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Short Stories for Adults
#1 The Yellow Wall-Papper
Extension: PDF | 29 pages
The Yellow Wall-Papper by Charlotte Perkins Stetson is a story that follows the story of a woman who fights against oppression and misogyny in a patriarchal society. The narrative explores themes of mental health, identity and the fight for autonomy in a context dominated by male figures.
#2 Dubliners
Extension: PDF | 203 pages
Dubliners by James Joyce is a collection of short stories exploring the lives of ordinary people in Dublin. Each story offers a detailed look at the characters' struggles, frustrations, and significant moments in a realistic and insightful style.
#3 The Birthday of the Infanta
Extension: PDF | 17 pages
The Birthday of the Infanta by Oscar Wilde is a richly detailed narrative that blends beauty with tragedy, exploring complex themes of love, loss, and human nature.
#4 Rip Van Winkle
Extension: PDF | 28 pages
Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving is a classic tale that tells the story of Rip Van Winkle, a kind-hearted man who lives in an old-time town. The story follows Rip as he ventures into the Catskill Mountains, where he experiences a deep sleep that leads him to wake up in a completely changed world.
#5 The Body Snatcher
Extension: PDF | 22 pages
The Body Snatcher by Robert Louis Stevenson, this short story focuses on a group of men who meet regularly at an inn and become involved in a mysterious encounter with a renowned doctor. The story explores themes of identity, morality, and the weight of past actions.
#6 The Nose
Extension: PDF | 18 pages
The Nose by Nikolai Gogol is an absurd and satirical tale that tells the strange story of a barber who finds a nose in a bun in Saint Petersburg. This discovery triggers a series of comical and peculiar events in the plot.
#7 The Most Dangerous Game (aka The Hounds of Zaroff)
Extension: PDF | 15 pages
The Most Dangerous Game (aka The Hounds of Zaroff) by Richard Connell, is a classic work of literature that tells a story of action and adventure with horror overtones. The plot follows two hunters, one turned prey on a mysterious island.
#8 The Tell-Tale Heart
Extension: PDF | 8 pages
The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, is a psychological horror story that tells the story of an insecure narrator, obsessed with the smell of a homemidable, getting up to commit a murder.
#9 The Great Keinplatz Experiment
Extension: PDF | 13 pages
The Great Keinplatz Experiment by Sir. Arhutr Conan Doyle, this book tells a story about a peculiar experiment carried out in the fictional town of Keinplatz. Through an immersive narrative and intriguing characters, The Book explores themes of scientific curiosity and human behavior.
#10 The Monkey’s Paw
Extension: PDF | 11 pages
The Monkey's Paw by W. W. Jacobs, this book tells the story of a magical monkey's paw that grants its owner three wishes, with unexpected and tragic consequences. The plot revolves around themes of destiny, consequences and the supernatural, creating a captivating and somber narrative.
#11 Desiree’s Baby
Extension: PDF | 6 pages
Desiree’s Baby by Kate Chopin, this book tells the story of Desiree, a young woman of unknown origin who is taken in by the Valmonde family and later marries Armand Aubigny. Following the birth of his son, mysterious changes arise in Armand's attitude toward Desiree, setting off a series of events that reveal shocking secrets about Desiree's iden...
#12 The Cask of Amontillado
Extension: PDF | 5 pages
The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe, this book tells the story of Montresor, who plans and executes his revenge against Fortunato, taking him to the catacombs beneath his palace with the promise of tasting a rare wine, Amontillado. Once there, he chains Fortunato to a wall and buries him alive in a stone wall, leaving him to die in a siniste...
#13 The Colour Out of Space
Extension: PDF | 22 pages
The Colour Out of Space by H.P. Lovecraft, the story tells of a supernatural and terrifying event that affects a family on a farm, where an unknown and alien color causes devastating consequences.
#14 Boule de Suif
Extension: PDF | 47 pages
Boule de Suif by Guy de Mauppassant, this book tells the story of ten travelers trapped in a stagecoach and then in a hotel, located in France in 1870 after the defeat by the Prussian army. The work explores themes such as class divisions, social hypocrisy, group oppression, and emotional and moral betrayals in a specific context that reveals unive...
#15 Tales of the Alhambra
Extension: PDF | 280 pages
Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving, this document presents a collection of stories and essays set in the Alhambra, a historic castle in Granada, Spain. The tales combine Spanish and Eastern elements, reviving the royal traditions and whimsical legends of the Alhambra.
#16 To Build a Fire
Extension: PDF | 12 pages
To Build a Fire by Jack London, this tale follows the misadventures of a man and his dog in a frigid and challenging environment, exploring themes of survival and fighting against unforgiving nature.
#17 Bartleby, The Scrivener: A Story Of Wall-street
Extension: PDF | 30 pages
Bartleby, The Scrivener: A Story Of Wall-street by Herman Melville, is a lawyer-centered narrative that describes the life of a strange clerk named Bartleby, whose peculiar behavior defies understanding.
#18 The Lady with the Toy Dog
Extension: PDF | 7 pages
The Lady with the Little Dog by Anton Chekhov is a story that follows Dmitri Gomov, a married man who begins an affair with Anna Sergueyevna, a woman who is also engaged. The narrative explores the complexities of love, infidelity and human emotions against a backdrop of society and social conventions.
#19 The Killers
Extension: PDF | 10 pages
The Killers by Ernest Hemingway is a short story that follows two men in a restaurant as they trigger unexpected events, revealing tensions and a planned act of violence.
#20 An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Extension: PDF | 8 pages
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce, this book tells the story of a man sentenced to death during the American Civil War. As he is about to be executed on a bridge, he experiences an intense sequence of events that defy reality and explore themes such as time perception and mortality.
Here ends our selection of free Short Stories for Adults books in PDF format. We hope you liked it and already have your next book!
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