Little Book World Classic: Araby and Other Stories

“Better pass boldly into that other world, in the full glory of some passion, than fade and wither dismally with age.” Prolog: There was no hope for him this time: it was the third stroke. Night after night I had passed the house (it was vacation time) and studied the lighted square of window: and night after night I had found it lighted in the same way, faintly and evenly. If he was dead, I thought, I would see the reflection of candles on the darkened blind for I knew that two candles must be set at the head of a corpse. He had often said to me: ‘I am not long for this world,’ and I had thought his words idle. Now I knew they were true. Every night as I gazed up at the window I said softly to myself the word paralysis. It had always sounded strangely in my ears, like the word gnomon in the Euclid and the word simony in the Catechism. But now it sounded to me like the name of some maleficent and sinful being. It filled me with fear, and yet I longed to be nearer to it and to look upon its deadly work. About Author: James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (born February 2, 1882, Dublin, Ireland—died January 13, 1941, Zürich, Switzerland) was an Irish novelist, poet, and short story writer. His literary journey was marked by experimental use of language and a relentless exploration of new narrative methods, especially evident in his monumental works such as Ulysses (1922) and Finnegans Wake (1939). In the realm of short stories, Joyce’s works delve into the complexities of human experience, capturing moments of epiphany, disillusionment, and introspection. With a keen eye for detail and the ability to evoke emotions through concise prose, Joyce remains a towering figure in the world of literature. Two of his most significant short stories, i.e. “Araby” and “The Dead,” are included in this collection.