In the nineteenth century the short story played a central role in the development of American and European literature and became something of an American speciality. For Edgar Allan Poe the 'tale' had marked advantages over the novel, since the unity of effect and impression - of great importance to the author - could only be achieved at a single sitting, and the short story offered the perfect opportunity. Including the works of Washington Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Mark Twain, and Edgar Allan Poe, Henry James and Edith Wharton this unique collection illustrates the force of the short story.