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Seattle Picks: Short Classics

By:

Seattle Librarians

The Seattle Public Library

Staff-created list

Interested in reading the classics but don’t have time for "War and Peace"? Great Books come in all shapes and sizes. The following mini-masterpieces pack a powerful impact in under 200 pages.

By:

Seattle Librarians

The Seattle Public Library

23 items

23 items

Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart

by Achebe, Chinua

Book - 1994

Okonkwo’s greatest fear is not the forest, not savage beasts, not black magic, not even the white men who are taking over Nigeria. More than these, he fears himself. (181 pages) Okonkwo’s greatest fear is not the forest, not savage beasts, not black magic, not even the white men who are taking over Nigeria. More than these, he fears himself. (181 pages) Show less

Okonkwo’s greatest fear is not the forest, not savage beasts, not black magic, not even the white men who are taking over Nigeria. More than these, he fears himself. (181 pages) Okonkwo’s greatest fear is not the forest, not savage beasts, not black magic, not even the white men who are taking over Nigeria. More than these, he fears himself. (181 pages) Show less

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If Beale Street Could Talk

If Beale Street Could Talk

A Novel

by Baldwin, James

Book - 2006

Imagine being convicted of a crime you did not commit, and thrown in a cell, far from your loved ones. This is the story of what is left to hold on to, when hope is dead. (197 pages) Imagine being convicted of a crime you did not commit, and thrown in a cell, far from your loved ones. This is the story of what is left to hold on to, when hope is dead. (197 pages) Show less

Imagine being convicted of a crime you did not commit, and thrown in a cell, far from your loved ones. This is the story of what is left to hold on to, when hope is dead. (197 pages) Imagine being convicted of a crime you did not commit, and thrown in a cell, far from your loved ones. This is the story of what is left to hold on to, when hope is dead. (197 pages) Show less

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The Stranger

The Stranger

by Camus, Albert

Book - 1989

Who is Meursault, why has he killed a man he hardly knows, and why doesn’t he seem to care? Is life itself absurd, or is it just us? (160 pages) Who is Meursault, why has he killed a man he hardly knows, and why doesn’t he seem to care? Is life itself absurd, or is it just us? (160 pages) Show less

Who is Meursault, why has he killed a man he hardly knows, and why doesn’t he seem to care? Is life itself absurd, or is it just us? (160 pages) Who is Meursault, why has he killed a man he hardly knows, and why doesn’t he seem to care? Is life itself absurd, or is it just us? (160 pages) Show less

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The Awakening and Selected Stories

The Awakening and Selected Stories

by Chopin, Kate

Book - 2003

This heartfelt story of Edna Pontellier’s doomed search of personal fulfillment was considered so shocking in 1899, it almost ruined its author. (192 pages) This heartfelt story of Edna Pontellier’s doomed search of personal fulfillment was considered so shocking in 1899, it almost ruined its author. (192 pages) Show less

This heartfelt story of Edna Pontellier’s doomed search of personal fulfillment was considered so shocking in 1899, it almost ruined its author. (192 pages) This heartfelt story of Edna Pontellier’s doomed search of personal fulfillment was considered so shocking in 1899, it almost ruined its author. (192 pages) Show less

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Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness

by Conrad, Joseph

Book - 2007

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? Marlow knows: his journey up the Congo River in search of the exceptional Mister Kurtz inspired the film Apocalypse Now. (131 pages) Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? Marlow knows: his journey up the Congo River in search of the exceptional Mister Kurtz inspired the film Apocalypse Now. (131 pages) Show less

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? Marlow knows: his journey up the Congo River in search of the exceptional Mister Kurtz inspired the film Apocalypse Now. (131 pages) Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? Marlow knows: his journey up the Congo River in search of the exceptional Mister Kurtz inspired the film Apocalypse Now. (131 pages) Show less

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Notes From Underground

Notes From Underground

by Dostoyevsky, Fyodor

Book - 1993

He is a sick man, an unlikable man, true. But a madman? Judge for yourself, in the stark and unforgettable tale of literature’s first great anti-hero. (136 pages) He is a sick man, an unlikable man, true. But a madman? Judge for yourself, in the stark and unforgettable tale of literature’s first great anti-hero. (136 pages) Show less

He is a sick man, an unlikable man, true. But a madman? Judge for yourself, in the stark and unforgettable tale of literature’s first great anti-hero. (136 pages) He is a sick man, an unlikable man, true. But a madman? Judge for yourself, in the stark and unforgettable tale of literature’s first great anti-hero. (136 pages) Show less

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Silas Marner

Silas Marner

The Weaver of Raveloe

by Eliot, George

Book - 2003

His reputation ruined and his treasure stolen, an embittered weaver turns his back on a cruel world, only to find hope where least expected. (176 pages) His reputation ruined and his treasure stolen, an embittered weaver turns his back on a cruel world, only to find hope where least expected. (176 pages) Show less

His reputation ruined and his treasure stolen, an embittered weaver turns his back on a cruel world, only to find hope where least expected. (176 pages) His reputation ruined and his treasure stolen, an embittered weaver turns his back on a cruel world, only to find hope where least expected. (176 pages) Show less

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The Old Man and the Sea

The Old Man and the Sea

by Hemingway, Ernest

Book - 1995

It had been 84 days since the old man had caught anything when, far out in the deep Gulf Stream water, he is himself caught by a great and mighty fish. (93 pages) It had been 84 days since the old man had caught anything when, far out in the deep Gulf Stream water, he is himself caught by a great and mighty fish. (93 pages) Show less

It had been 84 days since the old man had caught anything when, far out in the deep Gulf Stream water, he is himself caught by a great and mighty fish. (93 pages) It had been 84 days since the old man had caught anything when, far out in the deep Gulf Stream water, he is himself caught by a great and mighty fish. (93 pages) Show less

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Siddhartha

Siddhartha

An Indian Tale

by Hesse, Hermann

Book - 2003

The young Buddha follows paths of deep piety, intense poverty and sumptuous wealth, but Nirvana awaits in a place beyond all these illusions. (119 pages) The young Buddha follows paths of deep piety, intense poverty and sumptuous wealth, but Nirvana awaits in a place beyond all these illusions. (119 pages) Show less

The young Buddha follows paths of deep piety, intense poverty and sumptuous wealth, but Nirvana awaits in a place beyond all these illusions. (119 pages) The young Buddha follows paths of deep piety, intense poverty and sumptuous wealth, but Nirvana awaits in a place beyond all these illusions. (119 pages) Show less

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Daisy Miller

Daisy Miller

A Study

by James, Henry

Book - 2007

On holiday in Rome, Daisy just wants to have a little fun, but straight-laced Victorian society throws her to the lions. (83 pages) Also try James’s creepy “The Turn of the Screw.” On holiday in Rome, Daisy just wants to have a little fun, but straight-laced Victorian society throws her to the lions. (83 pages) Also try James’s creepy “The Turn of the Screw.” Show less

On holiday in Rome, Daisy just wants to have a little fun, but straight-laced Victorian society throws her to the lions. (83 pages) Also try James’s creepy “The Turn of the Screw.” On holiday in Rome, Daisy just wants to have a little fun, but straight-laced Victorian society throws her to the lions. (83 pages) Also try James’s creepy “The Turn of the Screw.” Show less

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Metamorphosis and Other Stories

Metamorphosis and Other Stories

by Kafka, Franz

Book - 2008

“As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.” So begins the creepiest classic ever. (60 pages) “As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.” So begins the creepiest classic ever. (60 pages) Show less

“As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.” So begins the creepiest classic ever. (60 pages) “As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.” So begins the creepiest classic ever. (60 pages) Show less

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Passing

Passing

by Larsen, Nella

Book - 2003

An upper middle-class woman reconnects with a lighter-skinned friend who has left the black community to pass as white. (122 pages) An upper middle-class woman reconnects with a lighter-skinned friend who has left the black community to pass as white. (122 pages) Show less

An upper middle-class woman reconnects with a lighter-skinned friend who has left the black community to pass as white. (122 pages) An upper middle-class woman reconnects with a lighter-skinned friend who has left the black community to pass as white. (122 pages) Show less

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The Member of the Wedding

The Member of the Wedding

by McCullers, Carson

Book - 2004

Frankie, whose daddy calls her a great big long-legged 12-year-old blunderbuss, has decided to grow up and leave home with her sister; but in matrimony, three's a crowd. (153 pages) Frankie, whose daddy calls her a great big long-legged 12-year-old blunderbuss, has decided to grow up and leave home with her sister; but in matrimony, three's a crowd. (153 pages) Show less

Frankie, whose daddy calls her a great big long-legged 12-year-old blunderbuss, has decided to grow up and leave home with her sister; but in matrimony, three's a crowd. (153 pages) Frankie, whose daddy calls her a great big long-legged 12-year-old blunderbuss, has decided to grow up and leave home with her sister; but in matrimony, three's a crowd. (153 pages) Show less

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Billy Budd, Sailor, and Other Stories

Billy Budd, Sailor, and Other Stories

by Melville, Herman

Book - 1986

Pressed into service on a warship, a dashing sailor runs afoul of the letter of the law, and is cast on the merciless rocks of blind justice. (98 pages) Also try Melville’s Bartleby the Scrivener. Pressed into service on a warship, a dashing sailor runs afoul of the letter of the law, and is cast on the merciless rocks of blind justice. (98 pages) Also try Melville’s Bartleby the Scrivener. Show less

Pressed into service on a warship, a dashing sailor runs afoul of the letter of the law, and is cast on the merciless rocks of blind justice. (98 pages) Also try Melville’s Bartleby the Scrivener. Pressed into service on a warship, a dashing sailor runs afoul of the letter of the law, and is cast on the merciless rocks of blind justice. (98 pages) Also try Melville’s Bartleby the Scrivener. Show less

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Sula

Sula

by Morrison, Toni

Book - 2004

Sula and Nel, friends who share a terrible secret, are drawn apart by time, circumstance and the scruples of a society with little regard for either of them. (176 pages) Sula and Nel, friends who share a terrible secret, are drawn apart by time, circumstance and the scruples of a society with little regard for either of them. (176 pages) Show less

Sula and Nel, friends who share a terrible secret, are drawn apart by time, circumstance and the scruples of a society with little regard for either of them. (176 pages) Sula and Nel, friends who share a terrible secret, are drawn apart by time, circumstance and the scruples of a society with little regard for either of them. (176 pages) Show less

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Animal Farm

Animal Farm

by Orwell, George

Book - 1993

Rebellious livestock abolish the dominion of their two-legged masters, only to find that “All Animals Are Equal, but Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others.” (113 pages) Rebellious livestock abolish the dominion of their two-legged masters, only to find that “All Animals Are Equal, but Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others.” (113 pages) Show less

Rebellious livestock abolish the dominion of their two-legged masters, only to find that “All Animals Are Equal, but Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others.” (113 pages) Rebellious livestock abolish the dominion of their two-legged masters, only to find that “All Animals Are Equal, but Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others.” (113 pages) Show less

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One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

by Solzhenit͡syn, Aleksandr Isaevich

Book - 1995

An extra bowl of gruel, the warmth of hard physical work, a bit of shelter against the freezing wind: it was a good day in the Siberian prison camp. (158 pages) An extra bowl of gruel, the warmth of hard physical work, a bit of shelter against the freezing wind: it was a good day in the Siberian prison camp. (158 pages) Show less

An extra bowl of gruel, the warmth of hard physical work, a bit of shelter against the freezing wind: it was a good day in the Siberian prison camp. (158 pages) An extra bowl of gruel, the warmth of hard physical work, a bit of shelter against the freezing wind: it was a good day in the Siberian prison camp. (158 pages) Show less

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Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men

by Steinbeck, John

Book - 1994

Lennie doesn’t know his own strength, and George little suspects the strength of their friendship, or the sacrifice it will demand of him. (124 pages) Also try The Red Pony and The Pearl. Lennie doesn’t know his own strength, and George little suspects the strength of their friendship, or the sacrifice it will demand of him. (124 pages) Also try The Red Pony and The Pearl. Show less

Lennie doesn’t know his own strength, and George little suspects the strength of their friendship, or the sacrifice it will demand of him. (124 pages) Also try The Red Pony and The Pearl. Lennie doesn’t know his own strength, and George little suspects the strength of their friendship, or the sacrifice it will demand of him. (124 pages) Also try The Red Pony and The Pearl. Show less

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The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories

The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories

by Tolstoy, Leo, graf

Book - 2009

We’re all going to die, but who among us is ready to go? Ivan Ilych most certainly is not. Find out what he learns on this once-in-a-lifetime journey. (60 pages) Also try Hadji Murat and Master and Man. We’re all going to die, but who among us is ready to go? Ivan Ilych most certainly is not. Find out what he learns on this once-in-a-lifetime journey. (60 pages) Also try Hadji Murat and Master and Man. Show less

We’re all going to die, but who among us is ready to go? Ivan Ilych most certainly is not. Find out what he learns on this once-in-a-lifetime journey. (60 pages) Also try Hadji Murat and Master and Man. We’re all going to die, but who among us is ready to go? Ivan Ilych most certainly is not. Find out what he learns on this once-in-a-lifetime journey. (60 pages) Also try Hadji Murat and Master and Man. Show less

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Pudd'nhead Wilson

Pudd'nhead Wilson

by Twain, Mark

Book - 2015

Northern lawyer Pudd’nhead can puzzle out the mystery of the Extraordinary Twins and the Secret Changelings, but just can’t make any sense of slavery. (143 pages) Northern lawyer Pudd’nhead can puzzle out the mystery of the Extraordinary Twins and the Secret Changelings, but just can’t make any sense of slavery. (143 pages) Show less

Northern lawyer Pudd’nhead can puzzle out the mystery of the Extraordinary Twins and the Secret Changelings, but just can’t make any sense of slavery. (143 pages) Northern lawyer Pudd’nhead can puzzle out the mystery of the Extraordinary Twins and the Secret Changelings, but just can’t make any sense of slavery. (143 pages) Show less

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Candide and Other Stories

Candide and Other Stories

by Voltaire

Book - 2008

Robbery, shipwreck, torture, earthquake, syphilis, rape, slavery, cannibalism, murder: in this lively satire, “all’s for the best in this best of all possible worlds!” (144 pages) Robbery, shipwreck, torture, earthquake, syphilis, rape, slavery, cannibalism, murder: in this lively satire, “all’s for the best in this best of all possible worlds!” (144 pages) Show less

Robbery, shipwreck, torture, earthquake, syphilis, rape, slavery, cannibalism, murder: in this lively satire, “all’s for the best in this best of all possible worlds!” (144 pages) Robbery, shipwreck, torture, earthquake, syphilis, rape, slavery, cannibalism, murder: in this lively satire, “all’s for the best in this best of all possible worlds!” (144 pages) Show less

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Ethan Frome

Ethan Frome

by Wharton, Edith

Book - 2005

Was Mattie just a youthful infatuation, or the love of his life? The answer lies buried beneath the snows of the past. (200 pages) Try also Wharton’s Summer. Was Mattie just a youthful infatuation, or the love of his life? The answer lies buried beneath the snows of the past. (200 pages) Try also Wharton’s Summer. Show less

Was Mattie just a youthful infatuation, or the love of his life? The answer lies buried beneath the snows of the past. (200 pages) Try also Wharton’s Summer. Was Mattie just a youthful infatuation, or the love of his life? The answer lies buried beneath the snows of the past. (200 pages) Try also Wharton’s Summer. Show less

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Night

Night

by Wiesel, Elie

Book - 2006

Hungary, 1944: a Jewish boy manages to survive the worst that man can do to man, only to wonder what in this life could be worth the cost of survival. (109 pages) Hungary, 1944: a Jewish boy manages to survive the worst that man can do to man, only to wonder what in this life could be worth the cost of survival. (109 pages) Show less

Hungary, 1944: a Jewish boy manages to survive the worst that man can do to man, only to wonder what in this life could be worth the cost of survival. (109 pages) Hungary, 1944: a Jewish boy manages to survive the worst that man can do to man, only to wonder what in this life could be worth the cost of survival. (109 pages) Show less

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