{"code":"romance","title":"A Short Romance","collection_type":"theme","subroute":"romance","header_1":"A Short Romance","header_2":"Unrequited, unfinished and unsatisfying attempts at love.","description":"A collection of short stories on failed romances. Read or download. Too Early Spring by Stephen Vincent Benet, The Pearl of Love by H. G. Wells.","has_text":true,"quote":{"quote":"“For there lay The Combs—the set of combs, side and back, that Della had worshipped long in a Broadway window.” * The Gift of the Magi","code":"the-gift-of-the-magi"},"image":true,"image_alt":"A pencil sketch of a decorated comb and a cut lock of hair..","image_filter":"contrast(2.5)  hue-rotate(290deg) saturate(1)","image_title":"The Gift of the Magi","image_code":"the-gift-of-the-magi","stories":[{"story":"too-early-spring","description":"A man reminisces on a falling in love with a girl when he was young. *Too Early Spring* is a classic tragedy of misunderstanding written with a beautiful use of language."},{"story":"the-pearl-of-love","description":"The narrator tells of a prince who lost his beloved, and vowed to spend the rest of his life building a monument of her so glorious people would come far and wide to see it. H. G. Wells, who normally gives us time travel and aliens, has written a fantasy fable that pulls the rug out from under your feet with one final sentence. *The Pearl of Love* is one of Wells’ own favourite stories."},{"story":"the-kiss","description":"Ryabovitch is by far the shyest officer in his battalion, with round shoulders and sparse whiskers. But when the local landowner invites the officers for dinner, Ryabovitch receives a startling surprise from one of the young women present. *The Kiss* is an anti-fantasy, where love not only loses but never even stood a chance."},{"story":"araby","description":"A young boy is obsessed with his friends sister and follows her around with little confidence in speaking to her. When she expresses disappointment at not being free to go to the ‘Araby’ bazaar, the boy promises to go himself and buy her something. *Araby* is a coming of age story with a pessimistic lesson to teach."},{"story":"the-last-incantation","description":"An old and powerful magician thinks back to his youth, and of the young lover he once lost. He wonders if he, in all his power, could bring her back. *The Last Incantation* is a dramatic, archetypal fable on lost youth."},{"story":"clair-de-lune","description":"A priest is appalled to discover that his young niece has found a lover. *Clair de Lune* is a story about religious rules and freedom."},{"story":"the-lady-with-the-dog","description":"An unhappily married man meets a woman walking her dog and falls for her. *The Lady with the Dog* is one of Chekhov’s most famous stories, and considered one of the best pieces of prose ever written."},{"story":"the-gift-of-the-magi","description":"A woman sells her prized locks to buy a present for her husband. But the gift turns sour when he walks in the door. *The Gift of the Magi* is a short piece, with a poignant tone."}]}