Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author's brain, their soul and heart. A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.

In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted 'Top Tens' across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author?

The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme. Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature.

Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made. If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something.

Invariably Jerome is most often remembered for his light-hearted and humourous works such as 'Three Men in a Boat'. Here we have a number of his beautifully lyrical short stories and some from his forgotten, and rather darker side.

01 - The Top 10 - Jerome K Jerome - An Introduction

02 - Told After Supper - The Doctor's Story by Jerome K Jerome

03 - The Curate's Story - My Uncle's Story - My Own Story by Jerome K Jerome

04 - Told After Supper - The Wisdom Of Uncle Podger by Jerome K Jerome

05 - The Absent Minded Man by Jerome K Jerome

06 - The Man of Science by Jerome K Jerome

07 - The Man Who Went Wrong by Jerome K Jerome

08 - The Cost of Kindness by Jerome K Jerome

09 - The Man Who Did Not Believe in Luck by Jerome K Jerome

10 - The Minor Poets Story by Jerome J Jerome

11 - The Lesson by Jerome K Jerome