Time To Read?
When you read a short story, you come out a little more aware and a little more in love with the world around you.
–George Saunders
With autumn activities upon us full force and the holidays lurking just around the corner, all of the flurry of school, work and home can begin to eclipse our time for quiet, leisure and reading. Time to read can go by the wayside, and that stack of books you were hoping to get to may be growing.
With that in mind, I have been paying close attention to some recent outstanding works of shorter fiction and short story collections, as well as some of the truly not-to-be-missed selections from the past. Shorter works can allow us the satisfaction of being immersed in wonderful language and stories even when we may not have the time or attention to give to staying with the thread of a full length novel.
“A short story is the ultimate close-up magic trick—a couple of thousand words to take you around the universe or break your heart.”
-Neil Gaiman
In October, a welcome reissue of Ursula Le Guin’s connected short stories called Searoad, will become available. This is some of Le Guin’s most realistic and down-to-earth work. These stories reveal her deep insight into the nature of all kinds of human relationships. Originally published in 1991, these are the stories of people living in a small vacation town on the Oregon coast. Her style might remind you of Elizabeth Strout’s work.
“A short story is confined to one mood, to which everything in the story pertains. Less is resolved, more is suggested, perhaps.”
–Eudora Welty
A Practical Guide to Levitation by José Eduardo Agualusa is a mixture of illuminating little vignettes of Brazilian, Angolan and Portuguese origin covering history, fable and mythopoetics. This collection of enigmatic short stories is surprisingly engaging given how few pages most encompass. They provide pleasant company when you only have a short interval for engagement.
“I love short stories because I believe they are the way we live. They are what our friends tell us, in their pain and joy, their passion and rage, their yearning and their cry against injustice.”
–Andre Dubus
Lydia Millet’s stories cut through many cultural layers with keen precision but also with an underlying tenderness and humor towards our species that makes this collection of connected stories both enlightening and pleasurable.
Millet’s longer fiction is also recommended, her last novel, Dinosaurs, is a Town House Favorite.
“Maybe what’s worse than things being taken from us are the things being given to us. The things that permeate us. And silently change our minds. Without us noticing.”
-Lydia Millet
In addition to short story collections, novellas and shorter novels also provide a satisfying read when there are time constraints.
One great example is the outstanding trilogy, About the Boy, by Icelandic author Jón Kalman Stefánsson. Three short novels are gradually being released in the U.S. The first installment, available now, is called Heaven and Hell.
Stefánsson’s writing is lyrical and sparse as he begins the saga of a sensitive, imaginative young man finding his way amidst the demands of a harsh but beautuful terrain.
The forthcoming Sorrow of Angels will be available in early November, and the finale, The Heart of Man will follow in June of 2026.
Coming in November, The Ferryman and His Wife, while it runs on the shorter side in length, is a novel that still offers a profound reading experience. The protagonist spends the final day of his life in contemplation as one by one he picks up a variety of characters from his past for a last ferry ride.
This bestselling Norwegian author, Frode Grytten, is primarily known for his short stories and his craftsmanship really shows up in this longer work.
“So that was my story, Nils thought. Now he knew everything, now he could see the whole picture. He had come here, step by step, trip by trip. To be born—that is, to live long enough to discover what air and sea and earth and hate and love are, and then say thank you and farewell.”
The Most Beautiful Book In The World is a delightful collection of novellas that celebrate reading and the search for happiness. Schmitt’s artful style brings quirky characters together in clever and touching ways.
“Odette had a talent: joy.
In her deepest self, it was as if there were a non-stop jazz band playing lively tunes.”
André Aciman’s Room on the Sea is a masterful collection of three varied and captivating novellas.
“For a conversation to unroll between two persons you need a base of sympathy. People with completely different ideas and incompatible interests, if they share a degree of sympathy and warmth, can talk for hours.”
Hopefully you will find something satisfying from among these gleanings when you do have a bit of time and need something gratifying to read—perhaps in the quiet hour before sleep, or when you want to escort your mind elsewhere during a lunch hour or purloin a few moments while waiting for a friend.
There are additional suggestions on the Books For Shorter Attention Spans list on our website.
Happy Reading!
