

“Roger Malvin’s Burial” is a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, first published in 1832 in The Token. Reuben Bourne and Roger Malvin are two men who, after escaping from a bloody battle between settlers and Native Americans, are left seriously wounded. Lost in the vastness of the forest and with no help in sight, Malvin—aware that his condition is terminal—begs Reuben to abandon him in order to save himself. Though he resists, Reuben realizes that setting out in search of aid is the only hope of saving Malvin.