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Borrowing a Match
A simple request from a stranger is no "match" for what happens next.
- GenresShort Stories
Unknown Binding
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15 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Leacock
507 books105 followersStephen P. H. Butler Leacock, FRSC, was a Canadian teacher, political scientist, writer, and humorist. Between the years 1915 and 1925, he was the best-known English-speaking humorist in the world. He is known for his light humour along with criticisms of people's follies. The Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour was named in his honour.
Wikipedia article.
Wikipedia article.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 17, 2020
Interesting.
January 1, 2024
nah the ending was actually crazy
April 16, 2017
I find his writing really amusing and relatable.
February 3, 2026
Mission 2026: Binge reviewing (and rereading on occasion) all previous Reads, I was too slothful to review, back when I read them’
Greatest Short Stories / Short Novels
What is it all about (spoiler free)
What begins as a perfectly ordinary social interaction—the simple act of asking to borrow a match—spirals into a sequence of exaggerated politeness, misunderstanding, and social paralysis. A trivial request becomes an ordeal as manners, assumptions, and conversational rituals multiply far beyond necessity.
The story unfolds in a recognisably everyday setting, where nothing truly “happens,” yet everything quietly goes wrong.
Why is it among the greatest?
Because Leacock turns the microscopic into the monumental. ‘Borrowing a Match’ is a masterclass in comic escalation, exposing how social conventions can become absurd obstacles rather than lubricants of human interaction. The humour is gentle but devastatingly precise: no one is malicious, and that is exactly the problem.
Leacock captures the uniquely modern anxiety of overthinking, over-explaining, and over-performing politeness. Its greatness lies in how effortlessly it reveals the ridiculous machinery beneath respectable social behaviour, all without cruelty or exaggeration that feels forced.
Why read it in the present time and thereafter?
Because the story reads like a prophetic sketch of contemporary social life—where even the smallest interaction can be freighted with self-consciousness, fear of offence, and performative niceness. In an age of hyper-awareness and conversational landmines, Leacock’s comedy feels sharper than ever. ‘Borrowing a Match’ reminds us that social rituals, when unexamined, can suffocate spontaneity and sincerity. It endures because it laughs at human awkwardness with warmth, intelligence, and an accuracy that only becomes funnier—and more unsettling—the longer society pretends it has outgrown such absurdities.
Most recommended.
Greatest Short Stories / Short Novels
What is it all about (spoiler free)
What begins as a perfectly ordinary social interaction—the simple act of asking to borrow a match—spirals into a sequence of exaggerated politeness, misunderstanding, and social paralysis. A trivial request becomes an ordeal as manners, assumptions, and conversational rituals multiply far beyond necessity.
The story unfolds in a recognisably everyday setting, where nothing truly “happens,” yet everything quietly goes wrong.
Why is it among the greatest?
Because Leacock turns the microscopic into the monumental. ‘Borrowing a Match’ is a masterclass in comic escalation, exposing how social conventions can become absurd obstacles rather than lubricants of human interaction. The humour is gentle but devastatingly precise: no one is malicious, and that is exactly the problem.
Leacock captures the uniquely modern anxiety of overthinking, over-explaining, and over-performing politeness. Its greatness lies in how effortlessly it reveals the ridiculous machinery beneath respectable social behaviour, all without cruelty or exaggeration that feels forced.
Why read it in the present time and thereafter?
Because the story reads like a prophetic sketch of contemporary social life—where even the smallest interaction can be freighted with self-consciousness, fear of offence, and performative niceness. In an age of hyper-awareness and conversational landmines, Leacock’s comedy feels sharper than ever. ‘Borrowing a Match’ reminds us that social rituals, when unexamined, can suffocate spontaneity and sincerity. It endures because it laughs at human awkwardness with warmth, intelligence, and an accuracy that only becomes funnier—and more unsettling—the longer society pretends it has outgrown such absurdities.
Most recommended.
May 28, 2021
So simple and yet...I'm speechless. Really good.
December 28, 2022
I would do the same.
August 23, 2024
It exactly pin points the frustration and the regret that comes from asking help to others! Funny, Unusual ending!
October 8, 2024
Amusing
December 31, 2025
4/5.
Funny as hell.
Funny as hell.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews