The Golden Age of the English short story lies from its first wide acceptance in the middle of the nineteenth century until the middle of the twentieth, a period when there were a great many outlets in Britain for shorter fictions.

The Penguin Book of English Short Stories celebrates this period through some of the most widely known writers of the time. Though many of the chosen authors are more generally known for their novels, here they provide some perfect examples of much shorter work.

Each of these concise, evocative, subtle and satisfying stories is a little jewel, providing a small window into another world.