Lesser-known gems from literary greats, recommended by our classics team

Why read this: Read this if you enjoy South Asian writers who vividly capture both place and time. Tagore, born in Kolkata in 1861, was hugely prolific, writing poetry, short stories, novels and plays. He broke the tradition of formal Bengali literature with his stories about the lives of ordinary people. Humanity shines through in ‘The Cabuliwallah’, a moving account of an unlikely friendship between a peddler and a young girl, and ‘The Home-Coming’ offers a poignant study of a boy’s longing for love. ‘The Postmaster’ explores a rural orphan’s quiet devotion, while ‘Mashi’ depicts an aunt’s desperate attempts to shield her nephew from the reality of his failing marriage. Tagore also ventured into the supernatural. In ‘The Hungry Stones', a traveler is seduced by supernatural visions in a haunted palace, while ‘The Skeleton’ gives voice to the dead in a tale of hidden passion.

If you're looking for: Stories set in India, vivid depictions of everyday lives, evocative tales set in rural Bengal as well as teeming cities, stories of love, loyalty and hope.

Great for fans of: R K Narayan, V S Naipaul, Rohinton Mistry, Aravind Adiga.

What the experts think: 'Each story conjures up a miniature world, from the sad to the charming, sometimes rooted in reality, sometimes intertwined with the supernatural but always imbued with wisdom and compassion.' – Harriet Sanders, Publisher, Macmillan Collector's Library.

Why read this: A bold, unflinching reveal of human behaviour. Katherine Mansfield explores innocence versus corruption, moments of bitter revelation and an intense awareness of what it is to be lonely. Yes, she’s a realist, and a modernist, but there’s also ironic humour in stories like 'Germans at Meat'. In the title story, 'The Daughters of the Late Colonel', two sisters who’ve been raised in the shadow of their overbearing father fear even to bury him without his permission. In 'The Garden Party', a lavish family celebration is rocked by a tragic event exposing ruthless class division and in 'Marriage à la Mode', a husband longs for his wife’s attention whilst she recoils at his sentimentality. 

If you're looking for: Realism, modernism, ironic humour.

Great for fans of: Meg Mason, Ottessa Moshfegh, Claire Keegan.

What the experts think: 'Katherine Mansfiled was brave and unconventional in both her life and her writing. Unlike some other modernist writers, her stories are immediate and accessible but she doesn't hold back as she peels back the layers of her characters to reveal yet more subterfuge.' – Harriet Sanders, Publisher, Macmillan Collector's Library.

Why read this: Without Edgar Allan Poe, the genres we know as detective, supernatural and gothic fiction would have turned out very differently. Written in the nineteenth century, his short tales of terror continue to inspire readers all over the world. This collection features Poe’s pioneering French detective Dupin investigating the Murders in the Rue Morgue, as well as two scary mysteries, ‘The Oblong Box’ and ‘The Cask of Amontillado’.

If you're looking for: Creepy fiction, classic detective stories, atmospheric and spooky writing.

Great for fans of: M.R. James, Arthur Conan Doyle, Daphne du Maurier, Susan Hill, Shirley Jackson.

What the experts think: 'As a fan of ghost stories and classic crime fiction, these stories show why Poe is still so popular today. His pacing and plotting are so strong you can reread them anytime and still enjoy them.' – Elena Richards, Macmillan Collector's Library Project Editor.

Why read this: If you’ve never read the original Sherlock Holmes stories, now’s the time to start! These stories follow the famous consulting detective and his friend Dr Watson as they try to solve three baffling crimes before time runs out. They are faced with suspicious deaths which seem so inexplicable they must have ghostly explanations, and mundane happenings revealing dark and deadly plots. . .

If you're looking for: Classic crime, Victorian London, detectives and sidekicks.

Great for fans of: Agatha Christie, Enola Holmes by Nancy Springer, Dorothy L. Sayers, Monk and House TV shows.

What the experts think: 'These three short stories showcase Sherlock Holmes at his very best. ‘The Speckled Band’ is widely considered to be Conan Doyle’s creepiest mystery. ‘The Dying Detective’ and ‘The Three Garridebs’ are entertaining, underappreciated stories which are testament to the close bond between Holmes and his loyal sidekick Watson.' – Elena Richards, Macmillan Collector's Library Project Editor.

Why read this: Read or seen The Great Gatsby and enjoyed it? How about the film of Benjamin Button? Discover more from one of America’s best authors in this bitesize assortment of captivating stories about love, loss and the lottery of life. Set in Paris, the French Riviera and the States, these tales will transport you around the globe.

If you're looking for: Summer romances, American literature, unrequited love. 

Great for fans of: The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Edith Wharton.

What the experts think: 'This collection shows how unexpected Fitzgerald’s writing is: it can be funny while also sentimental, absurd and then desperately tragic. Two of the stories explore different perspectives on love. ‘The Bridal Party’ is a meditation on the struggles of unrequited affection, while ‘Love in the Night’ is about a young Russian-American nobleman and the summer fling he will remember for the rest of his life.' – Elena Richards, Macmillan Collector's Library Project Editor.

Why read this: Virginia Woolf is an utterly fascinating author. Whether you’ve enjoyed some of her novels, or are yet to discover her world, this collection is a great entry point. There are seven stories here, all exploring days or mere moments in the lives of others. In ‘The New Dress’, Mabel is preparing to attend a party thrown by none other than Clarissa Dalloway, the subject of Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway. The often-anthologised ‘Kew Gardens’ is a blurred daydream about the possible lives of the strangers who wander around the gardens in flower. 

If you're looking for: Modernist literature, stream of consciousness, the Bloomsbury Group.

Great for fans of: The Waves by Virginia Woolf, Rachel Cusk, Natalie Sarraute.

What the experts think: 'Woolf’s writing style is so immersive. These stories are all teeming with small observations and strange happenings. Their protagonists try to understand the world around them, whether that’s by making bored guesses about their fellow passengers on a train journey, or fixating on a dark mark on the wall opposite them.' – Elena Richards, Macmillan Collector's Library Project Editor.

Why read this: These fairy tales by Oscar Wilde are full of enchanting characters and are beloved by children and adults alike. But don’t be fooled: these are not just simple, pleasing stories. Each one packs a real punch, as Wilde takes on the moral failings of society by reflecting them through the looking-glass of fantastical worlds. Wilde does not shy away from darkness in these tales, but he also demonstrates that goodness and kindness will prevail.

If you're looking for: Fairy tales, Victorian literature, classic fantasy, children’s literature, fables.

Great for fans of: Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

What the experts think: 'While Wilde was one of the key pioneers of Aestheticism, there is more to these stories than their glittering imagery; here, Wilde forcefully confronts vanity, greed, and selfishness.' –  Laurie Shelley, Editorial Assistant, Macmillan Collector's Library and Picador

Why read this: In these stories, Jane Austen’s writing is at its most unhinged. If you have read her novels but you have not yet encountered these stories, they must quickly be added to your reading list. Written when she was as young as eleven years old, these are wild, chaotic tales that savagely make fun of the melodramatic novels the young Austen was reading and take swipes at the norms of Regency England. No one is safe from her quill.

If you're looking for: Regency era, romance, satire, comedy.

Great for fans of: Bridgerton, The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow, Emily Henry, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

What the experts think: 'Jane Austen’s novels have not been short of readers; she is undeniably one of the world’s most popular authors. But these short stories deserve more attention – it may be tempting to dismiss them as teenage scribblings, but they are remarkable, forward-thinking works of literature.' –  Laurie Shelley, Editorial Assistant, Macmillan Collector's Library and Picador

Why read this: If Ulysses seems intimidating but you are curious about James Joyce, this little collection is the perfect introduction to his work. These stories are all set in Dublin and sketch the daily lives of its people. You’ll quickly discover that Joyce’s writing is grounded, relatable and full of real heart. Joyce’s Dubliners feel stifled by the city but are unable to pull themselves away from it; Joyce is critical of the cultural mores of nineteenth-century Ireland, but writes about its capital city with deep affection.

If you're looking for: Irish literature, realism, stories about religion and class.

Great for fans of: Colm Tóibín, Elizabeth Strout, Edna O’Brien, Donal Ryan

What the experts think: 'Joyce is, of course, recognised for his experimental, madly inventive writing. These stories display a softer, subtler side of the legendary writer, but they are just as brilliant as Ulysses.' –  Laurie Shelley, Editorial Assistant, Macmillan Collector's Library and Picador

Why read this: If you want to read about life in the deep South as told by one of America’s foremost writers of the Harlem Renaissance, then these stories are for you. Alice Dunbar Nelson’s own early life in New Orleans inspired many of her stories. She wrote vividly and powerfully about women’s lives, poverty, faith and spirituality.

If you're looking for: Harlem Renaissance, New Orleans, realism

Great for fans of: Zora Neale Hurston, Nella Larsen, Kate Chopin, Brit Bennett, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

What the experts think: 'These nine stories completely bring to life a time and a place: the deep South in the late nineteenth century. Alice Dunbar Nelson was a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance contributing poetry, fiction and journalism. An activist and for many years a teacher, she is one of the most influential and talented women of nineteenth-century America.' – Harriet Sanders, Publisher, Macmillan Collector's Library.