I’m looking for short stories (not novellas) that are emotionally quiet, a little unsettling or melancholic, and often philosophical or ambiguous.
I love fiction that explores alienation, memory, moral tension, or identity. The kind that leaves you sitting in silence after finishing.
Not into romance plots or fast-paced action — more into quiet suffering, strange atmosphere, and symbolic or layered storytelling.
Some favorites: The Judgment (Kafka), Diary of a Madman (Lu Xun), The Guest (Camus), Rashōmon, In a Grove and The nose (Akutagawa).
Any underrated or lesser-known short stories that linger emotionally or thematically?
by _ubby