I stumbled across an idea for a reading project the other day that really grabbed me – working through a collection of great American short stories.
So, I started digging around to see what stories are considered must-reads. I looked up some lists of classics and found a few names that kept popping up: Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Flannery O’Connor. Those are definitely some heavy hitters!
- One story that was mentioned was “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry.
- I also noticed “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe, and “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor.
I found a few more authors to check out, too – Raymond Carver, Kate Chopin, William Faulkner, and Alice Walker. Seems like there’s a ton of variety in the world of American short stories.
I went ahead and tried to find a collection that includes some of these big names. There seem to be some great anthologies out there. It took me a while to choose one, but eventually I settled on one that seems pretty comprehensive.
I’m pretty excited to start working my way through this collection. I’ve always enjoyed a good short story, and it’ll be cool to read some of the classics that everyone talks about. Hopefully, I will have read some really great stories. And hey, maybe I’ll even discover some new favorite authors along the way!
I plan on reading a story or two a week and then writing some quick thoughts. Nothing too formal, just some gut reactions and maybe some notes on what I liked or didn’t like. It is going to be great to share this experience with all of you.
