"Winter's Morning” by Len,Deighton Number 16 of 27 Great British Short Stories Premise: Flyboys (or grizzled old veterans aged 20 or so) go out on a dawn patrol during WW1 Review: The man could write! (he is still alive, just retired) Outa ten: 10 - now I want to read the other short stories he... Continue Reading →
“Parson’s Pleasures” by Roald Dahl #GBSS15/27
"Parson's Pleasures” by Roald Dahl Number 15 of 27 Great British Short Stories Premise: a shady furniture trader is too clever (greedy) by half. Review: Loved it. Typical Dahl. I do believe I read a knock off of this in Reader’s Digest about 40 years ago. Pierre Bourdieu would have loved this one Wikipedia page... Continue Reading →
The Higgler” by A.E. Coppard #GBSS14/27
The Higgler” by A.E. Coppard Number 14 of 27 Great British Short Stories Premise: A poor travelling salesman/buyer (a “Higgler”) misjudges a situation, to his cost. Review: Lovely, but bitter/sad. Three consequential deaths - the mouse, the horse, the human. Outa ten: 10 Keywords: Love, Poverty, Death Quotes: “Mrs Sadgrove had been a widow for... Continue Reading →
“The Brute” by Joseph Conrad #GBSS13/27
"The Brute” by Joseph Conrad Number 13 of 27 Great British Short Stories Premise: Death Ship!! The Brute was written in early 1906, and published in The Daily Chronicle in December 1906. It was later collected in A Set of Six, published in 1908 (UK) and 1915 (US). The other stories in this collection of... Continue Reading →
“The Traveller’s Story of a Terribly Strange Bed” by Wilkie Collins #GBSS12/27
“The Traveller's Story of a Terribly Strange Bed” by Wilkie Collins Number 12 of 27 Great British Short Stories Premise: Someone wins a lot of money gambling, but there’s a catch Wikipedia page here Review: Fun, overwrought etc Outa ten: 8 Keywords: Paris, crime Quotes: none Words: Valance - A bed valance, or bed skirt,... Continue Reading →
“The Hammer of God” by G.K. Chesterton #GBSS11/27
“The Hammer of God” by G.K. Chesterton Number 11 of 27 Great British Short Stories Premise: Father Brown has to solve an insoluble murder, in just a few pages. Review: Yes, nicely done. I can see why the Father Brown stories are so successful, although it’s not really my thing Here’s the wikipedia entry. Outa... Continue Reading →
“The Demon Lover” by Elizabeth Bowen – creepy af #GBSS10/27
“The Demon Lover” by Elizabeth Bowen Number 10 of 27 Great British Short Stories Premise: A woman finds a letter in her Blitz-threatened house Review: Creepy af. Clever, nasty etc. Outa ten: 10 Keywords: World War 2, World War 1, London, Blitz, psychopomps Quotes: “... her married London home’s air of being a cracked cup... Continue Reading →
“Running Wolf” by Algernon Blackwood #GBSS09/27
Running Wolf” by Algernon Blackwood Number 9 of 27 Great British Short Stories Premise: A clerk goes fishing in the Canadian wilderness and gets more than he bargained for. Review: I loved this. Absolutely beautifully done. Eerie, menace, a satisfying resolution. Outa ten: 10 Keywords: nature, supernatural, Canada Quotes: “The man who enjoys an adventure... Continue Reading →
“The Avenging Chance” by Anthony Berkeley #GBSS08/27
"The Avenging Chance” by Anthony Berkeley Number 8 of 27 Great British Short Stories Premise: A murder is committed with a box of chocolates - (you never know which one you’re going to get). By whom? Why? Review: Great fun! Doesn’t outstay its welcome. Is plausible enough (for the genre). Outa ten: 10 Keywords: crime,... Continue Reading →
“Death, Fire and Life” by Arnold Bennett #GBS07/27
"Death, Fire and Life" by Arnold Bennett Number 7 of 27 Great British Short Stories Premise: An out of work sixty year old is visiting a chemist… Review: Very nicely done. Mixtures of pathos and pathos, foreboding and plausible happy-ish (the ish is doing a lot of work there) endings. Outa ten: 9 Keywords: poverty,... Continue Reading →
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