A Shot in the Dark

by Saki, Jeremy Dyson (Foreword), Adam Newell (Introduction)

H.H. Munro’s razor-toothed wit, discerning eye, and taste for the absurd are delightfully evident in this collection of little-known tales. In Saki’s world, a despotic dog becomes his owner’s master, a rural community is hoodwinked into believing in the predictive powers of a pair of friends, and Eve stubbornly refuses to touch the Forbidden Fruit. Although unquestionably of its time, each story ridicules the follies of society—follies still all too clearly familiar today. Best known to the world as Saki, Scottish writer Hector Hugh Munro won fame by skewering the British upper class in his chronicles of Clovis and Reginald.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

94 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

British 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.

Reviews

[Owen Townend · Rating 4 out of 5]

On first reading him, Saki seems a more accessible social class satirist than Wodehouse, precisely through his taste for the absurd.

Though Saki doesn't go too far into surrealism in this collection, I get the impression that he generally does it very well. In a way I have approached his work backwards, starting with additional material before the famous stories.

Though I find that his prose requires an extra degree of attention and even patience, I look forward to returning to Saki's sideways glance at Edwardian society. The sharper the cynicism, the better.

Notable Stories

• The Almanack - the idea of appropriating routine as 'prophecy' is perversely appealing.

• The East Wing - the pro-suffrage speech touched me though it was a set-up for a fiery joke.

• Tobemory - I loved the way this cat spoke and how quickly shock gives way to moral outrage.

[Paul LaFontaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A political aspirant is invited to visit an influential family in his quest for electoral success. On the train he meets a young man who asks for a loan, claiming he is the second son of the family. The aspirant has a split second to decide whether the young man is for real or a cheat.

Saki brings it all together in a very short story. The characters are clear, the writing crisp and end the satisfying. It is a story of implications, and I kept thinking about it after I had finished it. The idea of the split-second decision, so much a part of our common experience, was strong enough to carry the story.

Highly recommend

[aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Saki's turn of phrase, and the stories are suffciently short that even someone like me doesn't have the time to get bored/distracted.

A couple of the endings felt like they petered out a little, but other than that: greatly looking forward to reading more of his work.

[John Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of stories that are not in the Collected Stories. It's a real pleasure to be re-aquainted with Saki. It's about twenty years since I read any, so this small collection really hit the spot. His language is often exquisite, even if by mannered by twenty-first century standards.

[Colette Coen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection - good old fashioned twist in the tale stories. What would happen if Eve said 'No' to the serpent? Is marriage the only way to pay off a gambling debt?
Some of the stories (with their summer house parties) were dated, but a funny collection nonetheless.

[Wilde Sky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains a collection of short stories.

I thought this was an excellent collection - each was short and punchy, but had a complete plot, good characters and at least one twist.

[Kishan Sai]

I had the first part in school and it is suspense

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are uncollected tales, rarer items by Saki. Like much of his work, these are tasty little morsels.

I appreciate these Hesperus press books. They are cheap, but well-bound, and are often editions of lesser known works by famous authors, with well-written introductions and notes. Put out by the English apparently, they still appreciate books as objects over there it seems.

[Smiley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this collection of 15 short stories by Saki (pen name of Hector Hugh Munro) would be inspiring to those interested in this genre since his stories have long been amazingly witty and famous as “one of the greatest writers of short stories that ever lived” (back cover).

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A selection of Saki's short stories omitted from his Complete Works, but compiled for this publication in 2006; losing absolutely nothing for all that they were written around 100 years ago. They make very entertaining reading indeed.

[Saranga · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful collection of Saki's short stories. I have become his absolute fan. The undertone of macabre is present in his stories and you don't know how it will end. The Pond was by far my favourite story, tragic with a comic twist in the end.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this collection, The Pond, is one of my favourite short stories of all time.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic small collection of short fiction.

Excellently written and made me laugh out loud.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the original short story only. Not a collection of this and other
stories.