Claire's Notes
Online English tutorials
for GCSE and beyond
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Short stories
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Approx. reading time: 6-7 minutes
In Henry Slesar's 'Examination Day', a young boy's routine intelligence test takes a dark turn in a dystopian society. As his parents anxiously await the results, the story reveals the chilling consequences of a government obsessed with controlling intelligence. A gripping tale about the cost of conformity and the suppression of potential.
Approx. reading time: 7-8 minutes
In Ray Bradbury's 'The Pedestrian', Leonard Mead wanders through a desolate city, a solitary figure in a world where everyone else is confined to their screens. His nightly walks defy societal norms, leading to a chilling encounter that underscores the dangers of conformity and the loss of individuality in a dystopian future.
Approx. reading time: 16-20 minutes
In Doris Lessing's 'Through the Tunnel', young Jerry embarks on a daring underwater journey to prove his independence. As he challenges his fears and physical limits, Jerry's quest for self-discovery and growth poignantly unfolds against the backdrop of a summer vacation by the sea.
Approx. reading time: 20-25 minutes
In Henry Slesar's 'The Test', attorney Vernon Wedge is pressured into defending Benjy Blesker - a seventeen-year-old boy accused of murdering a rival gang member. Benjy maintains he is innocent - but Vernon is not so sure. Can he get him off?
Approx. reading time: 19-24 minutes
In Penelope Lively's 'The Darkness Out There', two teenagers, Sandra and Kerry, uncover unsettling truths about a seemingly idyllic countryside. As they confront the hidden darkness within their surroundings and an elderly woman's shocking past, their perceptions of good and evil are forever altered.
coming soon
Approx. reading time: 12-15 minutes
In Marghanita Laski's 'The Tower', Caroline's solo visit to a remote Italian tower turns into a chilling ordeal. As she ascends, the ancient structure's eerie history intertwines with her growing fear, leading to a suspenseful and psychologically intense climax that explores themes of patriarchy, isolation and the supernatural.
coming soon
Approx. reading time: 9-11 minutes
In Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Tell-Tale Heart', a man driven by madness meticulously plans and executes the murder of an old man with a haunting eye. As guilt consumes him, his descent into insanity is revealed through his obsessive fixation on the imagined sound of the dead man's beating heart.
Approx. reading time: 16-20 minutes
In W.W. Jacobs' The Monkey's Paw, the White family receives a mystical paw that grants three wishes, each with unforeseen and tragic consequences. As their desires lead to unimaginable horror, the story explores themes of fate, greed, and the peril of tampering with the supernatural.
coming soon
Approx. reading time: 24-30 minutes
'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?' by Joyce Carol Oates is a haunting short story that explores themes of adolescence, identity, and vulnerability. It follows Connie, a teenage girl whose encounter with a mysterious stranger, Arnold Friend, takes a dark and unsettling turn, revealing the dangers lurking beneath seemingly ordinary life.
Approx. reading time: 13-17 minutes
Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery' is a chilling short story that reveals the dark side of human nature and the dangers of blindly following tradition. Set in a small town, the annual lottery takes a sinister turn, exposing the unsettling consequences of conformity and the potential for violence in ordinary communities.
Approx. reading time: 12-16 minutes
'Lamb to the Slaughter' by Roald Dahl is a darkly humorous short story about Mary Maloney, a devoted wife who snaps when her husband reveals shocking news. In a moment of rage, she murders him with a frozen leg of lamb and cleverly covers up the crime, leaving readers stunned by the twist.