These short stories are about Paris is some way—they could be set there, have characters from there or have characters remembering the city. I hope you find an enjoyable story here about Paris.
“Winter Rain” by Alice Adams
Patience remembers the winter of 1947-48 in Paris when she was studying at the Sorbonne. She rented an overpriced room from Mme. Frenaye, an elderly, good-looking and charming woman. She met Bruno, an Italian studying law, with whom she had an up and down relationship. (Summary)
This story can be read in the sample of
“Skin” by Roald Dahl
An older man who’s fallen on hard times passes an art gallery and sees a painting by a man he knew over thirty years ago. The painter’s work is now very valuable. He thinks about their time together and remembers something that might be of interest to the crowd. (Summary)
“Skin” can be read in the Amazon sample of Skin and Other Stories.
“(The Traveler’s Story of) A Terribly Strange Bed” by Wilkie Collins
A man in Paris visits a gambling house. He goes on an impressive winning streak. He eventually breaks the bank. He gets some advice on how to protect his winnings.
This story can be read in the preview of The Black Lizard Big Book of Locked-Room Mysteries.
“Babylon Revisited” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Charlie Wales returns to Paris to get back his daughter, Honoria. She has been living with his sister, Marion. Charlie is financially secure and has abandoned the partying and drinking that contributed to the death of his wife and loss of his daughter.
“The Dowry” by Guy de Maupassant
Simon and Jeanne are newly married. Simon plans to use Jeanne’s large dowry to buy a legal practice. They take a trip to Paris to enjoy each others company and to make the purchase.
“This Morning, This Evening, So Soon” by James Baldwin
The narrator, a singer and actor, is in Paris with his wife, Harriet, and son, Paul. His sister Louisa is visiting and will be going out with Harriet for the evening. The narrator and his family will be returning to New York tomorrow. He’s a celebrity and accepted in Paris; he compares this to his earlier life in Alabama.
“Wine” by Doris Lessing
A man and woman go into a Paris café. They have little energy or desire for anything in the café. There is some hostility between them.
“Lilacs” by Kate Chopin
Mme. Adrienne Farival returns to the convent as she does each spring. She lived here as a girl; now she’s an actress and performer in Paris. There’s much excitement as she approaches, and Sister Agathe runs out to meet her. Adrienne has a very dignified reunion with the Mother Superior. She presents the gift she has brought—an embroidered linen altar cloth of exceptional quality. Adrienne is assigned to room with Agathe during her stay.
“Paris 1991” by Kate Walbert
Rebecca and her husband, Tom, go to Paris to conceive a child. Rebecca thinks often of her mother, Marion, who died a few months earlier.
“Across the Bridge” by Mavis Gallant
Sylvie remembers when she was walking in Paris with her mother. She revealed that she didn’t love her fiancé, Arnaud, and instead wanted to marry a man she’d been corresponding with, Bernard. Thinking the match is a sure thing, her mother suddenly throws the wedding invitations into the river.
“The Desire to Be a Man” by Auguste Villiers de I’Isle-Adam
It’s midnight in Paris in October. Everything is closing to meet the curfew—martial law is in effect. While the crowd rushes off, one man—tall, sad-looking, and oblivious—arrives and stands before a café mirror. He suddenly looks older. He knows he’ll have to retire from acting.
I’ll keep adding short stories about Paris as I find more.
