Books : The World's Shortest Stories: Murder, Love, Horror, Suspense, All This and Much More in the Most Amazing Short Stories Ever Written, Each One Just 55 Words Long
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from: Running Press Book Publishing houses
Discount Price: $8.95
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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.0108
EAN num: 9780762403004
ISBN number: 0762403004
Label: Running Press Book Publishing houses
Manufacturer: Running Press Book Publishing houses
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 224
Printing Date: 1998-02
Publishing house: Running Press Book Publishing houses
Sale Popularity Level: 213330
Studio: Running Press Book Publishing houses
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
This is a quintessential short story book fo r everyone who thinks they don''t have any time to read. Each story is less than 55 words long - ideal for the beach, bus , train, anywhere. '
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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As with any collection of short stories, there are good ones and there are bad ones. Given the incredibly difficult nature of these stories (55 words), the balance is tipped toward the bad. I'd say that 10% of the stories are awful, 70% are completely forgettable, 10% are good but utterly predictable, and 10% are truly worth reading.
In the case of the bad ones, I think it's often that the author tried too hard for the surprise twist and either ruined a great idea or ended up spelling out too much to the reader. The good stories don't explain everything, rather, they leave it up to the imagination and intelligence of the reader to understand the implications. I think a lot of writers do not give readers enough credit, and to be sure they get the point across they over-explain and beat the idea into the ground - ruining the story. The good ones are subtle and leave you with that, "Oh? OH!" feeling.
The few that are really good in this book are definitely worth reading, just be prepared to wade through a whole lot that are not. On the up side, they won't take you long, being as short as they are.
Rated by buyers -
I'm a middle school teacher, and several of these stories are great to teach inferencing and predicting. Some stories may not be appropriate for middle school age.
Rated by buyers 
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My teacher used "The World's Shortest Stories" for a lesson one day. I've never paid so much attention during one class period! I thought it was incredible the way these tiny, 55-word stories could be so little, yet have so much meaning behind them. Each story was thought provoking. Dispite their size, they all have some kind of "twist" to it. I was inspired and immediately wanted to write my own 55-word story.
If you're looking for inspiration for writing, this is for you. If you're a great writer and want to try this style of writing, you have to check it out. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Even if you don't want to write a 55-word story yourself, this book will get you thinking differently. It's almost like solving puzzles, reading these stories. Murder, Love, Horror, Suspense... that's not all the book is about. There's many more topics inside. No one story is like the other. I found this book one of the best books I've come across.
Rated by buyers 
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Absolutely terrible. The "authors" in this collection are amateurs who consistently fall victim to the predictable traps. These stories are filled with cliches, gimmicks and unsurprising surprise endings. Even worse, it feels as if they were all written by the same unimaginative author with a corny sense of humor. Get one of the Flash Fiction or Sudden Fiction collections instead if you're looking for something that actually has some literary value.
Rated by buyers -
This book is one that I reread frequently, as the stories are indeed the perfect length. Broken into categories, the stories cover the range of plot possibilities and human emotions, and are perfect for the shorter-attention span of modern readers. Fifty-five fiction even accepts submissions from regular authors. Try writing one yourself today!
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