Beasts and Super-Beasts: Witty Tales of British Society: A Satirical Look at Edwardian Era Follies
Saki
Nov 2019 · Good Press
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229
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About this ebook
In "Beasts and Super-Beasts," Saki expertly weaves a collection of short stories that illuminate the absurdities of Edwardian society through a lens of dark humor and biting satire. The narrative style is characterized by Saki's signature wit, as he employs clever dialogue and unexpected twists to engage readers with tales that often involve anthropomorphic animals and eccentric human characters. Each story serves as a vessel to explore themes of social hierarchy, human folly, and the contrast between civilization and nature, reflecting the tension of a rapidly modernizing world while inviting comparison to contemporaries such as H.G. Wells and Joseph Conrad. H.H. Munro, known by his pen name Saki, was a British writer whose experiences growing up in a strict household and later observing the nuances of upper-class life profoundly influenced his work. His keen insights into the absurdities and hypocrisies of his time are derived not only from personal observation but also from the broader socio-political landscape of early 20th-century Europe. This unique perspective informs the witty yet critical lens through which Saki presents his characters, making them both relatable and grotesque. For enthusiasts of literary satire and short fiction, "Beasts and Super-Beasts" is an essential read. Saki's evocative storytelling invites readers to reflect on the nature of humanity, whilst his humorous approach provides a delightful and entertaining experience. This collection is not only a testament to Saki'Äôs literary prowess but also a mirror reflecting the complexities of human behavior, making it a thought-provoking addition to any literary canon.
About the author
H. H. Munro, better known as "Saki," was born in Burma, the son of an inspector-general for the Burmese police. Sent to England to be educated at the Bedford Grammar School, he returned to Burma in 1893 and joined the police force there. In 1896, he returned again to England and began writing first for The Westminster Gazette and then as a foreign correspondent for The Morning Post. Best known for his wry and amusing stories, Saki depicts a world of drawing rooms, garden parties, and exclusive club rooms. His short stories at their best are extraordinarily compact and cameolike, wicked and witty, with a careless cruelty and a powerful vein of supernatural fantasy. They deal, in general, with the same group of upper-class Britishers, whose frivolous lives are sometimes complicated by animals---the talking cat who reveals their treacheries in love, the pet ferret who is evil incarnate. The nom de plume "Saki" was borrowed from the cupbearer in Omar Khayyam's (see Vol. 2) The Rubaiyat. Munro used it for political sketches contributed to the Westminster Gazette as early as 1896, later collected as Alice in Westminster. The stories and novels were published between that time and the outbreak of World War I, when he enlisted as a private, scorning a commission. He died of wounds from a sniper's bullet while in a shell hole near Beaumont-Hamel. One of his characters summed up Saki's stories as those that "are true enough to be interesting and not true enough to be tiresome."
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