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Tea
Tea by Saki is the short story of James Cushat-Prinkly, a young gentleman who is on the lookout for a life companion. After inheriting “a comfortable little legacy it really seemed the correct thing to do to set about discovering someone to share it with him.” The “woman-folk” of his family settle for Joan Sebastable, “the most suitable woman in his range of acquaintance” to become his wife.
On his way to Joan’s house, James realizes that he would arrive just in time for the afternoon tea. As he “detested the whole system of afternoon tea,” James stops by Rhoda Ellam’s place, “a sort of a remote cousin,” where he has a great time.
On his way to Joan’s house, James realizes that he would arrive just in time for the afternoon tea. As he “detested the whole system of afternoon tea,” James stops by Rhoda Ellam’s place, “a sort of a remote cousin,” where he has a great time.
- GenresShort Stories
4 pages, Unknown Binding
55 people want to read
About the author
Saki
1,672 books591 followersBritish writer Hector Hugh Munro under pen name Saki published his witty and sometimes bitter short stories in collections, such as
The Chronicles of Clovis
(1911).
His sometimes macabre satirized Edwardian society and culture. People consider him a master and often compare him to William Sydney Porter and Dorothy Rothschild Parker. His tales feature delicately drawn characters and finely judged narratives. "The Open Window," perhaps his most famous, closes with the line, "Romance at short notice was her specialty," which thus entered the lexicon. Newspapers first and then several volumes published him as the custom of the time.
His works include
* a full-length play, The Watched Pot , in collaboration with Charles Maude;
* two one-act plays;
* a historical study, The Rise of the Russian Empire , the only book under his own name;
* a short novel, The Unbearable Bassington ;
* the episodic The Westminster Alice , a parliamentary parody of Alice in Wonderland ;
* and When William Came: A Story of London under the Hohenzollerns , an early alternate history.
Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll, and Joseph Rudyard Kipling, influenced Munro, who in turn influenced A. A. Milne, and Pelham Grenville Wodehouse.
His sometimes macabre satirized Edwardian society and culture. People consider him a master and often compare him to William Sydney Porter and Dorothy Rothschild Parker. His tales feature delicately drawn characters and finely judged narratives. "The Open Window," perhaps his most famous, closes with the line, "Romance at short notice was her specialty," which thus entered the lexicon. Newspapers first and then several volumes published him as the custom of the time.
His works include
* a full-length play, The Watched Pot , in collaboration with Charles Maude;
* two one-act plays;
* a historical study, The Rise of the Russian Empire , the only book under his own name;
* a short novel, The Unbearable Bassington ;
* the episodic The Westminster Alice , a parliamentary parody of Alice in Wonderland ;
* and When William Came: A Story of London under the Hohenzollerns , an early alternate history.
Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll, and Joseph Rudyard Kipling, influenced Munro, who in turn influenced A. A. Milne, and Pelham Grenville Wodehouse.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 5, 2022
*في الزواج انت تتاخر كلما تقدمت*
كان يُعجب بالنساء كاعجابنا بتألق جبال الألب؛ هل نفكر ابداً في امتلاك تلك الجبال؟
قصة طريفة عن شاب عازف عن الزواج
لكن كل من حوله يدفعونه دفعا لارتكاب تلك الحماقة الحتمية؛ فمن ستكون صاحبة النصيب؟
و لماذا؟
ملحوظة؛ الكاتب لم يتزوج ابدا
كان يُعجب بالنساء كاعجابنا بتألق جبال الألب؛ هل نفكر ابداً في امتلاك تلك الجبال؟
قصة طريفة عن شاب عازف عن الزواج
لكن كل من حوله يدفعونه دفعا لارتكاب تلك الحماقة الحتمية؛ فمن ستكون صاحبة النصيب؟
و لماذا؟
ملحوظة؛ الكاتب لم يتزوج ابدا
September 9, 2020
There are two things in marriage ؛ love .. and how we communicate with each other .
لحظة واحدة ؛ الزواج شيء مرعب في الأصل .
At a certain age, you find everyone whispering - until you almost feel that it is the air whispering - you have to get married, and you find everyone is trying to put you with people who are not suitable, people who want to marry anyone, marriage is a goal for them not a means, and under this pressure you try to run, saying I will choose by Myself, and you may easily deceive in the chosen one because your mind is not helping you under all this and your feelings are busy escaping from that pressure.
الزواج مرعب لأنك تختار شخص واحد لتقضى حياتك كلها معه ، أو على الأقل جزء كبير منها ، شخص واحد ستحيا معه كامل حياتك ، تحت ضغط الحياة و مشاعرك المتغيرة - و صدقني المشاعر أكثر شيء متغير في الدنيا - شخص واحد عليك أن تنجذب إليه من جديد كل يوم ، أن تتفاهم معه و تتحمل عيوبه التي ستتحول بعد فترة لأشياء مزعجة لأن شرارة الحب لا تشوش الأشياء الغير مرغوبة للأبد ، شخص عيلك أن تكون سعيد معه و إلا ستحصل على رحلة مبكرة للجَحِيم .
This is my final opinion on the story; Mr. James Cushat Prinkly has been under pressure to make appointments and to take steps on his behalf from the women of his family, leaving him the last step, as if he were an honorary guest he should only make a final word!
I think that simple four-page story summed up the great tragedy of marriage from evolution until now.
أنها قصة قصيرة كما يجب أن تكون عليه القصة القصيرة .
لحظة واحدة ؛ الزواج شيء مرعب في الأصل .
At a certain age, you find everyone whispering - until you almost feel that it is the air whispering - you have to get married, and you find everyone is trying to put you with people who are not suitable, people who want to marry anyone, marriage is a goal for them not a means, and under this pressure you try to run, saying I will choose by Myself, and you may easily deceive in the chosen one because your mind is not helping you under all this and your feelings are busy escaping from that pressure.
الزواج مرعب لأنك تختار شخص واحد لتقضى حياتك كلها معه ، أو على الأقل جزء كبير منها ، شخص واحد ستحيا معه كامل حياتك ، تحت ضغط الحياة و مشاعرك المتغيرة - و صدقني المشاعر أكثر شيء متغير في الدنيا - شخص واحد عليك أن تنجذب إليه من جديد كل يوم ، أن تتفاهم معه و تتحمل عيوبه التي ستتحول بعد فترة لأشياء مزعجة لأن شرارة الحب لا تشوش الأشياء الغير مرغوبة للأبد ، شخص عيلك أن تكون سعيد معه و إلا ستحصل على رحلة مبكرة للجَحِيم .
This is my final opinion on the story; Mr. James Cushat Prinkly has been under pressure to make appointments and to take steps on his behalf from the women of his family, leaving him the last step, as if he were an honorary guest he should only make a final word!
I think that simple four-page story summed up the great tragedy of marriage from evolution until now.
أنها قصة قصيرة كما يجب أن تكون عليه القصة القصيرة .
April 2, 2025
Another little gem from Saki and like so many of his stories it is apparently about simple themes like searching for happiness, defying expectations, asserting yourself, but there are all sorts of underlying elements, rebellion, defiance, unhappiness. The denouement can represent so many things, the futility of rebellion, society's power, hypocrisy, deceit or perhaps simply a lack of communication. There is an echo of O Henry story 'The Gift Magi' at the end though I have no idea if Saki ever read, or could have read, the story. It appears that the conclusion is that Saki's protagonist, James Cushat-Prinkly, can't escape his fate and that it is possible that he has been tricked into believing his chosen wife was different to other conventional young ladies. But did he ever tell her that it was her unconventionality he treasured? Has she sacrificed her beliefs to become what she imagines he wants?
Like all Saki's seemingly simple tales of manners and society there is a great deal more going on then at first appears.
A real little gem.
Like all Saki's seemingly simple tales of manners and society there is a great deal more going on then at first appears.
A real little gem.
June 26, 2016
I arranged my thoughts into a haiku:
"Refined from chaos,
Society's prim trappings
Absorb fake rebels."
"Refined from chaos,
Society's prim trappings
Absorb fake rebels."
October 5, 2020
I just wanted a break to read something different and I was not disappointed. I think that the author's point may be that all women are a like and social Pressure makes someone marry even if he is not interested in the matter. My opinion is that this short story conveys that pressure makes people loss passion ( i have seen that many times in real life) and James was interested in Rhoda because she cared about him and thousands of other things more than any trivial matters like afternoon tea. He may think that women over talk about tea because they don't think about any important thing so they busy their time by any trivial matters. Maybe what I said is the thoughts of the author. This is the beauty of short stories you can understand them in different way each time you read them again.
July 1, 2021
How easy it is to fall into expected roles. James Cushat-Prinkly is in need of a wife, or at least that is the determination of his female relatives. Narrated by Nadia May.
April 2, 2024
The tea’s the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscious of the British bloke.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews