Containing twenty classic short stories written by masters of the form, this collection includes unforgettable tales from Maupassant, Chekhov, Hardy and many more great writers. Some, like Saki's 'The Open Window' or Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Diamond as Big as the Ritz', are delightfully mischievous explorations of human foibles; others, like Gogol's 'The Overcoat' or Poe's 'The Fall of the House of Usher' ruminate more darkly upon the enigma of mortal existence. No reader will want to be without these short masterpieces, which come complete with brief biographies of each author.