Comments on: What short stories have the best twost endings? http://languageisavirus.com/questions/what-short-stories-have-the-best-twost-endings creative writing questions and answers Mon, 22 Mar 2010 07:46:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Mike Y http://languageisavirus.com/questions/what-short-stories-have-the-best-twost-endings/comment-page-1#comment-14801 Mike Y Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:28:21 +0000 http://languageisavirus.com/questions/what-short-stories-have-the-best-twost-endings#comment-14801 Having some computer problems, so this will be brief. :/ The two most widely acknowledged masters of the twist ending in literature are O Henry and Guy de Maupassant, so I pretty much have to mention a couple by each. O Henry * The Gift of the Magi - mentioned by Kate S, worth seconding * The Cop and the Anthem Guy de Maupassant * The Necklace - read by many in high school * The Piece of String - better than The Necklace, in my opinion Some of my personal favorite twist endings: * Red by Somerset Maugham * Appointment in Samarra retold by Somerset Maugham * The story of the widow of Ephesus from the Satyricon of Petronius Of course, I can't really explain why I chose these without spoiling the endings, but I hope you can take my word for it. I read a lot. Having some computer problems, so this will be brief. :/

The two most widely acknowledged masters of the twist ending in literature are O Henry and Guy de Maupassant, so I pretty much have to mention a couple by each.

O Henry
* The Gift of the Magi – mentioned by Kate S, worth seconding
* The Cop and the Anthem

Guy de Maupassant
* The Necklace – read by many in high school
* The Piece of String – better than The Necklace, in my opinion

Some of my personal favorite twist endings:
* Red by Somerset Maugham
* Appointment in Samarra retold by Somerset Maugham
* The story of the widow of Ephesus from the Satyricon of Petronius

Of course, I can’t really explain why I chose these without spoiling the endings, but I hope you can take my word for it. I read a lot.

]]> By: Molly Mahony http://languageisavirus.com/questions/what-short-stories-have-the-best-twost-endings/comment-page-1#comment-14800 Molly Mahony Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:16:32 +0000 http://languageisavirus.com/questions/what-short-stories-have-the-best-twost-endings#comment-14800 This is the best book ever!!! Go to this site and you can read the first couple chapters on there. It will change your life!!!!! It is so amazing and awesome!! You can request them to post more if you just sign the guestbook! You will love it!!!!!!!!!! This is the best book ever!!! Go to this site and you can read the first couple chapters on there. It will change your life!!!!! It is so amazing and awesome!! You can request them to post more if you just sign the guestbook! You will love it!!!!!!!!!!

]]> By: Kate S http://languageisavirus.com/questions/what-short-stories-have-the-best-twost-endings/comment-page-1#comment-14799 Kate S Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:19:18 +0000 http://languageisavirus.com/questions/what-short-stories-have-the-best-twost-endings#comment-14799 There's nothing wrong with that! As a whole, short stories are probably more rewarding to read, on a cost-benefit ratio, than novels: You learn all the skills a novel takes on a smaller scale, and you learn how they're used even more judiciously. A couple of old chestnuts with twists: * The Gift of the Magi, O. Henry. * The Monkey's Paw, W.W. Jacobs. * An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Bierce. * The Masque of the Red Death, Poe. * The Lottery, Jackson. (Not really a twist, but still a shocker.) * The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman (Ditto this, on the "not a twist, still shocking" theme.) Et cetera, et cetera. There’s nothing wrong with that! As a whole, short stories are probably more rewarding to read, on a cost-benefit ratio, than novels: You learn all the skills a novel takes on a smaller scale, and you learn how they’re used even more judiciously.

A couple of old chestnuts with twists:
* The Gift of the Magi, O. Henry.
* The Monkey’s Paw, W.W. Jacobs.
* An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Bierce.
* The Masque of the Red Death, Poe.
* The Lottery, Jackson. (Not really a twist, but still a shocker.)
* The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman (Ditto this, on the “not a twist, still shocking” theme.)

Et cetera, et cetera.

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