About the book

Step into a world of ambition, folly, and unexpected twists in Pride, Power, and Peculiar Predicaments, a carefully curated anthology of classic American short stories. This collection brings together tales of overconfidence and consequence, where pride clashes with fate, power shifts in unforeseen ways, and characters find themselves in the grip of the strange and the ironic.

From small-town schemers to bold-faced tricksters, from figures of authority to the ordinary souls caught in extraordinary circumstances, these stories offer a captivating glimpse into the humor, drama, and rich imagination of America’s literary past. Whether through biting satire, clever misdirection, or poignant reflection, each tale invites readers to witness how pride can lead to downfall, power can be fleeting, and predicaments can take the most peculiar turns.

Featuring the work of renowned authors and hidden gems of classic American fiction, Pride, Power, and Peculiar Predicaments is an engaging exploration of human nature at its most daring—and most absurd. Whether you delight in wit and irony or relish a well-spun yarn with an unexpected ending, this anthology promises to entertain, provoke, and linger in the mind long after the final page.

Stories included:
Eve’s Diary by Mark Twain
The Real Diary of a Real Boy by Henry A. Shute
Budge & Toddie by John Habberton
A Mother of Four by Juliet Wilbor Tompkins
Aunt Kipp by Louisa May Alcott
Grandma Keeler Gets Grandpa Ready for Sunday-School by Sarah P. Mclean Greene
The Man Higher Up by O. Henry
Tom’s Money by Harriet Prescott Spofford
The Millionaires by Max Adeler
The House of Pride by Jack London
Brothers by Sherwood Anderson
A Man & Some Others by Stephen Crane
The Bull-Fight by Harriet Beecher Stowe
The Family Horse by Frederick S. Cozzens
A Traveled Donkey by Bert Leston Taylor
The Grammatical Boy by Bill Nye

Kaleidoscope of American Storytellers

Fools Frogs & Folktales: A Kaleidoscope of American Storytelling

Pride, Power, & Peculiar Predicaments: A Kaleidoscope of American Storytelling