8 Short Stories in English Everyone Should Read
Reading in English is one of the most effective ways to learn a language: mentally you pronounce the pronunciation of new words, memorize grammatical structures, learn new words and at the same time receive additional (interesting, emotional and make you feel and empathize) information.
At school, we read short simple texts about travel, country studies, and the culture of different countries, and outside of it we try to master works of large forms. This path is not easy at all: instead of benefiting, most of the students are only strengthened in the idea that they do not know the language at all.
Even in your native language, mastering a novel is often not an easy task, and reading a whole book in English can turn into a real marathon. What to do if you are not too fond of reading, tired and irritated already on page 20 of the same "Harry Potter"? We have the answer – read short stories!
The small literary form has several significant advantages:
- In just half an hour or an hour, you will read a finished work in English and will be able to proudly say that you are already reading the classics in the original.
- Quitting reading on page 20 will not work purely physically, if there are only 15 pages in the story.
- It is convenient to track your progress by short stories: in ten minutes of reading, you will see that you have already read, for example, half of the work. A trifle, but nice. It motivates.
- Some stories can be read several times to consolidate the learned vocabulary and fixed expressions.
Enjoy reading!
"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury
Difficulty of reading: simple
Plot: the story is about a post-apocalyptic world. After a nuclear tornado, there is only one high-tech "smart home" left in the city: even without its owners, it continues to cook breakfast, clean up, make the bed, wash dishes, and "communicate" with a person. The peculiarity of this story is that it includes the lyrical poem of the same name by Sarah Tisdale. So, reading "There Will Be a Gentle Rain", you can also get acquainted with a classic example of poetry in English.
"Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr
Difficulty of reading: very easy
Plot: the story takes place in the year 2081. After the adoption of a number of amendments to the Constitution, all people are artificially equalized. The protagonist, young Harrison Bergeron, is taken away from his family at the age of 14, as his strength and intellect defy equations. The story is a parody of developing technologies and a satire of modern trends towards the equalization of representatives of different minorities.
"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling
Difficulty of reading: very easy
Plot: the mongoose Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is the main character of the story. As often happens, the animals in this story are collective images of people who learn to coexist together.The British and Americans perceive this story in the same way as we perceive the fairy tale about "Kolobok". Read it, and you will definitely have something to discuss with native English speakers.
"To Build a Fire" by Jack London
Reading Level: Simple
Plot: The main character of the story, contrary to advice, goes out into the mountains with a dog in the cold. And Mother Nature decides to play a cruel joke on the hero: the man falls knee-deep into the water and begins to freeze rapidly.
The events in this story are brighter than the vocabulary: there are no allegorical, difficult to understand expressions, only a list of facts that are important for the development of the story. This is the advantage of the story - it is easily perceived even by those who are just starting to learn the language.
"The Cats of Ulthar" by H. P. Lovecraft
Reading difficulty: medium, closer to easy
Synopsis: The main characters of the story, an old man and an old woman from the city of Ultar, hate cats. One day, they kidnap a black kitten, the only pet and friend of the little wanderer Menes. The boy decides to avenge his cat. This story is indirectly related to Lovecraft's other, larger works, and contains references to Egyptian mythology. Suitable for those who love mysterious stories and expressive language. We can say that "Cats of Ulthar" in terms of language is the complete opposite of "Bonfire".
"The Cactus" by O. Henry
Difficulty of reading: simple
Plot: O. Henry is a recognized master of the short story. The writer subtly felt human souls and deftly noticed the details that complemented the images of the characters. And O. Henry is also a master of soft irony. For those who are learning English and planning to communicate with foreigners, it will not be superfluous to adopt a couple of techniques from the writer.
"A True Story Repeated Word for Word As I Heard It" by Mark Twain
Difficulty: medium, closer to easy (the most difficult is the title of the story)
Plot: The story is about an elderly maid who, according to her, has never experienced either "sorrow" or "joy". There are long sentences, confused direct speech, ironic intonation - everything as Twain likes. An interesting exercise for the mind and a great reason to tighten your tongue.
"Kew Gardens" by Virginia Woolf
Difficulty: medium
Plot: Virginia Woolf's short work reveals a whole kaleidoscope of characters. Perhaps this is the most unusual story from the list: Here, nature acts as a separate character, and the dialogues elegantly intersect with the internal monologues of the characters.
.jpg "How to write your first novel and publish it")
