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Clovis on Parental Responsibilities
A short story by Saki
- GenresShort StoriesClassics
3 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1914
About the author
Saki
1,759 books595 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.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 27, 2019
Most of us have been on at least one side of the triangle where a parent praises their child’s varied perfections and accomplishments, far beyond reason, let alone the interest of who they’re talking to.
Image: “I know everyone says this about their mom, but even the doctor remarked that my mommy brags well for my age.” (Source.)
Here, the deliciously supercilious Clovis is on the receiving end. He gently teases and shocks Mrs Eggleby.
For instance, he suggests that her not letting her boys play bridge (the card game) may lead to a life of crime and claims:
“I got whacked at decent intervals and was taught the difference between right and wrong; there is some difference, you know, but I’ve forgotten what it is.”
When he tires of the game, one of them says,
“‘I must be going’ ... in a tone which had been thoroughly sterilised of even perfunctory regret.”
Ouch!
More Saki
I'm gradually collating reviews of Saki short stories under The Best of Saki, HERE, as I read them in a rambling way, over several weeks and months.
You can find his stories, free, on Gutenberg. For example, HERE. Most are very short.
Image: “I know everyone says this about their mom, but even the doctor remarked that my mommy brags well for my age.” (Source.)
Here, the deliciously supercilious Clovis is on the receiving end. He gently teases and shocks Mrs Eggleby.
For instance, he suggests that her not letting her boys play bridge (the card game) may lead to a life of crime and claims:
“I got whacked at decent intervals and was taught the difference between right and wrong; there is some difference, you know, but I’ve forgotten what it is.”
When he tires of the game, one of them says,
“‘I must be going’ ... in a tone which had been thoroughly sterilised of even perfunctory regret.”
Ouch!
More Saki
I'm gradually collating reviews of Saki short stories under The Best of Saki, HERE, as I read them in a rambling way, over several weeks and months.
You can find his stories, free, on Gutenberg. For example, HERE. Most are very short.
September 25, 2020
Clovis humbles a proud mother, funny!
December 28, 2022
Eat your reds, kids.
November 7, 2024
Very funny and it's a quick easy read
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews