Novellas

A long short story? A short novel? With its origins in the Middle Ages, the novella has a long history as a unique kind of fiction. Read on to discover themes, symbols, and more within both classic novellas like Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis and contemporary selections, such as the multiple-award-winning Binti by Nnedi Okorafor.

Publication year 1976Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Natural World: Animals, Self DiscoveryTags Action / Adventure, Fantasy, Survival Fiction, Children's Literature, Animals, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Society: CommunityTags Fantasy, Romance, New Adult

Publication year 2017Genre Novella, FictionThemes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: The FutureTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Science / Nature

Publication year 1980Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Art, Society: War, Relationships: MarriageTags Historical Fiction, British Literature, WWI / World War I, Arts / Culture, History: World, Classic Fiction

A Month in the Country is a fiction novel published in 1980 by the British author J.L. Carr, a retired schoolteacher and publisher. The novel tells the deceptively spare tale of Thomas Birkin, a veteran of World War One who, having just returned from overseas, accepts summer employment to restore a mural. Dating back nearly five centuries, the mural adorns the wall of an old country church in northern England. During the weeks he painstakingly... Read A Month in the Country Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Society: CommunityTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ

Publication year 2021Genre Novella, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: GratitudeTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Action / Adventure, Mystery / Crime Fiction

Publication year 1976Genre Novella, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: SiblingsTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Science / Nature, Historical Fiction, Western, Classic Fiction

A River Runs through It is a semi-autobiographical novella by the American author Norman Maclean. The novella was published in 1976, and A River Runs through It was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1977. The novella contains the coming-of-age story of the author and his brother, Paul. Sons of a Scottish Presbyterian minister and his wife, the two boys grew up in a small town in western Montana at the turn of the last... Read A River Runs Through It Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Space & The UniverseTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy

Publication year 1877Genre Novella, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Realism, Realistic Fiction, French Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

A Simple Heart is a novella by Gustave Flaubert that appeared in his book Three Tales. The title has also been translated as A Simple Soul. The story follows the kind and loving maidservant Félicité from her youth to her death and details the many loves that she loses along the way, exploring themes of The Power of Social Class, The Value of a Personal Relationship With God, and The Omnipresence of Death. This guide... Read A Simple Heart Summary


Publication year 1983Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Society: Class, Identity: GenderTags Grief / Death, American Literature, Class, Drama / Tragedy, Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

“A Small, Good Thing” is one of Raymond Carver’s most decorated short stories. It was first printed in heavily edited form as “The Bath” in a 1981 edition of Columbia. When Carver reworked the story for his 1983 collection Cathedral, he titled this more complete version “A Small, Good Thing.” In this form, the story won the coveted O. Henry award and appeared in the year’s Pushcart Prize Annual. A work of literary realism, “A... Read A Small Good Thing Summary


Publication year 1704Genre Novella, FictionThemes Relationships: SiblingsTags Satire, Irish Literature, British Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Humor, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Jonathan Swift wrote A Tale of a Tub (published in 1704) not only to expound upon the hypocrisy of religion in early 18th century England, but to explore ideas about critics, oration, ancient and modern philosophies, digressions, and the nature of writing itself. These themes are all underscored with a satirical tone that takes religion, authors, and critics to task. The title refers to the tub that sailors used to toss out to distract whales... Read A Tale Of A Tub Summary


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Publication year 1962Genre Novella, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: MemoryTags Magical Realism, Latin American Literature

Carlos Fuentes (1928-2012) is the best-known Mexican representative of the Latin American Boom literary movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Alongside South America contemporaries like Gabriel García Márquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Julio Cortázar, Fuentes challenged the conventions and expectations of traditional Latin American literature. The Boom generation gained unprecedented popularity in Western Europe and, from there, became globally renowned. The trend is most often characterized by experimental forms and politically engaged content.Born in Panama... Read Aura Summary


Publication year 1853Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: LonelinessTags American Literature, Classic Fiction, Education, Education, History: U.S., History: World

Herman Melville’s short story “Bartleby, the Scrivener” was published anonymously in 1853 to little recognition. Today it is considered a masterpiece. Some critics view “Bartleby” as a precursor to absurdist literature like Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis,” highlighting the incredibly modern nature of this mid-19th-century short story. Others read “Bartleby” as commentary on poverty and the harsh nature of menial work on Wall Street, or as an allegory for Melville’s own frustrations with writing. This guide... Read Bartleby, the Scrivener Summary


Publication year 1970Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Satire, Humor, American Literature, Politics / Government, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Polish-born author Jerzy Kosiński (1933-1991) wrote Being There, published in 1970. The novella satirizes mid-20th-century politics and culture, focusing on the twin pillars of bureaucracy and the media as vehicles for the deterioration of modern thought. Kosiński grew up in Soviet-controlled Poland and came to the United States in 1957. In 1958, he was awarded a Ford Foundation fellowship. He studied at the New School and Columbia University in New York, where he received a... Read Being There Summary


Publication year 1924Genre Novella, FictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags American Literature, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Education, Education, History: World

Billy Budd, Sailor is a 1924 novella by Herman Melville. The narrative is equal parts philosophical examination and Christian allegory. The story concerns the brief time and tragic death of the eponymous Billy on the British warship Bellipotent. In the story, Billy, happy and naïve, is framed for mutiny and hanged for treason despite his innocence. Melville uses Billy’s story to examine The Struggle Between Morality and Lawfulness, The Vulnerability of Innocence and Naivety, and... Read Billy Budd, Sailor Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Novella, FictionTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy

Binti: The Complete Trilogy is a series of science fiction novellas written by Nnedi Okorafor, author of the Akata Witch series. First published in 2015, Binti has won multiple prestigious literary awards, including the 2016 Hugo Award, the 2015 Nebula Award, and the 2016 British Fantasy Award for Best Novella. The 2019 omnibus publication includes the three novellas Binti, Binti: Home, and Binti: The Night Masquerade, as well as the bonus inclusion of the debut... Read Binti Summary


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Publication year 1759Genre Novella, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Satire, Philosophy, Science / Nature, French Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction, Humor, Classic Fiction

Candide, or Optimism was first published in 1759 by the French writer Voltaire (born Francois-Marie Arouet in 1694, died in 1778). The most famous and widely read work published by Voltaire, Candide is a satire that critiques contemporary philosophy, and specifically Leibnizian optimism, which posited the doctrine of the best of all possible worlds. Along with other French contemporaries, such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Denis Diderot, and Montesquieu, Voltaire published at the height of the French... Read Candide Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Novella, FictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Classic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature, Fantasy, LGBTQ

Carmilla is a Gothic novella in which a young woman named Laura details her relationship with a vampire in the form of a young woman named Carmilla. The first event that Laura details in the novella is an episode from her childhood: a six-year-old Laura is attempting to sleep when she is visited by a mysterious young lady (later revealed to be the vampire Carmilla, or at least a representation of Carmilla) who bites her... Read Carmilla Summary


Publication year 1981Genre Novella, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: MemoryTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Magical Realism, Latin American Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a 1981 novella by Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. Told in non-chronological order and in journalistic fashion by an unnamed narrator, it pieces together the events leading up to and after the murder of Santiago Nasar by Pedro and Pablo Vicario. Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a classic example of Márquez's use of magical realism in his writing. The novella has been adapted several times as a film... Read Chronicle of a Death Foretold Summary


Publication year 1878Genre Novella, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: CommunityTags Classic Fiction, Romance, Victorian Period, Education, Education, American Literature, History: World

Daisy Miller is a novella by Henry James, first published in Cornhill Magazine in 1878 and in book form a year later. This short piece of fiction explores the differences in class and social expectations in America and Europe, especially for young women just before the turn of the 20th century. James was a member of a prominent and wealthy American family; his education and travels to England and continental Europe allowed him to gain... Read Daisy Miller Summary


Publication year 1982Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Psychological Fiction, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Introduction Different Seasons (1982) by Stephen King is a collection of four novellas that are tied together by a connection to the four seasons. Three of the four stories (“Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption”, “Apt Pupil”, and “The Body”) have been made into films, and the fourth (“The Breathing Method”) is under consideration for adaptation. This guide refers to the 1983 Signet edition.Content Warning: This book contains references to death by suicide, sexual assault... Read Different Seasons Summary


Publication year 1906Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Society: NationTags Education, Education, Military / War, American Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

“Editha,” by American realist writer William Dean Howells, is a short story first published in 1905. Realism refers to a mode of late 19th-century literature in which authors shunned romanticism and idealization in favor of realistic portrayals of everyday life. Realist literature contains the complex characterization and examination of social mores, often of the middle class. “Editha” is an example of realist literature in that it criticizes the romanticizing of life experiences, specifically of war... Read Editha Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novella, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction

Publication year 2007Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Immigration / Refugee, African Literature, Black Lives Matter, Business / Economics, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Travel Literature

Nigerian author Teju Cole’s Every Day Is for the Thief is a work of autofiction originally published in Nigeria in 2007 and published in the US in 2014. The novel unfolds in picaresque style from the first-person perspective, as a narrator who closely resembles the author returns to Nigeria after 15 years in the US to reckon with Nigerian national identity and his own legacy. Surprised to find that he feels less comfortable in his... Read Every Day Is for the Thief Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Psychological Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Magical Realism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2010Genre Novella, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Childhood & YouthTags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Irish Literature

Publication year 2020Genre Short Story Collection, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy

Publication year 1970Genre Novella, FictionTags Allegory / Fable / Parable, Modern Classic Fiction, Animals, Inspirational, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by author and pilot Richard Bach, is a fable and novella that was originally presented in serialized form in Flying magazine. Bach initially struggled to find a publisher for the full work, but when the book was finally published in 1970, it enjoyed immense popular success; according to Publisher’s Weekly, it was the top-selling book of both 1972 and 1973. Bach went on to also write Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant... Read Jonathan Livingston Seagull Summary


Publication year 1956Genre Novella, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: MemoryTags Magical Realism, Classic Fiction, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality

Hermann Hesse's 1932 short novel The Journey to the East reads much like a trial run for what would be his final novel, The Glass Bead Game, published in 1943. Journey explores themes of service, leadership, the contemplative life, and the difficult tasks historians face—set against the backdrop of a mystic journey whose destination becomes increasingly unclear. The narrator is a man known only as H.H. It is believed that H.H. stands for “Hermann Hesse”... Read Journey to the East Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novella, FictionThemes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction

Publication year 1871Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Romance, Classic Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction

The narrative follows the exploits of Lady Susan, a beautiful and charming widow whose husband has recently died. Lady Susan is an excellent conversationalist who manipulates men into falling in love with her; they forget her socially unacceptable behavior and incorrigible flirtations after merely speaking with her. At the outset of the novella, Lady Susan has sold off her late husband’s family estate instead of giving it to his younger brother, Charles Vernon, as is... Read Lady Susan Summary


Publication year 2001Genre Novella, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Identity: Race, Relationships: FathersTags French Literature, Grief / Death, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Relationships, Realistic Fiction, Parenting, Love / Sexuality, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy

First published as a play in 2001, the novella Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran is part of Franco-Belgian author Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt’s Cycle of the Invisible series consisting of unrelated stories on the themes of human connection, the transition from childhood to adulthood, and spirituality. Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran has been performed on the stage and was adapted for the screen in 2003. This study guide refers to Marjolijn... Read Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran Summary


Publication year 1993Genre Novella, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & BetrayalTags Western, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Education, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Montana 1948 is set in a small town on the very northeastern edge of the state of Montana. The events described are experienced through the eyes of David Hayden, a twelve-year-old boy. In a prologue, he describes several images he remembers vividly from forty years ago. Years later, after both of his parents are dead, David decides to tell the whole story of the tragedy he witnessed as a boy. At the time of David’s narrative, he lives... Read Montana 1948 Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: MemoryTags Romance, Historical Fiction, British Literature, History: World

Mothering Sunday is a 2016 novella written by British author Graham Swift. Like much of Swift’s writing, it has a psychological bent, exploring the relationship between history and memory. Swift won the Booker Prize for his 2006 novel Last Orders and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. This guide uses the 2016 Scribner edition of the text.Plot SummaryIt is March 30, 1924 in the upper-middle-class house of Beechwood in Berkshire, Southern England... Read Mothering Sunday Summary


Publication year 1961Genre Novella, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride

Opening withits titular novella, No One Writes to the Colonel is a collection of short stories by Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez, published in 1961. The novella and the other eight stories all take place in small Colombian villages, and Macondo, a Colombian town invented by Márquez. The stories take place during La Violencia, a time of political instability, extreme violence, and civil war between the Conservative and Liberal Parties in Colombia, which spanned from... Read No One Writes To The Colonel Summary


Publication year 1937Genre Novella, FictionTags Classic Fiction, American Literature, Disability, Education, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction

American author John Steinbeck published his novella Of Mice and Men in 1937. Despite its place in the classical canon, the novella is one of the most challenged books of the 21st century due to its depiction of violence and use of profane, racist language. The novella’s title is an allusion to Scottish poet Robert Burns’s 1785 poem “To a Mouse,” in which a farmer unwittingly and regrettably kills a mouse while plowing. Of Mice... Read Of Mice and Men Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: ArtTags Romance, Race / Racism, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1823Genre Novella, FictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Natural World: Nurture v. NatureTags Classic Fiction, French Literature, Education, Education, Historical Fiction

Written in 1823 by Claire de Duras, Ourika is a French novella based on real events about a Senegalese woman taken as a slave from her native country and raised in French high society. Ourika is one of the first European texts to feature a black protagonist, the psychological depth of whom promotes empathy with the racial “Other” and highlights the importance of nurture (versus nature) in human psychological development. In the Introduction, a young doctor is summoned to an... Read Ourika Summary


Publication year 1939Genre Novella, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: War, Society: NationTags Historical Fiction, Health / Medicine, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Pale Horse, Pale Rider is a novella written by Katherine Anne Porter. It was published in 1939, along with two other short novellas, Old Mortality and Noon Wine, under the collective title Pale Horse, Pale Rider. The story portrays two young lovers who are tragically affected by the 1918 influenza epidemic, or Spanish Flu.This guide uses an eBook version of the 2008 Library of America edition.Plot SummaryMiranda is a young female theater critic who lives... Read Pale Horse, Pale Rider Summary


Publication year 1978Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: ApathyTags Addiction / Substance Abuse, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, American Literature, History: World, Fantasy

Publication year 2020Genre Novella, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Community, Society: NationTags History: World, Southern Gothic, Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction

Publication year 1982Genre Novella, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: HopeTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Incarceration, Historical Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Classic Fiction

Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption (1982) is a novella by Stephen King. It originally appeared in King’s collection Different Seasons. The novella’s first-person narrator, Red, tells the story of fellow inmate, Andy Dufresne, who was wrongfully convicted, mistreated by the prison warden, and successfully escaped the prison. Through Andy’s steadfast optimism, Red transforms from a cynical ex-con to a man who believes in the power of hope and redemption. The novella was adapted into a... Read Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption Summary


Publication year 1991Genre Novella, FictionThemes Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realism, Education, Education, Animals, Realistic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Eleven-year-old Marty Preston fights to save an abused beagle from its cruel owner in Shiloh (1991). Marty bonds with the dog, Shiloh, and learns more about himself and others as he struggles to reconcile the letter of the law with what he knows in his heart is right. Acclaimed children’s author Phyllis Reynolds Naylor based Shiloh on a poignant, personal encounter with a mistreated dog. Marty’s character struggles with the same issues that troubled Naylor... Read Shiloh Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Immigration, Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Identity: LanguageTags Latin American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Signs Preceding the End of the World is a 2009 novel by Mexican author Yuri Herrera. The novel examines personal and geopolitical issues concerning the United States-Mexico border, although it does not mention these nations by name, referring instead to North and South. Herrera is a writer, professor, and political scientist, currently teaching at the University of New Orleans. Herrera’s first novel, Kingdom Cons, won the Premio Binacional de Novela Joven Frontera de Palabras (Border... Read Signs Preceding the End of the World Summary


Publication year 2001Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Humor, Holidays & Occasions, Modern Classic Fiction

Skipping Christmas is a 2001 satirical novella by John Grisham. It tells the story of Luther and Nora Krank, a married couple whose adult daughter, Blair, moves to Peru a month before Christmas. Facing their first Christmas without their daughter, and disillusioned by the holiday’s excesses, they decide to forego Christmas that year and go on a cruise instead. However, their decision brings them into conflict with their friends and neighbors, who expect them to... Read Skipping Christmas Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novella, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Historical Fiction, Irish Literature, Holidays & Occasions, History: World

Publication year 1965Genre Novella, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Russian Literature, Education, Education, History: World

Publication year 1980Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Childhood & YouthTags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

So Long, See You Tomorrow is the acclaimed final novel by American writer and editor William Maxwell. Originally published in two parts in New Yorker magazine in 1979, the book appeared the following year and received the prestigious National Book Award in 1982. Maxwell was the fiction editor of the New Yorker from 1936 to 1975, making him one of the most influential literary editors of the era. He worked closely with J. D. Salinger... Read So Long, See You Tomorrow Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Short Story Collection, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Crime / Legal, Incarceration, Social Justice, Finance / Money / Wealth

Publication year 2024Genre Short Story Collection, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Identity: Femininity, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction

Publication year 1983Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Parenting, Relationships

Originally published in Seventeen Magazine in 1983, “Teenage Wasteland” is a short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anne Tyler, known for her realistic portrayal of the lives of ordinary people. This guide is based on the short story as it appears in the 2020 Vintage Shorts Kindle edition.It is some time in the early 1970s when Mr. Lanham, the principal of a private school, brings homemaker Daisy Coble in to tell her that her son... Read Teenage Wasteland Summary


Publication year 1888Genre Novella, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: FameTags Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Realism, Italian Literature, American Literature, History: World

The Aspern Papers by Henry James is a novella first published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1888. The unnamed protagonist and narrator is an editor and obsessive fan of fictional poet Jeffrey Aspern, who is no longer living. Having heard that a former romantic partner of Aspern’s, Juliana Bordereau, and her niece, Tita Bordereau (renamed Tina in later editions), are in possession a collection of papers related to the poet, the narrator rents rooms in... Read The Aspern Papers Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

In his fantasy/horror novella, The Ballad of Black Tom (2016), Victor LaValle reworks H.P. Lovecraft’s story, “The Horror at Red Hook,” to explore horror tropes from the perspective of an African American protagonist living in a racist world. The novella won the Nebula Award, the Hugo Award, and the World Fantasy Award, among others. LaValle is an award-winning author of science fiction, horror, fantasy, and comic books known for problematizing the racial assumptions inherent in these genres... Read The Ballad of Black Tom Summary


Publication year 1903Genre Novella, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags American Literature, Modernism, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

The Beast in the Jungle by Henry James, first published in 1903, centers on the relationship between John Marcher, a man haunted by the premonition that his life will be defined by some catastrophic event, and May Bartram. James’s narrative dissects the psychological effects of fear and anticipation by focusing on his characters’ inner lives and existential musings. The tale is an internalized ghost story wherein Marcher’s fears become self-fulfilling prophecies of loss. The third-person... Read The Beast in the Jungle Summary


Publication year 1936Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1982Genre Novella, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Action / Adventure, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Bullying, Relationships, American Literature

Publication year 1887Genre Novella, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: ForgivenessTags Satire, Classic Fiction, Irish Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature, Fantasy, Humor, Religion / Spirituality

The Canterville Ghost, by Oscar Wilde, is a story about forgiveness, love, and the clash of Old World and New World beliefs. Through a satirical approach, Wilde highlights the shortcomings of each set of beliefs and how the characters overcome those shortcomings to bridge the two worlds. The story begins with Hiram Otis and Lord Canterville discussing the ghost that haunts Canterville Chase, where the Otis family will be living. When they arrive, they find... Read The Canterville Ghost Summary


Publication year 1966Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Satire, Post Modernism, American Literature, History: U.S., Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction

The Crying of Lot 49 (1966) is a short novel by Thomas Pynchon that handles topics related to the US counterculture movement and the 1960s at large. In the novel, Oedipa Maas unearths a centuries-old conspiracy about warring mail-delivery firms. This discovery leads her along an absurdist investigation of the firms and their motivations. The novel has been heralded as one of the best English-language novels of the 20th century and is considered a primary... Read The Crying of Lot 49 Summary


Publication year 1914Genre Novella, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: MarriageTags Grief / Death, Relationships, Education, Education, History: World, Irish Literature, Classic Fiction

“The Dead” is a short story by Irish writer James Joyce. The story is a part of Joyce’s renowned Dubliners collection, first published in 1914, which portrays daily life in the Irish city of Dublin in the early 20th century. In “The Dead,” a literary young man attends a party with his wife. The events at the party prompt him to reflect on his life and his place in the universe. The short story has... Read The Dead Summary


Publication year 1886Genre Novella, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Classic Fiction, Christian literature, Psychological Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Philosophy, Grief / Death, Religion / Spirituality, Russian Literature

The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886) is a fictional novella by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910). The story raises questions about what is important in life through Tolstoy’s observation of social interaction and individual priorities.Tolstoy was born into aristocracy and was popular at a time when Russia was under the autocratic rule of Tsar Nicholas II, the last Russian emperor of the Romanov Dynasty. Tolstoy, whose best-known works are War and Peace (1867) and... Read The Death of Ivan Ilyich Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novella, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Self Discovery, Society: CommunityTags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ, Mythology, Afrofuturism

Publication year 1891Genre Novella, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Identity: Gender, Relationships: MarriageTags Russian Literature, Classic Fiction, History: World

Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Education, Education, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Natural World: Climate, Relationships: FriendshipTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction

The End We Start From (2017) is a dystopian novel by British author Megan Hunter. Set in an apocalyptic version of London, the story centers on climate disaster survival and the trauma of navigating pregnancy and motherhood in the wake of a cataclysmic climate event that alters the world as we know it. The story is primarily told from the first-person perspective of an unnamed narrator and written in a lyrical style that swings between... Read The End We Start From Summary


Publication year 1987Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Fate, Identity: Mental HealthTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Narrative / Epic Poem, History: World

Publication year 1973Genre Novella, FictionTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

“The Girl Who Was Plugged In” (1973) is a novella by James Tiptree Junior, the pen name of American author Alice Sheldon. It’s set in an imagined future where large corporations use technology to control most aspects of life. This future world is capitalist and consumeristic. Beautiful celebrities (who other people control remotely) sell products and lifestyles.The novella tells the story of P. Burke, a neglected 17-year-old girl who becomes a Remote controller for a... Read The Girl Who Was Plugged In Summary


Publication year 1977Genre Novella, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Latin American Literature, Poverty, Gender / Feminism, Existentialism, History: World, Classic Fiction

Clarice Lispector’s novel The Hour of the Star was originally published in Portuguese as A hora da estrela, by The Heirs in 1977. New Directions Paperbook published the original English translation of the novel in 1992. The novel is Lispector’s final publication during her life; her novel A Breath of Life was published posthumously. The Hour of the Star is set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and follows the first-person narrator, Rodrigo S. M., as... Read The Hour of the Star Summary


Publication year 1984Genre Novella, FictionThemes Identity: FemininityTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Gender / Feminism, Immigration / Refugee, American Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street is an internationally acclaimed novel, first published in 1984. The story of Esperanza Cordero is told through stunning vignettes that chronicle the life of a young Latina woman growing up in the Hispanic quarter of Chicago. Heralded as an important voice in representing an underserved community, the novel won the American Book Award in 1985. It has since become an integral part of school curriculum across the country... Read The House on Mango Street Summary


Publication year 1940Genre Novella, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Latin American Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, History: World, Classic Fiction

The Invention of Morel (La invención de Morel) is a 1940 novella by Argentinian writer Adolfo Bioy Casares. A literary thought experiment in the manner of Bioy Casares’s close friend, Jorge Luis Borges, The Invention of Morel imagines an island on which a group of wealthy socialites unknowingly relive a single weeklong holiday over and over again. They are observed by the novella’s narrator, a political criminal who has come to the island to hide from the Venezuelan... Read The Invention of Morel Summary


Publication year 1889Genre Novella, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Music, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Classic Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Russian Literature, History: World

Publication year 1859Genre Novella, FictionThemes Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction, Gothic Literature, British Literature, History: World, Victorian Literature / Period

The Lifted Veil by George Eliot is a novella that explores themes of clairvoyance, the limits of consciousness, sympathy, and Victorian-era scientific interests. George Eliot, the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, published The Lifted Veil in the English literary magazine Maga in July 1859 after the success of her first novel, Adam Bede. In The Lifted Veil, Eliot writes of the idealistic and egocentric Latimer, who is in love with his brother’s fiancée and... Read The Lifted Veil Summary


Publication year 1943Genre Novella, FictionThemes Relationships: FriendshipTags Children's Literature, Classic Fiction, French Literature, Education, Education, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry drew heavily on his own experiences when writing his 1943 novella, The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince). Like the story's first-person narrator, Saint-Exupéry was a pilot, and the inspiration for the book's central events came from his own 1935 crash-landing in the Sahara Desert. As the story begins, the narrator is still a young child showing off his drawings of boa constrictors eating elephants to the adults around him. The adults react... Read The Little Prince Summary


Publication year 2006Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Identity: LanguageTags Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Italian Literature

Publication year 1915Genre Novella, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Classic Fiction, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy

First published in 1915, Franz Kafka’s surrealist novella The Metamorphosis, translated from Die Verwandlung, is widely acclaimed and one of the author’s best-known works. Kafka, a Jewish novelist and short-story writer, is regarded for his exploration of the fantastic. Kafka employs realism to depict his protagonists in bizarre circumstances. In The Metamorphosis, Kafka incorporates themes of alienation and absurdity to convey narratives about isolated and anxious protagonists. The time period in which The Metamorphosis transpires is... Read The Metamorphosis Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Short Story Collection, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: RaceTags Race / Racism, History: U.S., Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1947Genre Novella, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Colonialism, Relationships: FamilyTags American Literature, Classic Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Historical Fiction, Education, Education

The Pearl is a 1947 historical fiction novella by John Steinbeck. It is an expansion of his earlier short story, “The Pearl of the World,” published in the Woman’s Home Companion in 1945. Steinbeck also co-wrote the screenplay for a 1947 film adaption of the novella titled La perla, directed by Emilio Fernández. Citations in this guide correspond to the 1994 Penguin Books edition. The story, which is presented as a parable, follows a poor... Read The Pearl Summary


Publication year 1973Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Fantasy

Publication year 1886Genre Novella, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Gothic Literature, Victorian Period, British Literature

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson, is a novella published in the 1880s that deals with the duality of human nature. The story is told from the point of view of Mr. Gabriel John Utterson. Utterson is a lawyer and friend of Dr. Jekyll’s. The book opens with Utterson walking and conversing with Mr. Enfield, who is a businessman and distant cousin. Mr. Enfield recounts to Mr. Utterson... Read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Summary


Publication year 1972Genre Novel, FictionThemes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Grandparents, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: AgingTags Grief / Death, Scandinavian Literature, Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2007Genre Novella, FictionTags Humor, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

British author Alan Bennett’s 2007 satirical novella The Uncommon Reader, set in modern-day Britain, focuses on the “uncommon reader”—Queen Elizabeth II—who narrates the story as she becomes passionate about reading after a random encounter with a mobile library. As she becomes more interested in reading than with the duties of the monarchy, her fascination with books has major consequences for her, her council of advisors, her family, and her position as monarch. She begins questioning... Read The Uncommon Reader Summary


Publication year 1983Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: MothersTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, Grief / Death

The Woman in Black (1983) by Susan Hill follows the gothic literary tradition. Hill explores traditional horror tropes, such as abandoned estates and ghost hauntings, set in an unspecified time in England’s countryside. The horror novella focuses on the first-person point-of-view of Arthur Kipps as he reflects on a ghost haunting he experienced as a young man. Hill explores themes of loss and mourning, the impact of holding onto the past, and the clash between... Read The Woman in Black Summary


Publication year 1972Genre Novella, FictionTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

The Word for World is Forest is a novella by science fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin. It was published as a self-contained story in 1976 but had appeared in a science fiction anthology four years earlier. Le Guin included the story in her series, the Hainish Cycle, which details an alternate version of the future in which Earth is a colonizing force on other planets. The story examines themes of imperialism, racism, friendship, and... Read The Word for World is Forest Summary


Publication year 1976Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: LiteratureTags History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2016Genre Novella, FictionThemes Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, History: World, Canadian Literature

Publication year 2022Genre Novella, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Gothic Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction

Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: BeautyTags Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence