My 10 greatest short stories list

 I went looking for things to add into my last blog, and I searched for a list of 25 best short stories that I felt was something I could share. Things like this are relative to the times and the tastes of those who are making the list, and I didn't see one that was necessarily good enough, so I am creating my own list.

I would like to start by pointing out that I am not adding in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, and that is simply because I personally find the content a little morbid. I realize it is a favorite, but that gives me a good lead in to my list, which without putting into a particular order, will start with Edgar Allen Poe.

1. The Pit and the Pendulum, Poe. - On many lists was an Edgar tale, but the usual suspects are always Cask of Amontillado or Tell Tale Heart. The Pit and the Pendulum is another classic from Poe, whose special talent was creating a masterful tale with a sharp and thrilling ending. I read this story to my daughter once when she was visiting me. She laid down on my bed while I read to her and she napped. I think she listened to the whole thing, a true testament to its entertainment value. The Pit is suspenseful and leaves you with a feeling of relief.

 2. Big Me, Chaon. - Dan Chaon is not a widely read author in my network, but his work leaves an imprint. This story was in my writing for fiction book in college. It is one of a few that will make the list from the book. I searched high and low for this story after school. 

3. The Ministers Black Veil, Hawthorne. - I love Nathaniel Hawthorne. His work is some of my favorite. I think he is a genius. This story is basically a psychological thriller before the genre was. Forget that it is set in a Puritan setting, it induces all the right questions of what can happen to someone who "slips" away from the crowd. Twice Told Tales is a wonderful collection of his sketches and tales.

4. Bartleby the Scrivener, Melville.  - Everyone has heard of Moby Dick. Everyone knows the first line,"Call me Ishmael". Why doesn't everyone know Bartleby? Why hadn't I read it until freshman year at college? What a great story! It has encouraged me through many a bad workday. Again, the ending of a short story is what makes the story. They have the ability to become the neatest, complete-est, most deserving little works of art. It is Christmastime, think A Christmas Carol.

5. A Christmas Carol, Dickens. - Only 62 pages long.  You could read it each Christmas. I am reminded of things which became visually appealing in words that never occured to me watching the films, like the merriment and revelry at the Fezziwigs Christmas Party. Total Classic, reads like a total classic.

6. The Dead, Joyce. - A top 5 for me. I read an article that pretty much declared James Joyce unreadable. Then Ulysses ended up on two lists in an article which comprised votes from 125 famous authors on what they thought was the best writing of all time, novels. I couldn't believe it anyway, The Dead is haunting. 

7. Where are you going, where have you been? Oates. - Great story, interestingly enough, many people agree. Having a visual is usually the best way for me to know if a story worked for me. I still can see the screen door, the kitchen, the car ...

8. The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown - Found in one of those collections with everyone in it, Fitzgerald, Steinbeck, O. Henry, and so many, many more ... this may be the all time favorite. It was definitely a stand out among the best. I read this, then O. Henry. O. Henry sounded like an assignment for a writing class, very amateur. Incidentally,  this particular gem was the inspiration for Guys and Dolls. 

9. A Boring Story, Chekov. - I feel like this is a masterpiece. It was less like reading and more like dreaming or witnessing the life of the protagonist. Nothing terribly great about it, except that it was great.

10. The Swimmer, Cheever. - This was another from my fiction class, what an awesome change in tone from early 20th and 19th century work. Super dramatic, very abstract, very surreal. Worth a dive into, ba-doom- ching!