Help me choose one good short story, please!

[kandaurov]

I have an English oral presentation (due 14th June) in which I am supposed to tell a short story to the class, olny with the aid of notes.

My problem is to decide which to choose. As it is to be told to the class, one or two things are clear: it mustn't be too long, it mustn't have much dialogue, and it must have a plot where things happen (as opposed to Godot-like plots).

That is one thing I noticed from my teacher: he prefers plot-driven stories (personally, I prefer character development, but I'm going to do his way, since he is the one who gives me the grade), with plot twists if possible.

I have my utmost trust in LitNet members' judgement, therefore I will consider every suggestion that you are kind enough to give me.

Thanks in advance :)

[bazarov]

Gogol's The Cloak would probably be my choice. Not too long, without dialog(maybe couple of sentences in several situations) with very interesting plot.

[Hermia]

I recommend Katherine Mansfield's "Miss Brill",George Orwell's "A Hanging" or James Joyce's "Eveline."
If you would like any help with these feel free to PM me.
Hope this helps.
Regards,,,

[Virgil]

Try one of D.H. Lawrence's short story. We are discussing The Prussian Officer right now in the D.H. Lawrence short story thread, so you can have the insight of our dscussion at your disposal. Or try The Horse Dealer's Daughter, which we discussed in the same thread a month ago.

[Turk]

I recommend Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway. It's really short and easy to memorize, also the story is simple too.

[Niamh]

What about 'the dead' from Dubliners by Joyce?
Or tell tale heart by Poe?

[barbara0207]

What about Ernest Hemingway's "A Day's Wait"? I think it meets your requirements.

[Scheherazade]

Stories in Katherine Mansfield's Garden Party and Other Stories collection are quite nice and have a 'feel good' element about them so might be suitable for a presentation:

http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/mansfield/garden/garden.html

Also, Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio is a great collection of short stories:

http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/AndOhio.html

Good luck, Kandaurov! :) Let us know how it all goes.

[kathycf]

I have an English oral presentation (due 14th June) in which I am supposed to tell a short story to the class, olny with the aid of notes.

kandaurov, do you just need to relate the story, or will you be required to discuss the plot, themes and so on?

The other suggestions are all very good, it would be hard for me to choose from them as I like short stories. For myself, I was alway fond of de Maupassant and your teacher may like him as he is considered a "clever plotter". (I read that clever plotter description in a book...:p)

If you are interested in de Maupassant, this site may be useful to you. Short stories of Guy de Maupassant. (http://www.readbookonline.net/books/Maupassant/19/) The page will look blank at first, you will have to scroll down a little ways to see the listing. You will then a choice of titles that you can actually read on line...remember to keep scrolling down though, that site is a bit weird about putting things in the tops of pages.

[Nossa]

Try one of D.H. Lawrence's short story. We are discussing The Prussian Officer right now in the D.H. Lawrence short story thread, so you can have the insight of our dscussion at your disposal. Or try The Horse Dealer's Daughter, which we discussed in the same thread a month ago.

I agree:D
There's a short story that I recently read as well, called There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury...it's really good as well.
But D.H. Lawrence would be my first choice!:D

[kenikki]

What about 'the dead' from Dubliners by Joyce?
Or tell tale heart by Poe?

funny that, thoses were the two that I was thinking of when I saw this post.:thumbs_up

Adding to that how about 'A Perfect Day for Bananafish' by J.D. Salinger.
Easy to read and plenty of emotion.

[F.Emerald]

The Schoolteacher’s Guest – Isabel Allende; it's quite short, and lots of things happen, the writing and description is v. good too.

[Daizee]

I'd go for The Tell-Tale heart by Poe as it has virtually no dialogue and would make a really interesting, if not slightly harrowing presentation!

Yours, Daizee xx

[kandaurov]

Wow, you haven't let me down at all. Great feedback, everyone!

I have assembled all the short stories I could get from the web into a word doc, and I'll go to the library tomorrow to check the others as well. If you come up with something else, please do contribute, I'll only make my final choice in about June 1st.

Again, thank you, you're too kind :)

[byquist]

Maybe check out William Saroyan's stories. Louis L'Amour also has some short stories, always packed with action.

[Haven]

Virginia Woolf's The New Dress
This is a tasty little piece of social deconstruction, but might not fit in with your plot based tutor's likes. It's only 10 pages long, so another bonus and is in a book of short stories so you could find something there that fit your needs better. I loved it, but it depends what you are required to do with it.

Anyway is basically about:

Fundamental desire of the individual to be accepted
It is about appearance, power and authority but is also about inadequacy, anxiety and the fear of rejection. Even the colour of the dress is suspect, yellow...don't think a good move...Hmm maybe not plottish enough, but might be good at a later date. The 'modernist' era is very au courrant.

[quasimodo1]

I don't know if the recommendation was directed at you, but someone said a good choice would be J. Joyce's "The Dead". Fantastic choice and not really depressing (well, maybe a little) but it's must read anyway and there is an even better movie representation of it with Angelica Houston, a must see. quasimodo1

[Janine]

I don't know if the recommendation was directed at you, but someone said a good choice would be J. Joyce's "The Dead". Fantastic choice and not really depressing (well, maybe a little) but it's must read anyway and there is an even better movie representation of it with Angelica Houston, a must see. quasimodo1

quasi, I own the movie version. Isn't it great? I hope you have seen it. I read the story before buying the film by Houston; yes, it stars his daughter - she was younger there and is wonderful in the part. "The Dead" is a good James Joyce choice. The part of the story was based on Jame's Joyce's wife Nora Barnacle and a story she had confided in him. I see the story as somewhat autobiographical. Another one of "The Dubliner's" stories I particularly liked was "Araby" - and it is not as long as "The Dead".

[quasimodo1]

Dear Janine, Yea, Really loved both story and movie...maybe the movie a bit more. When I had changed my major the third (and final) time, it was lit, and I remember reading "Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man". It captured me completely. Kept reading the man, everything, until that last one which was in code...you know, Finnegan's Wake. Jeez, what to make of that. When he finished it he told a friend..."that will keep the critics busy for ten years" or something pretty close. The story though is just so tactile, realistic, emotional, intellectual and let's not forget the Irish tenor. Amazing. quasimodo1

[Janine]

quasimodo, yes, the movie kind of make it more 3 dimensional. The scene on the stairs is lovely. Angelica looked angelic. I heard it was Houston's tribute and valentine to Ireland and to his daughter. Nice thought. I think I like them both equally - film and story.
Third choice of major seems to be your best one. I only read "Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man" a few years back and Dubliners. I felt both were very good and gave me some insight into Joyce. I got interested in Joyce, after seeing the film "Nora", which was based on Joyce's relationship/marriage to Nora Barnacle. I have not attempted any of his other novels and I hear that about Finnegan's Wake - a friend told me it was unreadable; so that was a sort of 'code', eh? Wow, how long did it take you to figure it all out? I don't think I would have the energy. That quote sounds like something Joyce would say. I find that bit of 'Joyce trivia' quite amusing.:)

[Geoffrey]

I SHAN'T HELP YOU TILL I HELP MYSELF! You INFIDEL YOU!

:)

[Haven]

I have an English oral presentation (due 14th June) in which I am supposed to tell a short story to the class, olny with the aid of notes.

My problem is to decide which to choose. As it is to be told to the class, one or two things are clear: Thanks in advance :)

Hi Quasimodo, it's Kandaurov quoted above who is in need of help, but your exchange with Janine on James Joyce's The Dead was rather interesting. Unfortunately, I find Joyce's work inpenetrable and in the main depressing, very depressing. Mind you I have only read (well, mostly read...) Ulysses. The film of The Dead with Angelica Houston might just change my mind. Willing to be persuaded. Perhaps, Ulysses was a bit like jumping in at the deep end??

[mtpspur]

Please don't forget O. Henry -- I would recommend the Gift of the Magi--short and sweet, little dialogue.

[Janine]

Hi Quasimodo, it's Kandaurov quoted above who is in need of help, but your exchange with Janine on James Joyce's The Dead was rather interesting. Unfortunately, I find Joyce's work inpenetrable and in the main depressing, very depressing. Mind you I have only read (well, mostly read...) Ulysses. The film of The Dead with Angelica Houston might just change my mind. Willing to be persuaded. Perhaps, Ulysses was a bit like jumping in at the deep end??

Hello again Haven, As to your last line in that passage - I would say so. Most people do not attempt Ulysses until they are quite familiar with other Joyce writings, perhaps "Dubliners" and "Portrait of an Artist...". I have only read these two, and to be honest with you, I doubt I would ever attempt Ulysses or for that matter any other Joyce work. I read the book by his brother - which was biographical and interesting. The man's life itself does interest me, because I think he was very much a genius, yet as is often the case very enigmatic as well. Still I can find some of his work that appeals to me personally that I can appreciate. All of the stories in "Dubliners" were not to my exact liking, but I did enjoy most of them and find them quite thought provoking. When an author does this to me I feel he has accomplished his goal.
I think you should read "The Dead" and then see the film. The story is not too long or hard to read. It is really a very simplistic story with deep profound meaning. I think you will like it. The plot is simple, but the characters are the prominent thing and make the story special. Also, it takes place around Christmas at a party. When you see the film, with a younger Angelica Houston, and you see the stair scene, you will think her beautiful inwardly and outwardly. Hope this piques your interest.:) Janine

[Haven]

Janine: I think you will like it. The plot is simple, but the characters are the prominent thing and make the story special. Also, it takes place around Christmas at a party. When you see the film, with a younger Angelica Houston, and you see the stair scene, you will think her beautiful inwardly and outwardly. Hope this piques your interest. Janine

Hi Janine
Having taken an interest in the film since your introduction to the storyline well I am 'coming around'.
Last one John Houston made, pretty significant with his daughter Angelica in one of the lead roles. Interest is piqued! Peut etre...

[chaplin]

A nice short, Chekhov story with an interesting "plot", and almost no dialogue is "Sleepy".

Here it is: http://www.online-literature.com/anton_chekhov/1248/

But if it's a presentation even that might be too long. A really short Tolstoy story is "Alyosha the Pot".

Here it is: http://www.online-literature.com/tolstoy/2729/

[Janine]

Hi Janine
Having taken an interest in the film since your introduction to the storyline well I am 'coming around'.
Last one John Houston made, pretty significant with his daughter Angelica in one of the lead roles. Interest is piqued! Peut etre...

HelloHaven, Glad I piqued your interest...hope you are not disappointed. It is a fairly simple story and film relying on the character's nuanced performances. I don't know how hard the film is to come by. I ordered mine from Amazon, but had to settle for a VHS tape. I wish I had it in DVD; good luck searching for it and hope it turns up somewhere soon. It is a lovely film with deep meaning. Houston is great and he did a good job on this film, adapting it from the story by Joyce. It stays pretty true. You are making me want to see it again. Think I will watch it this weekend.

Another good film is "A Month in the Country" by Pat O'Connor, after the short book by J.L.Carr; the book is practically a short story - seems like one. Here again I had to settle for VHS since it was produced in the UK and only available on Region 2 DVD's. That might not be a problem for you depending on where you are located. I like Pat O'Connor's films...well thought out, always with interesting characters.

[Stieg]

How about "Harrison Bergeron" (http://instruct.westvalley.edu/lafave/hb.html) by Kurt Vonnegut.

Satire is always meaty!

[GreatGatsby]

How about Dave Egger's short stories? He's done a collection called How We Are Hungry, or there is even the penguin book he did of Short Short Stories

[Video Drone]

Our class have just done the same exact project. I did the book The Fly by George Langelaan, the one after which all those 5 movies were made, but it is very hard to find nowadays. Among the other books, most of then were mentioned here (Tell-tale Heart, Harrison Bergeron, Gift of the Maji). Blue Highways - this one was an interesting book, about some man who was traveling around America, and he ends up in Nowhere, Tennessee (an actual town).

[Mrs. Dalloway]

Which one did you finally choose ?

[AuntShecky]

Oh, I am sorry that this is late-- it's the 15th now! But
anything from Dubliners would have been a good choice,
a Joyce-choice. How about "Araby."
Please don't forget to tell us what you decided to read.
Auntie

[kandaurov]

Hey everyone! Sorry about the delay, I've been under a great deal of pressure lately, but now... holidays! :D

Thank you for caring and asking, Mrs Dalloway :) And thanks to everyone who shipped in with suggestions! I had great reads thanks to you guys!

I went for "Tell-tale heart". Most unfortunately, one of the few who were to present before me did it first! :crash:

I had to make something up and went for an adaptation of Goldilocks to modern days, in which the bears had a Southern American accent and in which Paris Hilton featured. I got an 18 out of 20, which was great, but I regret not having been able to use one of your stories.

Again, thank you all for contributing to my short-story repertoire :)