The Silver Thorn

by Hugh Walpole

Fifteen short stories by the prolific Hugh Walpole, originally published in various periodicals between 1922 and 1928. An eclectic mix, including several quietly creepy horror stories: The Tiger, The Tarn, Major Wilbraham, and, in my opinion, for its Kafkaesque atmosphere, The Dove.

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1928

About the author

Sir Hugh Seymour Walpole was an English novelist. A prolific writer, he published thirty-six novels, five volumes of short stories, two plays and three volumes of memoirs. His skill at scene-setting, his vivid plots, his high profile as a lecturer and his driving ambition brought him a large readership in the United Kingdom and North America. A best-selling author in the 1920s and 1930s, his works have been neglected since his death.

Reviews

[Steve Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A consistently fine collection of 15 stories. There are some average ones, but no bad ones. Indeed there are some that are very good - there's the sad and engrossing 'A Silly Old Fool' about a canon who believes a woman cares for him and 'The Etching' sees a put-upon husband go against his wife's wishes by collecting engravings. Other fine stories are 'The Little Donkeys With The Crimson Saddles,' the gentle 'Chinese Horses' about two women and a proposing man, and 'Major Wilbraham' sees a World War One major go mad. It's a wide genre collection involving the sad and gentle to horror.

[Paul Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Macmillan and Co., Limited] (1928). HB. 1/1. 371 Pages. A gift from Peter Bell (signed and dated (“June 2023”) by him).
 
"The Little Donkeys with the Crimson Saddles" [8/20]
"The Enemy in Ambush" [8/20]
"Chinese Horses" [10/20]
"A Silly Old Fool" [12/20]
"Ecstasy" [13/20]
"The Tarn" [10/20] (*)
"No Unkindness Intended" [9/20]
"The Etching" [8/20]
"Major Wilbraham" [15/20] (*)
"The Enemy" [10/20]
"Old Elizabeth" [10/20]
"A Picture" [10/20]
"The Dove" [10/20]
"The Tiger" [4/20]
"Bachelors" [8/20]

(*) potentially supernatural elements.

[Jamal Morelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be fair, I only read "Bachelors" (loved it, reading it again now)

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of easy to read short stories, beautifully written. All good and some surprisingly good. Little gems to be found in this collection!

[Jeff Hobbs]

Read so far:

The little donkeys with the crimson saddles--
*The tiger--
No unkindness intended--
Ecstasy--
A picture--
Old Elizabeth (a portrait)--
The etching--
Chinese horses--
The tarn--3
Major Wilbraham--2
A silly old fool--
*The enemy--
*The enemy in ambush--
The dove--
*Bachelors--