The extravagant tales of the Arabian Nights found a ready audience in all the corners of the globe, and the Bible, one of the most widely read books by mankind, presented its fine repository of moral stories to the world. Medieval singers of England and Scotland wandered from place to place as they sung heroic lays on the exploits of king Arthur and his mighty knights. Finally it was the Decameron, that gave the suitable character to the short story in Italy, and the Canterbury Tales of Chaucer followed its footsteps in England.
The stories of the later times now began to change their course from the supernatural and the timeless, space less domains of the gods. Man’s own life and his immediate circumstances affecting and shaping his struggles for existence became the subject matter of these accounts. The early story tellers were proficient in the art of holding the interest of their listeners, yet they were practical enough to mould their narratives to the mood of the audience gathered round them. But it was only after the invention of the printing, that the medieval stories changed their form and style, and became more or less fixed in manner. The short story became more close-knit, when some short story writers made them more realistic with life like characterizations in settings that appeared to be familiar. It is only then that the short story first announced its claim to be termed as literature.
This particular literary art form, in English, began its journey in the New World, and in the hands of master story tellers like O’ Henry, assumed its specific character as a different and definite form of literature for the first time in the modern times.
The popularity of short stories is demonstrated in our times by the plethora of magazines and periodicals, which publish them on a regular basis, and by the large numbers of the readers, who immensely enjoy them. The moderate length of the short story is definitely an advantage to modern man as he has so little time in hand to pursue anything else than his livelihood in these days of stress and competition. The short story, along with the development of magazine literature, seems to be a custom-built solution to contemporary man’s need for intellectual enjoyment, and this must be the reason why this literary art is
so widely practiced today. During the last two centuries, this factor has largely been responsible in giving a tremendous fillip to the development of the short story. It is true that the success of the Novel, prior to this, in a sense, paved the way for the short story, but once it conclusively formed its characteristic qualities, it inevitably began commanding attention.
presented its fine repository of moral stories to the world. Medieval singers of England and Scotland wandered from place to place as they sung heroic lays on the exploits of king Arthur and his mighty knights. Finally it was the Decameron, that gave the suitable character to the short story in Italy, and the Canterbury Tales of Chaucer followed its footsteps in England.
The stories of the later times now began to change their course from the supernatural and the timeless, space less domains of the gods. Man’s own life and his immediate circumstances affecting and shaping his struggles for existence became the subject matter of these accounts. The early story tellers were proficient in the art of holding the interest of their listeners, yet they were practical enough to mould their narratives to the mood of the audience gathered round them. But it was only after the invention of the printing, that the medieval stories changed their form and style, and became more or less fixed in manner. The short story became more close-knit, when some short story writers made them more realistic with life like characterizations in settings that appeared to be familiar. It is only then that the short story first announced its claim to be termed as literature.
This particular literary art form, in English, began its journey in the New World, and in the hands of master story tellers like O’ Henry, assumed its specific character as a different and definite form of literature for the first time in the modern times.
The popularity of short stories is demonstrated in our times by the plethora of magazines and periodicals, which publish them on a regular basis, and by the large numbers of the readers, who immensely enjoy them. The moderate length of the short story is definitely an advantage to modern man as he has so little time in hand to pursue anything else than his livelihood in these days of stress and competition. The short story, along with the development of magazine literature, seems to be a custom-built solution to contemporary man’s need for intellectual enjoyment, and this must be the reason why this literary art is
so widely practiced today. During the last two centuries, this factor has largely been responsible in giving a tremendous fillip to the development of the short story. It is true that the success of the Novel, prior to this, in a sense, paved the way for the short story, but once it conclusively formed its characteristic qualities, it inevitably began commanding attention.