Henry James
2) Confidence
Though American literary master Henry James was an ardent proponent of realistic story elements that readers could relate to, many of his works also deal with the question of perception and how our senses and beliefs can influence the way we see the world. It's a running theme in the four short stories collected in James' Embarrassments.
One of Henry James' specialties is the longish short story that delves into philosophical questions via detailed character studies, and Eugene Pickering is a perfect example of this. In it, James compares and contrasts two archetypes: a bookish scholar who has remained largely sheltered for most of his life and a streetwise "doer" who is deeply engaged with the world around him. Which of these approaches represents the best way to live?
...10) The Path of Duty
11) The Birthplace
14) Nona Vincent
15) Glasses
17) The Chaperon
19) In the Cage
20) Four Meetings
Sometimes, it's not the lingering relationships that stick in our memories, but rather the brief, fleeting encounters. In the brilliant short story Four Meetings, literary master Henry James explores an intense infatuation that ran its entire course in only four meetings.