Romance | Lecturia

Mary Shelley: The Brother and Sister

“The Brother and Sister: An Italian Story” is a short story by Mary Shelley, first published in 1832 in The Keepsake and later included in the collection “Tales and Stories” (1891). Set in medieval Siena, it tells the story of Lorenzo and Flora Mancini, two young siblings marked by exile, family ruin, and the enmity between rival clans. Orphaned and impoverished, they decide to return to their native city to restore their fortune and reclaim their lost honor. There, Lorenzo must face the young Count Fabian Tolomei; however, a twist of fate leads to a new misfortune, forcing him to entrust the care of his beloved sister to the hands of their enemies.

Kate Chopin: A Respectable Woman

“A Respectable Woman” is a short story by American writer Kate Chopin, published on February 15, 1894, in Vogue magazine and later included in the collection A Night in Acadie (1897). The story begins when Mrs. Baroda learns, with some annoyance, that her husband has invited an old friend to spend a few days at their plantation, disrupting her plans to enjoy a season of peace. Although she initially imagines the visitor with antipathy, her attitude toward him soon begins to change, awakening an unexpected restlessness in her.

Bram Stoker: The Coming of Abel Behenna

Bram Stoker - El regreso de Abel Behenna

“The Coming of Abel Behenna” is a romantic and dark short story by Bram Stoker, published in 1893 in Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper. In the peaceful port of Pencastle, two young men who have been inseparable since childhood, Abel and Eric, share not only a deep friendship but also a love for the beautiful Sarah Trefusis, the most sought-after young woman in the village. When she is forced to choose between them, an unusual proposal gives rise to a risky agreement that will keep her away from her fiancé for a year. While chance determines the future, jealousy, ambition, and uncertainty begin to cloud the bond between the former comrades.

Ray Bradbury: The Lake

“The Lake” is a short, moving story by Ray Bradbury, published in May 1944 in Weird Tales magazine. The story follows Harold, a boy who makes his last visit to Lake Michigan before moving to the western United States. During that visit, he wanders away from his mother to remember his friend Tally, who disappeared in the lake a year earlier. Years later, Harold, now an adult and married, returns to the place of his childhood with his wife, unaware that fate has an unsettling and revealing experience in store for him.

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.

Mary Shelley: The Dream

In Mary Shelley’s The Dream, the young and beautiful Countess Constance de Villeneuve lives in solitude, grieving the loss of her father and brothers in the civil wars. Determined to enter a convent, her plans are challenged by the unexpected visit of the king and Gaspar de Vaudemont, an old love whose return awakens intense emotions in her heart. On a stormy night, Constance, seeking divine guidance, enters a sacred cave, where revelatory visions confront her with her love and destiny. In a struggle between duty and passion, Constance faces decisions that could change her life forever.