Jun 29, 2006 01:16 PM
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(Updated Jun 30, 2006 02:20 PM)
The name Hugh Hector Munro (1870 –1916), unfortunately is no longer in vogue today. Only a couple of his stories (The open window, Mrs.Packletide’s tiger) have made their way into school textbooks. Gen-X is unlikely to have even heard of him. The pseudonym ‘Saki’,under which he wrote, is taken from the last stanza of “The Rubai’yat of Omar Khayyam.”
Born in Burma (erstwhile Myanmar) and educated in England, he worked initially as a journalist. Later he wrote many short stories and a few novels. He enlisted for World War I in 1914. Unfortunately he was a victim of a sniper’s bullet in 1916 in France. His stories are packed with dry humour and incisive sarcasm. The idyllic setting of his stories is British India of the early 20th century.But his characteristic style renders them very readable even today.
This book which comprises all his works, is a masterpiece in humour. The book has 3 sections – short stories,novels and plays. The plays are political satires and do not have much appeal in modern times. The same does not apply to his novels and stories. The short stories bearing his trademark acerbic wit can be re-read many a time!
The characters Clovis and Reginald created by him are lovable brats and remind one of “William,” a creation of Richmal Compton. Clovis is at his mischievious best in “The Un-rest Cure”! Some stories have an eerie element and have magic,spells and curses – they remind yours truly of a certain Ms.Rowling who has popularized this sort of fiction.Some examples are “Tobermory” ( a cat who talked),”The wolves of Cernogratz” and “The peace of Mowsle Barton.”
Some sound bytes a la Saki :
The Baroness had the usual numbar of grandfathers,but she never,never boasted about them.
I should not like to think of you as a deliberate liar,but one occasionally has to do things one does not like.
I came here to get freedom from the inane interruptions of the mentally deficient,but it seems I asked too much of fate.
