UNFORGETTABLE CLASSIC STORIES – ADAPTED BY DEEPTI MENON
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When I was a little girl, my Army dad was posted in Delhi,
and I remember living in a bungalow that had several large rooms. In the peak
of summer, however, we would place our cots outside in the spacious garden,
with mosquito nets and a table lamp that would reflect the stars above. Those memories
have stayed with me, and some days, I still hear my mother’s voice, narrating
stories to me in the languor of the night. After a while, the sonorous sound of
her beautiful narration, and the buzzing of the insects beyond the mosquito net
would lull me to sleep.
Three stories I recall distinctly – The Count of Monte
Cristo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame and Rip Van Winkle. I loved these stories
and wanted more of them… the suspense, the mystery and the unforgettable themes
entered deep into my heart, and lodged there, till the day I began to write my
own stories. Little wonder that I prefer to be called a thriller writer, and
have my quartet of ‘Shadow’ stories to back up my preference.
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Simon & Schuster UK
When Dipankar Mukherjee suggested that I choose ten stories
of suspense and mystery to adapt, Rip Van Winkle was my first choice… the story
of a simple Dutch householder who went up the Kaatskill mountains one day and
slept for a hundred years. It was a tale told with mastery by Washington Irving
and one that I needed to share with young readers. I had loved the story as a
child, but then, I had a master narrator in the form of my highly dramatic
mother.
The other nine stories fell into place, one by one. I had
my personal favourites – gems by Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Dickens (I had no
idea that he wrote short stories as well!), O Henry and Guy de Maupassant. The
enjoyable part was reading through their stories to choose the ones I wanted in
my book… not the usual ones that had been read by all and sundry, but the lesser-known
ones which would send a thrill down the spine.
After delving into a few more classic short stories (luckily,
I happen to possess a set of six volumes titled ‘Greatest Short Stories’
curated by P.F. Collier & Son Corporation, New York), I finally chose two
Russian tales by Anton Chekov and Alexander Pushkin, both of which enthralled
me with their pace and theme.
There were three slots left. It was a difficult task to
choose them as there were so many brilliant stories which would fit the bill.
After much perusing, I narrowed it down to three gems which stood apart, three
stories that could compare favourably with all the wonderful ones that I had
chosen earlier.
Henry Harland’s tender offering filled me with a sense of
loss and pathos, Arthur Schnitzler’s magnificent narrative kept me on
tenterhooks till the end and W.W. Jacob’s story bordered on horror, leaving me
with a sense of dread.
Every story has been beautifully illustrated by Prasad K.,
the head of our Art Department in school. He knew the pulse of each story and
created a masterpiece for every one of them.
This book would not have been what it is but for the deft
and diligent editing by Indrani Ganguly, my editor, who treats every book she
edits as her own. The amazing cover image was created by Rupak Neogy. While my
gratitude goes out to all the above people, it was Dipankar Mukherjee who gave
me this project for which I cannot thank him enough.
'Unforgettable Classic Stories' is my eleventh solo book, and
as are all my other books, a piece of my heart. It is meant for young readers and
is an imprint of Reado Junior. However, as in the case of my earlier literary effort,
Classic Tales from Shakespeare, I have had not-so-young readers telling me that
they enjoyed reading the book because I had attempted to demystify the greatest
playwright in the world, the Bard himself.
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1. Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving
2.
The Black Veil by Charles Dickens
3.
The Furnished Room by O Henry
4.
The Lottery Ticket by Anton Chekov
5.
The Man with the Twisted Lip by Arthur Conan Doyle
6.
The Test by Guy De Maupassant
7.
The Monkey’s Paw by WW Jacobs
8.
Rosemary For Remembrance by Henry Harland
9.
The Queen of Spades by Alexander Pushkin
1 The
Dead Are Silent by Arthur Schnitzel
BLURB:
“Abandon all hope, ye who enter.”
In this captivating collection of ten eclectic
short stories from the literary masters, you will be gently transported from
mystery and fantasy to horror. From the whimsical world of Rip Van Winkle where
old myths come alive to the imaginative London world of Charles Dickens, from
the Russian classics by Anton Chekov and Alexander Pushkin throbbing with
anticipation, hope and suspense, to the poignant yet fragrant love stories by O
Henry and Henry Harland, this collection of ten stories takes you on a literary
voyage around the world. The anthology transports you to the intriguing milieu
of Baker Street and Sherlock Holmes, ending with a sojourn into the fascinating
minds of master craftsmen like WW Jacobs, Arthur Schnitzel and Guy de
Maupassant.
Prepare yourselves for an immersive and suspenseful
experience!
BOOK TITLE: UNFORGETTABLE CLASSIC STORIES
PUBLISHER: READOMANIA – READO JUNIOR
PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMBER 2025
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