By Tallulah Stievers
Somewhere between a short story and a full novel comfortably sits the novella. This is the short, sharp, and often brilliantly paced story that can be experienced in one or two sittings. Crystalline in structure, these stories sink in with intensity, revealing characters or situations that resonate long after the story is over. These are two of my favorites.
Mr. Summer’s Story by Patrick Suskind, illustrated by Sempe
This is the delightfully illustrated story of a boy profoundly affected by a few brief encounters with an enigmatic neighbor. The unnamed narrator tells of his experiences growing up in a small German village after World War II. While much of the story focuses on the joyful exuberance of youth and the frustrations of growing up, it is through the boy’s observation of the town’s most mysterious character, Mr. Summer, that we are told a much more compelling tale.
Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville
A comment on capitalism, obsession, and social norms, Bartleby is certainly one of literature’s most perplexing characters. Bartleby is hired as a copyist at a law firm on Wall Street in the 1850s. Through his polite and passive denials when asked anything from inquiries about his personal life to direct orders of the job, always replying with the allusive “I prefer not to,” Bartleby becomes increasingly exasperating to his colleagues. A character not easily forgotten.
