Death Sentences: 34 Classic Short Stories About the Death Penalty came into being when I stumbled across a humorous Tolstoy short story, Too Dear, about the "Kinglet of Monaco," who, faced with the principality's first execution, found the expense of the guillotine and executioner beyond his means. Were there more stories like this? I soon found Chekhov's The Bet, about a man who gambles on his ability to withstand solitary confinement. The rest of the stories were gathered in a matter of weeks.
The next short story anthology, The Love of Money: 56 Classic Stories About Greed, also had a Chekhov, Gooseberries, and a wonderful Tolstoy -- the gem of the collection -- How Much Land Does a Man Need?
So, when I started the third anthology, The Tug of War: 48 Classic Stories About War and Peace, I blithely went searching for my obligatory Tolstoy. You know -- the guy who wrote War and Peace. Nothing. Not one stinking war story. After mulling it over, I figured out that his short stories are about more intimate relationships while the novels are more sweeping, more grand -- more about Napoleon than about his corporal.
Tolstoy will be making a reappearance in the next anthology, due out at the end of December -- Nothing But the Truth: 49 Classic Stories About Truth and Lies. I'm delighted to have him back.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment