Sketches and short stories

First published in the late 19th century, Ion L. Caragiale’s Sketches and Short Stories captures with wit, irony, and precision the spirit of Romanian society at the turn of the century.

A master of satire and one of Romania’s most celebrated literary figures, Caragiale exposes the absurdities of politics, provincial life, and human vanity through a gallery of unforgettable characters and sharply drawn scenes. His stories—by turns comic, tragic, and profoundly human—reflect a world where ambition and folly, love and deceit, modernity and tradition collide in the everyday theater of life.

Part social commentary, part comedic masterpiece, Sketches and Short Stories stands as a cornerstone of Romanian literature and European realism, revealing the humor and pathos of ordinary lives caught in extraordinary contradictions.

Complete and unabridged edition of Ion L. Caragiale’s classic short fiction

Authentic collection of satirical sketches, dialogues, and realist vignettes

A vital work in the study of Romanian culture, humor, and late 19th-century society

Essential reading for lovers of European realism, political satire, and modern short fiction