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About The Top 10 Short Stories - Western Europe: The top ten short stories of all time written by authors from Western Europe.

The Top 10 – Western Europe - An Introduction The West has often promoted itself as the crucible of democracy, civil society and the Arts. The reality is far from that but its literature has, perhaps, more merit as a force for good. Their authors use their talents wisely as they explore all manner of subjects with characters of literary brilliance. Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart. A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere. In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted ‘Top Tens’ across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author? The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme. Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature. Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made. If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something. 1 - The Top Ten - Western Europe - An Introduction 2 - The Dead - Part 1 by James Joyce 3 - The Dead - Part 2 by James Joyce 4 - The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant 5 - Martin Guerre - Celebrated Crimes Part 1 by Alexandre Dumas 6 - Martin Guerre - Celebrated Crimes Part 2 by Alexandre Dumas 7 - The Force of Blood by Miguel de Cervantes 8 - The Rocking Horse Winner by D H Lawrence 9 - The New Paris by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 10 - The Criminal from Lost Honour by Friedrich Schiller 11 - War by Luigi Pirandello 12 - Mateo Falcone by Prosper Merimee 13 - Markheim by Robert Louis Stevenson