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Best stories from around the world
Best Stories from Around the World is a collection of timeless pieces from the world’s greatest storytellers—Oscar Wilde, O’ Henry, Saki, H.G. Wells, Conan Doyle, Washington Irving and many more. Hailing from different countries such as America, Ireland, the United Kingdom and India, this book is an entertaining consolidation of diverse stories which cover a broad range of topics and themes. While ‘The Gift of the Magi’ resonates with the sense of love and loss, ‘The Selfish Giant’ and ‘Rip Van Winkle’ relives our childhood. Some stories warm your heart, some make you think and some delight you with their magical language while at the same time they explore universal themes and arouse a gamut of responses. A must-have, this book offers a plethora of classics to read and enjoy for any lover of a good story.
- GenresShort Stories
187 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2017
96 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
About the author
Deepa Agarwal
90 books64 followersWhen I was a young girl, growing up in a town where there were only two streets, I never thought I'd become a writer. But I was an avid reader who kept winning prizes for writing. And the time came when I found that I had lots to write about. That my own life was as full of stories as those other people shared with me. Also, that writing was a kind of therapy that gave meaning to my existence.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 12, 2017
‘Once upon a time there was a story.’ The opening lines of the book make it clear that this journey is going to be amazing and the content page lists the stories of one of the best and the most loved authors of all times from around the world. And nothing could be better than reading best Stories from around the World selected and compiled in one book and presented to you by Deepa Agarwal.
The stories are timeless and have a characteristic style of the writer that time and again reminds you of their other stories previously read. This book is good to introduce you to the authors if you haven’t read many or missed few. I came to know about authors I had never come across of their work before and also give me the opportunity to read few greatest authors I have heard but never get a chance to read. The book is an award for the one who loves reading more than anything.
https://thereviewauthor.com/
The stories are timeless and have a characteristic style of the writer that time and again reminds you of their other stories previously read. This book is good to introduce you to the authors if you haven’t read many or missed few. I came to know about authors I had never come across of their work before and also give me the opportunity to read few greatest authors I have heard but never get a chance to read. The book is an award for the one who loves reading more than anything.
https://thereviewauthor.com/
August 30, 2017
‘Once upon a time there was a story. The child who read it was so enchanted that she/he couldn’t stop at just one and kept searching for more and more.’
I have been reading short stories collections a lot lately. A couple of weeks ago guys from aleph publishing got in touch with me. They were offering ‘Best Stories from Around the World’ to review. I quickly jumped at the opportunity. The fairy-tale like beginning was enough to get me started with the collection.
Cover page
The enchanting cover design of the book was another reason I was looking forward to reading the book. Birds, animals, nature and stars all live happily in the book and that is reflected in the cover page as well. Magenta colour scheme with golden embossed lettering gives an impression of children’s fantasy tales. It is a beautiful cover which can be parked on the shelf and passed on to generations ahead. I wish it was available in hardback!
Characters
The stories have different characters, all of them alluring. There is a selfish giant who hates children playing in his garden. There is a poor couple who find the most appropriate gifts for each other. They invent the art of giving gifts. There are a group of children who have fun playing truth and dare and discover a great thing about their neighbour. And of course! There is Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watsons. There is a man who travels through the world of fantasy and escapes his wife.
All the characters in the book are great to great about. Each of them is intimately written about. They bring certain nostalgia with themselves. It is like your grandfather telling you stories to bed.
Content
The book is a collection of short stories curated by Deepa Agarwal. The stories are primarily for children but can be enjoyed by adults as well. You will find stories from your childhood such as ‘The Selfish Giant’, ‘Gift of Maggie’ and ‘The Tin Soldier’ I remember reading these for school. There is also a story from ‘Sherlock Holmes’ which has launched my interest in Sherlock Holmes stories which I have tried but never really liked reading earlier. So, thank you aleph for piquing my interest in the character. The mere are several stories that have been translated from different languages and they all bring to you the diversity in story writing. They make you understand that the world is huge and the stories are numerous.
In ‘A Minikin-Eared Ewe’ by Tsendyun Damdinsuren translated by D Altangerel the author talks about his experience with fire as a shepherd and his great love for Minikin-Eared Ewe. It brings out a sort of nostalgia for the past. Valia by Leonid Andreiev translated by Lizzie B Gorin is a story of a childhood with different sets of parents. The conflicting nature of their authority over the child and how he deals with the confusing nature of his relationship with both. ‘The Accursed House’ is a funny story about a house who’s owner happens to be a kind hearted fool who ends up scaring people out of not only the house but the entire neighbourhood. Amongst the new authors, the book includes a story by Jerry Pinto. It is a funny cum ghost story titled ‘Saritha Kamakshi Makes a Mistake’. Rip Van Winkle is another story close to my heart -Full of fantasy and life. This one is a must read. These stories have beautiful beginnings and more beautiful ends. These will remind you why you got into read at first.
There was one particular story that I had difficulty understanding. Namely ‘Bother Rabbit’s Cradle’ by Joel Chandler Harris. The language was difficult to catch hold of and I gave up of it ultimately.
Language
These stories are meant for all the age groups and therefore the language has been kept simple. These consist of short sentences and easy to understand words. There is a whiff of childhood nostalgia in all of the stories. They are written extremely well. Well curated.
Good points
With cover design, it was love at first sight. The characters are all so different and curios to read about. Rip Van Winkle is probably my most loved characters from all the stories. The stories are just beautiful. These are meant to be told and retold. The collection is well curated by the author.
Bad points
I did not particularly dislike anything in the book except I was expecting few stories from the new-age authors.
Overall
It is an interesting set of stories from all around the world. These are a must read!
Whom do I recommend this to
This book is for everyone, children and adults alike. Those who enjoy short stories every once in a while are going to love this collection.
I have been reading short stories collections a lot lately. A couple of weeks ago guys from aleph publishing got in touch with me. They were offering ‘Best Stories from Around the World’ to review. I quickly jumped at the opportunity. The fairy-tale like beginning was enough to get me started with the collection.
Cover page
The enchanting cover design of the book was another reason I was looking forward to reading the book. Birds, animals, nature and stars all live happily in the book and that is reflected in the cover page as well. Magenta colour scheme with golden embossed lettering gives an impression of children’s fantasy tales. It is a beautiful cover which can be parked on the shelf and passed on to generations ahead. I wish it was available in hardback!
Characters
The stories have different characters, all of them alluring. There is a selfish giant who hates children playing in his garden. There is a poor couple who find the most appropriate gifts for each other. They invent the art of giving gifts. There are a group of children who have fun playing truth and dare and discover a great thing about their neighbour. And of course! There is Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watsons. There is a man who travels through the world of fantasy and escapes his wife.
All the characters in the book are great to great about. Each of them is intimately written about. They bring certain nostalgia with themselves. It is like your grandfather telling you stories to bed.
Content
The book is a collection of short stories curated by Deepa Agarwal. The stories are primarily for children but can be enjoyed by adults as well. You will find stories from your childhood such as ‘The Selfish Giant’, ‘Gift of Maggie’ and ‘The Tin Soldier’ I remember reading these for school. There is also a story from ‘Sherlock Holmes’ which has launched my interest in Sherlock Holmes stories which I have tried but never really liked reading earlier. So, thank you aleph for piquing my interest in the character. The mere are several stories that have been translated from different languages and they all bring to you the diversity in story writing. They make you understand that the world is huge and the stories are numerous.
In ‘A Minikin-Eared Ewe’ by Tsendyun Damdinsuren translated by D Altangerel the author talks about his experience with fire as a shepherd and his great love for Minikin-Eared Ewe. It brings out a sort of nostalgia for the past. Valia by Leonid Andreiev translated by Lizzie B Gorin is a story of a childhood with different sets of parents. The conflicting nature of their authority over the child and how he deals with the confusing nature of his relationship with both. ‘The Accursed House’ is a funny story about a house who’s owner happens to be a kind hearted fool who ends up scaring people out of not only the house but the entire neighbourhood. Amongst the new authors, the book includes a story by Jerry Pinto. It is a funny cum ghost story titled ‘Saritha Kamakshi Makes a Mistake’. Rip Van Winkle is another story close to my heart -Full of fantasy and life. This one is a must read. These stories have beautiful beginnings and more beautiful ends. These will remind you why you got into read at first.
There was one particular story that I had difficulty understanding. Namely ‘Bother Rabbit’s Cradle’ by Joel Chandler Harris. The language was difficult to catch hold of and I gave up of it ultimately.
Language
These stories are meant for all the age groups and therefore the language has been kept simple. These consist of short sentences and easy to understand words. There is a whiff of childhood nostalgia in all of the stories. They are written extremely well. Well curated.
Good points
With cover design, it was love at first sight. The characters are all so different and curios to read about. Rip Van Winkle is probably my most loved characters from all the stories. The stories are just beautiful. These are meant to be told and retold. The collection is well curated by the author.
Bad points
I did not particularly dislike anything in the book except I was expecting few stories from the new-age authors.
Overall
It is an interesting set of stories from all around the world. These are a must read!
Whom do I recommend this to
This book is for everyone, children and adults alike. Those who enjoy short stories every once in a while are going to love this collection.
June 5, 2020
I enjoy reading short stories and so did this book. It has a collection of stories from best authors like O.Henry , HG Wells, Saki etc. There are total 15 stories and my personal favorites are The selfish giant by Oscar Wilde, A Minikan-Eared Ewe and Freedom.
July 10, 2017
‘Best Stories from Around the World’ is a collection 15 stories with an essence of diversity. Different Authors, Different Settings, Different Times, Different Themes & Different Experiences is what sums up this anthology of timeless classics.
*About the Anthology
The anthology contains stories from well known authors like Oscar Wilde, O. Henry, Saki, H. G. Wells and Jerry Pinto among others. The stories featured in this anthology are of varied lengths. A few are 5-6 pages long, the one by Arthur Conan Doyle is 30 pages long, while most of them are 10-15 pages long.
The collection is remarkable for introducing to the reader, the authors who write in languages other than English. A few translated stories have also been included in this collection.
The anthology begins with an Introduction by the Editor, in which she writes about the genre called short stories, the difficulties she faced in compiling this collection & finally, gives a brief into to every story. And then begins a journey that transports us to different places as we move through the stories.
*My Verdict
The editor says that these stories are the ones that she liked the most among the umpteen stories that she has read throughout the years. Now the question arises that whether her favorite stories prove to be the best ones or not. For me, the answer is no. I’ve read many other stories, which are the best for me.
But one should not expect the stories in this collection to be the best ones. Because our taste varies from one another. Calling some work of art, the best, is entirely subjective. Nevertheless, the experience that this anthology provides is a memorable one. These stories will stay with me for a really long time.
Amongst the 15 stories, I was unable to read one story- Brother Rabbit’s Cradle by Joel Chandler Harris. It was owing to the dialect of a character, that I failed to understand, despite 3 attempts.
This particular character is present till the ending, so I didn’t read this story.Besides this particular story, others were all worth a read. My favorite ones from the collection are: The Gift of the Magi, The Brave Tin Soldier, Freedom, A Minkin Eared Ewe and Saritha Kamakshi Makes a Mistake.
Despite the diverse nature of all the stories, there are about 6 stories that are more suitable for children. This may be attributed to the fact that the editor has written most books for children only. But still, even an adult reader can enjoy those stories. But a part of my heart craved for some better stories in place of those stories.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves reading stories. This book is indeed, a must have.
My Rating: **** (4/5)
*About the Anthology
The anthology contains stories from well known authors like Oscar Wilde, O. Henry, Saki, H. G. Wells and Jerry Pinto among others. The stories featured in this anthology are of varied lengths. A few are 5-6 pages long, the one by Arthur Conan Doyle is 30 pages long, while most of them are 10-15 pages long.
The collection is remarkable for introducing to the reader, the authors who write in languages other than English. A few translated stories have also been included in this collection.
The anthology begins with an Introduction by the Editor, in which she writes about the genre called short stories, the difficulties she faced in compiling this collection & finally, gives a brief into to every story. And then begins a journey that transports us to different places as we move through the stories.
*My Verdict
The editor says that these stories are the ones that she liked the most among the umpteen stories that she has read throughout the years. Now the question arises that whether her favorite stories prove to be the best ones or not. For me, the answer is no. I’ve read many other stories, which are the best for me.
But one should not expect the stories in this collection to be the best ones. Because our taste varies from one another. Calling some work of art, the best, is entirely subjective. Nevertheless, the experience that this anthology provides is a memorable one. These stories will stay with me for a really long time.
Amongst the 15 stories, I was unable to read one story- Brother Rabbit’s Cradle by Joel Chandler Harris. It was owing to the dialect of a character, that I failed to understand, despite 3 attempts.
This particular character is present till the ending, so I didn’t read this story.Besides this particular story, others were all worth a read. My favorite ones from the collection are: The Gift of the Magi, The Brave Tin Soldier, Freedom, A Minkin Eared Ewe and Saritha Kamakshi Makes a Mistake.
Despite the diverse nature of all the stories, there are about 6 stories that are more suitable for children. This may be attributed to the fact that the editor has written most books for children only. But still, even an adult reader can enjoy those stories. But a part of my heart craved for some better stories in place of those stories.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves reading stories. This book is indeed, a must have.
My Rating: **** (4/5)
August 28, 2017
When I was at school, we used to have, as a part of our curriculum, books like Treasury of Short Stories, which carried compilation of tales from authors across cultures and countries. There would be a serious story like Gift of the Magi or Remember the Roses rubbing shoulders with the fantasy-filled Jungle Book and humour story like Face at the Window. Now I lament that no such storybooks exist for children where a diverse group of authors are represented in age-appropriate collection of tales.
Best Stories From Around the World is one such book which is god-send for a mother desperately on the lookout of these stories to narrate to children. This book has 15 stories like Gift of the Magi, The Open Window, The Red Room, Freedom, The Red Headed League, The Last Ticket, Valia, Rip-van-winkle etc. covering topics from humour to intrigue to slightly mature topics like corruption.
I found the book easy to read and narrate to the children except the really longish stories but altogether it is a good reading experience.
A note on the Cover
The purple and gold cover has an old-world-charm, a cover that could be straight out of an ancient book coming from a forgotten library of books.
Best Stories From Around the World is one such book which is god-send for a mother desperately on the lookout of these stories to narrate to children. This book has 15 stories like Gift of the Magi, The Open Window, The Red Room, Freedom, The Red Headed League, The Last Ticket, Valia, Rip-van-winkle etc. covering topics from humour to intrigue to slightly mature topics like corruption.
I found the book easy to read and narrate to the children except the really longish stories but altogether it is a good reading experience.
A note on the Cover
The purple and gold cover has an old-world-charm, a cover that could be straight out of an ancient book coming from a forgotten library of books.
November 16, 2019
All aboard the nostalgia train!
A great short story collection, for every genre. Re-reading some of these was such a warm and fuzzy feeling! Reminded me of those good old days, when we used to devour those English books the moment they were assigned.
Why?
Because we all love a good story, oh yes we do.
Especially if it's written in a few pages rather than a few hundreds
While reading this one, I could imagine myself physically sitting in a comfortable corner, reading the books which were assigned for the next class, ugh just pure joy.
The new ones were great as well, no harm in reading short story by a new author. The perfect length of prose to check if you actually like the style.
Would totally recommend :)
PS. I was feeling a bit on the cheerier side today, hence the excessive GIFs.
Or a bunch of links in the middle, depending on where you view this :P
A great short story collection, for every genre. Re-reading some of these was such a warm and fuzzy feeling! Reminded me of those good old days, when we used to devour those English books the moment they were assigned.
Why?
Because we all love a good story, oh yes we do.
Especially if it's written in a few pages rather than a few hundreds
While reading this one, I could imagine myself physically sitting in a comfortable corner, reading the books which were assigned for the next class, ugh just pure joy.
The new ones were great as well, no harm in reading short story by a new author. The perfect length of prose to check if you actually like the style.
Would totally recommend :)
PS. I was feeling a bit on the cheerier side today, hence the excessive GIFs.
Or a bunch of links in the middle, depending on where you view this :P
October 17, 2018
Few stories are really amazing, varieties of taste in a single book, but few stories I didn't like.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews