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Journalism of Courage
Good things often come in small packages, and literature is no exception. Not every great work of literature is a 1,000-paged doorstopper weighed down by dense prose, labyrinthine themes, or academic obscurity. Some of the most enduring literary classics are concise enough to be devoured in a single sitting, yet linger in the mind for years.
The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said: “It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what others say in a whole book.”
In that spirit, we have curated eight short literary masterpieces that prove brevity is no barrier to brilliance. Whether you are chasing a reading goal or simply looking for something to lose yourself in for a couple of hours, these compact classics pack a punch with minimal page count.
When Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesperson, wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a monstrous vermin – most Kafka scholars identify the insect as a cockroach – his first concern (disturbingly, one which would plague most working-class people) is not his grotesque form, but missing work. As Gregor’s condition worsens, his once-dependent family turns on him. The denigration and alienation take a psychological toll and he begins to identify himself as vermin. Kafka’s 1915 novella is a psychological dive into the dehumanising effect of modern Capitalist society where people are reduced to commodities, to be junked once they cease to be of use. It is testament to the profundity of this slim book that it has been interpreted in a variety of ways: a Freudian deep dive into horrors within the unconscious landscape, a Marxist indictment of the alienating effects of Capitalism, or simply a metaphor for illness. Unsettling and unforgettable, The Metamorphosis is a must read.
Reading time: ~1.5 hours
Length: ~60 pages
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” Orwell’s timeless masterpiece, a meditation on power and corruption, allegorically breaks down how ideology is used to justify oppression. In the novella, an optimistic uprising by overworked farm animals soon transforms into dictatorship. Orwell charts the rise and fall of Animalism, a stand-in for Communism, as pigs seize power from their human oppressors, only to become even more tyrannical. Written in accessible prose, Animal Farm is a political parable that distills political history by explaining how revolutions take place, the mechanics of propaganda, and the allure of power.
Reading time: ~1.5 hours
Length: ~90 pages
George and Lennie are itinerant ranch workers in 1930s California who dream of owning land one day. Lennie, mentally disabled but physically strong, depends on George’s protection and storytelling to survive. When they find work at a new ranch, their dream seems almost tangible, until the tide turns against them. The novel is a meditation on the elusive American Dream. Originally conceived as a “play-novelette,” the book’s tight structure and emotionally loaded scenes make it a gripping read.
Reading time: ~1.75 hours
Length: ~100 pages
Meursault, an Algerian office worker, murders a man on a beach for no apparent reason. What follows is a courtroom drama where Meursault’s indifference, not the crime itself, becomes his greatest offense. It is a commentary on the absurdity of existence and the alienation of modern life. A cornerstone of existentialist literature, The Stranger challenges readers to confront the meaning (or meaninglessness) of morality, emotion, and social convention. Stripped of sentimentality, it is a brutally honest portrait of a man who refuses to lie about who he is.
Reading time: ~1.75 hours
Length: ~100 pages
Set in 19th-century New Orleans, The Awakening follows Edna Pontellier, a wife and mother who begins to question her limited role in society. Through a summer of sensual discovery and existential reflection, Edna seeks emotional, artistic, and sexual liberation. Her pursuit for freedom brings isolation. Considered scandalous when it was released in 1899, it is now celebrated as a feminist classic. The novella confronts the cost of selfhood in a world that punishes women for wanting more.
Reading time: ~1.5 hours
Length: ~90 pages
An aging Cuban fisherman, Santiago, has not caught fish in 84 days. On the 85th, he hooks a giant marlin and wages a solitary, days-long battle far from shore. Hemingway’s fable-like novella is a meditation on perseverance, pride, and what it means to be a “man.” The Old Man and the Sea was Hemingway’s last major work published during his lifetime, and won him the Pulitzer Prize.
Reading time: ~1.75 hours
Length: ~95 pages
Ivan Ilyich, a respected judge in imperial Russia, lives follows a daily routine, until a terminal illness forces him to confront the void beneath it all. As he lies dying, his reflection peels back the illusion of a “good life” built on social conformity, career ambition, and hollow relationships. Tolstoy’s novella confronts the themes of life and death.
Reading time: ~1.5 hours
Length: ~80 pages
From the writer of Moby Dick comes an enigmatic tale of a Wall Street lawyer who hires a mild-mannered copyist, Bartleby, who begins refusing all tasks with a polite but firm: “I would prefer not to.” Is Bartleby mentally ill? A rebel? A ghost? Melville never answers. It is a meditation on passivity, alienation, and the toll of modern existence.
Reading time: ~1.5 hours
Length: ~70 pages
