Novellas are the forgotten form of literature – they’re not quite long enough to be considered a novel, but they’re a little too long to be considered a short story. But novellas are extremely interesting and fantastic forms of literature. They’re also very important. Some of the greatest pieces of literature have been novellas.
The beauty of the novella is that you don’t have to set a whole lot of time aside to read it – you can read it in a weekend, or even a day. Novellas are perfect for a long weekend, or just a weekend that you’re light on school work and have some extra time to kill. Short stories are also fantastic pieces to read in a quick amount of time and have plenty of brain stimulation.
A Clockwork Orange (1962) – Anthony Burgess
Many people have seen the Stanley Kubrick film adaptation of A Clockwork Orange, but the book is just as fantastic, and should definitely be something that you put on your reading list. It takes a little while to get used to because it’s written in a made-up slang, but after re-reading the first chapter three times I promise you’ll get used to it. After that, reading the book is a breeze. Before you know it, you’ll be dreaming in Nadsat.
The Thing Around Your Neck (2009) – Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche
Remember that speech in Beyonce’s ***Flawless? Well these are her short stories.
Franny and Zooey (1961) – JD Salinger
Salinger’s most famous piece, The Catcher in the Rye, often overshadows his great shorter works of fiction, including Franny and Zooey – a combination of two stories which were published separately in The New Yorker about the Glass family.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1950) – Truman Capote
This is a book that’s even on my own reading list! Obviously it’s been reimagined as the classic movie featuring Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly, which is available on Netflix, but that’s just even more of a reason to go read the book so you can decide for yourself if the book is better than the movie.
for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf (1975) – Ntozake Shange
This choreopoem is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever read – and that’s far from an exaggeration. Written in cultural vernacular, for colored girls is an honest and powerful piece that’s had many spoken word, acted, and even film adaptations.
Benito Cereno (1855) – Herman Melville
Many consider Benito Cereno to be a short story, but it definitely airs on the longer side of short stories, definitely making it worthy of our list in either regard. In classic Melville fashion, this story takes place on a boat and there is plenty of adventure.
Of Mice and Men (1937) – John Steinbeck
As someone who isn’t the biggest fan of John Steinbeck, it means a lot for this book to make it into any kind of recommended reading from me. Though you may have read this already in high school, it’s definitely one of those books that get better with time, and now that you’re older and apparently more knowledgeable of the world around you, this will be a totally different read than it was when you were 15 and always showed up late to your English class.
Blow-Up (1959) – Julio Cortazar
There are not words to describe how fantastic this collection of short stories is. It’s fantastic. See? Doesn’t even do it justice.
The Metamorphosis (1915) – Franz Kafka
The story of a man who wakes up as a bug, this story is obscure and important and should definitely be on your reading list. I don’t want to ruin the ending, but something so ridiculous it’s almost hilarious and terribly ironic happens with an apple.
Heart of Darkness (1899) – Joseph Conrad
Another book that I’ve yet to read but is at the top of my list, Heart of Darkness is a story of an adventure down the Congo River – and it’s been made into a movie. And who doesn’t love spending their weekends reading a book just to watch the movie right after?
Runaway (2004) – Alice Munro
The queen of the short story (my words, but I think I speak for a lot of people when I say this), Alice Munro, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2013 for her “master of the contemporary short story.” Master, queen. Same thing, basically.
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