100 Selected Stories

These short stories all have a little bit of humor and irony from them, often with a twist at the end that you weren't expecting. There is the story about a woman who makes a sacrifice to buy a Christmas present for her husband, who surprises her with a gift she's always wanted, but can't use. Another story tells of a homeless man wandering the street, trying to be arrested so he may be sent to jail and have shelter for the winter. When he finally decides to turn his life around, will he have a chance? The characters are diverse, such as a hypocritical cosmopolite who asserts that he is much too worldly to have an attachment to anywhere on the planet, yet when somebody cuts down his hometown, he creates a scuffle. There is also a story from a dog's perspective about how he has grown tired of the name "Lovey," and being coddled and confined to a small apartment with a large lady who tries to pass time all day. At the end, he is overjoyed when a man takes him away and names him "Pete." Each of the stories are fast reads because they are not overblown in detail or lengthy description. Each episode shares some ideas about life and offers some thoughtful messages. A Wordsworth Classic.