Told in the second person point of view, this story from Moore’s debut anthology Self-Help takes an honest look at the inner life of a struggling artist. There’s not exactly a lot of plot to spoil in The Lottery - but within a few short pages, Jackson manages to represent the mob mentality that can drive reasonable people to commit heinous acts.ģ. However, it’s safe to say that Dahl serves up a fiendish twist on a platter.Ī perennial feature in many a high school syllabus, Shirley Jackson’s best-known short story clinically details an unusual ritual that takes place in a small town. In just a few short paragraphs describing how she welcomes her husband home, Dahli makes us sympathize with Mary - before a rash act turns her life upside down and takes the reader with her on a dark journey.įor those who haven’t read it, we won’t spoil the rest. We are introduced to Mary Maloney: a loving wife and dedicated homemaker. While not exactly a philosophical or political tale like our first two examples, this twisty short story from Dahl does delve into some shady moral territory. From classics published in the 1900s to a short story that exploded in late 2017, here are ten of the greatest free short stories for you to read. These individual short stories are the best of the best - and the even better news is that they're available for free online for you to peruse. Discover the perfect short story for you.

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