Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

With the start of the new term, many students may already be overwhelmed with new schedules and workloads. Reading in college often becomes tarnished as a pastime because of the amount of homework and class readings that students are required to do; a solution for that is short stories. There are countless tales that leave one breathless, contemplative or unnerved, all accomplished within 15-20 pages. 

“Cathedral” by Raymond Carver (1981): This suspenseful tale is from the perspective of a jealous husband when his wife’s blind friend visits them in their home, and unsettles readers. The discomfort that the husband feels by the intimacy of his wife and friend makes one wonder how the story will build, leaving the reader quietly anticipating each move. It can be found online here: http://www.giuliotortello.it/ebook/cathedral.pdf

“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Stetson (1892): This is by far one of my favorite short stories out there. Each time I read it, I discover something new, and the unease that I feel doesn’t ever end. It is a complex tale that shows the distress of a woman in her new house where she seems to unravel as she becomes obsessed with the yellow wallpaper in a room. Reality becomes distorted and it’s impossible to sort if what she is seeing is actually happening or not. It can be found online here: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/theliteratureofprescription/exhibitionAssets/digitalDocs/The-Yellow-Wall-Paper.pdf

“The Lottery” by Shirely Jackson (1948): Another one of my favorite short stories is based in a small village that must partake in “The Lottery,” and there is a general discomfort or fear with the characters. Each page makes the reader more and more anxious, waiting in anticipation for what could possibly happen. It can be found online here: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1948/06/26/the-lottery

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu