Luigi Pirandello was an Italian writer, well known for his novel The Late Mattia Pascal and the play Six Characters in Search of an Author. He also wrote many excellent short stories, some of which are listed below. Pirandello was awarded the 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature. I hope you find some great selections here.
Luigi Pirandello Short Stories
“The Revenge of the Dog”
Three years ago, a foreigner with a wooden leg informed Jaco Naca that he was the owner of some land. The man was interested in it and offered to pay the official appraisal price. They made the deal. A year later, Jaco was upset to see that two small villas had been built on the property, which would bring their owner a nice income. He devises a revenge which involves mistreating a dog.
This story can be read in the preview of Stories for the Years. (38% in)
“The Cat, A Goldfinch, and the Stars”
An old couple owns a goldfinch. It used to belong to their granddaughter, who died at fifteen. It helped them during their grief, and they started looking after it. The couple keeps to themselves, putting all their time into the goldfinch.
This story can be read in the preview of Stories for the Years. (68% in)
“A Day Goes By”
A man finds himself in a deserted train station with no memory of how he got there or who he is. He leaves the station, trying to get a sense of his identity and what is happening. (Summary)
“The Little Hut”
A small girl comes out of a little hut and walks up the nearby hill. After a while, she goes to the top of the cliff and looks into the valley. She calls out for Jeli to come up. The boss wants to see him. Jeli and the oldest daughter of the boss, Malia, share an intense look.
This story can be read in the sample of The Oil Jar and Other Stories (25% in).
“War”
Passengers on a train carriage argue over who feels the most grief over their sons lost in WWI.
“Escape”
Mr. Bareggi is fifty-two and has nephritis, which causes constant pain in his kidneys and badly swollen feet. As he walks to and from the office every day, he dreams of running away and never coming home again. His home life, with his wife and two daughters, makes him restless.
“Fear of Being Happy”
For years, Fabio Feroni occupies himself by carefully observing the flies, insects, and a turtle that live on his terrace. The turtle would put forth great effort to climb the first of the three steps leading into the living room. When Feroni helps it, it retracts and refuses to go on. Feroni has had a disappointing life. Whenever he’s about to reach a goal, something happens to ruin things.
I’ll keep adding Luigi Pirandello short stories as I find more.
