Edgar Allan Poe is often called as the originator of the short story as an established genre. He defined 'the prose tale' as:
1
A narrative which can be read at one sitting of from half an hour to two hours.
2
A narrative which can be read within five minutes or less.
3
A narrative that can be read at one sitting of from one hour to four hours.
4
A narrative that may be concluded and enjoyed in the single spell of less than half an hour.