Customer Reviews (27)

A Fine Collection
For a perfect summer read try picking up an old favorite... this collection of the work of Saki (real name: Hector Hugh Munro) includes over 130 short stories, three novels and three plays and sports an introduction by Noel Coward. Though written 100 years ago, this vast body of work is amazingly fresh and contemporary. Many of the stories are under four pages long, but they manage to paint amusing pictures of the privileged class as seen through the eyes of an obviously gay, brilliant and somewhat bored young man who uses a sharp knife to pry up the upper crust and expose what's beneath. Sample the stories - his work is available on line - [.........]

Master of the Sublime - H.H. Munro - aka Saki
Saki is the consummate stylist and chronicler of a stuffy Victorian England nearing the end of its reign and world dominance. He savors the comedy of manners with all its many class-based restrictions and inbred peculiarities and finds ways to highlight--through ironic twists of fate--the inherent and underlying pathos of a people so stuck on themselves they frequently are tripped up on their own vanities.Therein lies the "beauty" of a Saki short story: he fleshes out the quirks and peccadillos of human nature--its pomp and its farcical facets--and we come away the better (and ennobled) for it. If it's a Saki story--there's subtle mirth and magical missteps awaiting the reader.One wonders what great additions to his rather slim body of work there would've been had he not perished--fighting in the war that was supposed to end all war: World War I.... A man of "privilege" who purposely sought no special dispensation during the vicissitudes of warfare when mustard gas hung ominously in the air and men were often taken by disease sooner than they were by enemy fire. A short life it was for the "old boy," H.H. Munro...one that lives on in his brilliant body of work....Well-told tales that will live on as long as questing readers come calling at the "House of Saki."

-
Saki (H.H. Munro) writes with a facility and style that guides the reader unerringly to the surprise denouement in which propriety is set on its head. His bitingly clever turns of phrase are made bearable by his eagerness to challenge and thwart the norms of society.

What Frothy Fun!
If you like your reading to be effervescent with a bit of vinegar thrown in for effect, look no further.Saki is hilarious at his best--which is most of the time.His stories of the misadventures of his alter-ego Reginald are unsurpassed.

"The Open Window" is here-it is considered by Saki aficionados to be his best story and who am I to argue.On first reading, it has the same effect as a pail of ice water - a shock to the system, but bracing!

And for the perfect practical joke, described deliciously, do read, "Reginald's Christmas Revel."You will never look at a paper bag in quite the same way, thereafter.

Sadly, his life was cut short by the Great War.One of his own bon mots will say it all: "To die before being painted by Sargent is to go to heaven prematurely."Amen.

Precursors to Twilight Zone
I never tire of Saki/HH Munro (1870-1916). His brilliant short stories pack so much in so few pages and usually have wonderful twists or surprises. They are timeless, but take no time to devour. The joy of this collection is that, with a glance at the Table of Contents (for length), you can pretty much find a tale you will be able read in one sitting, no matter how much or little time you might have available. Each time you pick up the book, you will be amused and entertained. Favorites will most likely change as you read new stories, novelettes and plays. And there are many great bedtime stories for young and old (but read them yourself before sharing with little ones -- some may seem rather scary and/or innapropriate for them, though many others are probably fine for anyone - let each care-giver decide for themselves!). I recall "The Open Window" was my introduction to Saki, and that was in my third grade reader (so I guess I was about eight or so), and I thereafter often took out his works from the library, at least until just after college. Nearly thirty years later, I now have the complete collection to enjoy, and even those tales I had read before, still remain as fresh as ever. ... Read more

Product Description
Little-known but excellent tales published in periodicals but never before collected in book form. A must-read collection for all Saki admirers. "The Pond" is a particularly fine example of Munro's stories, with superb plotting and his trademark twist at the end. Newly designed and typeset in a modern 6-by-9-inch format by Waking Lion Press. ... Read more

Book Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to cram for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Short Stories for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by Thomson Gale--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the story's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Short Stories for Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: Thomson Gale--and "Short Stories for Students."Download Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to bone up for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Short Stories for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by the Gale Group--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the story's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Short Stories for Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: The Gale Group--and "Short Stories for Students." ... Read more

Product Description
Cast: 1m., 3w. (extras.) Teenager Vera decides to take revenge on her aunt's visitor, Frampton Nuttel. Seizing on the ordinary fact that a window has been left open, innocent-looking Vera spins a fantastic tale of tragedy and delusion. Frampton is so completely taken in that by the time the hostess appears, her commonplace remarks as she serves him tea cause him terror that leads to his abrupt departure. One int. set. ... Read more

Book Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to cram for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Short Stories for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by Thomson Gale--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the story's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Short Stories for Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: Thomson Gale--and "Short Stories for Students."Download Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to bone up for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Short Stories for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by the Gale Group--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the story's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Short Stories for Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: The Gale Group--and "Short Stories for Students." ... Read more