Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author's brain, their soul and heart. A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted 'Top Tens' across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions - Why that story? Why that author? The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme. Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature.Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made. If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something.Those taken away by their own hand leave many questions and many sorrows. In this volume ten of our vaunted authors share stories of tragedy and the early demise of characters who take a tortured path of no return.01 - The Top 10 - Suicide - An Introduction02 - In the Penal Colony by Franz Kafka03 - Suicides by Guy de Maupassant04 - The Victory by Rabindranath Tagore05 - Paul's Case by Willa Cather06 - Claude Gueux by Victor Hugo07 - The Mourner by Mary Shelley08 - A Slav Soul by Alexander Kuprin09 - Cohen of Trinity by Amy Levy10 - A Passion in the Desert by Honoré de Balzac11 - The Quadroons by Lydia Maria Child
Antoine Breguet is an old watchmaker who wants to retire. One of his two apprentices is going to take his place, but which one? Who is better qualified and who will impress the watchmaker's granddaughter more? The two men are ready to compete. Whoever comes up with the best, most exquisite and intricate creation will inherit Breguet's shop. However friendship and love stand in the way. What will happen with the two friends and their future as watchmakers? Find out in Lydia Child's 'The Rival Mechanicians'.
B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.
Lydia Maria Child was an American writer who lived in the period 1802-1880. Her works often depicted antislavery related issues. She was women's rights activist and Native American rights activist and she took on those topics in some of her stories as well. This brought her a wide audience, but there were also many people who could not understand and criticised her social position and works. Some of her best known stories are 'An Appeal in Favor of That Class of Americans Called Africans', a work related to the history of slavery, 'The Frugal Housewife', a book depicting women's rights and 'An Appeal for the Indians', a story about the Native Americans and their lives as oppressed members of the society.
