Short Story of the Week
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, James Thurber (1939)
Each week, I’m selecting a short story to share with you. No more than 15 or so pages, each think of them as bite-sized entrées into a genre, author, or style.
You might remember this one from the film of the same name that came out in 2013 – an incredibly loose adaptation starring Ben Stiller. In the original story, mild-mannered Walter Mitty drifts through his humdrum life, escaping into vivid daydreams where he's a hero, a genius, a fearless adventurer. However, the contrast between his fantasies and reality is both comical and poignant. It’s a nice little piece, but I do apologise for the comic sans typeface the PDF is printed in (a frankly baffling graphic design choice).