Beasts and Super-Beasts

Beasts and Super-Beasts is a superb collection of short stories, written by Saki (Hector Hugh Munro) published in 1914. The title parodies that of George Bernard Shaw's Man and Superman.

SAKI (1870 -1916) was the pen name of the British author Hector Hugh Munro, whose witty and sometimes macabre stories satirized Edwardian society and culture. Saki is considered a master of the short story and is often compared to O. Henry and Dorothy Parker. His tales feature delicately drawn characters and finely judged narratives.

Masterpieces come in all shapes and sizes. Many are quite grand, like Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, and some almost grandiose, like Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. But a few are quieter, less apt to overwhelm or dazzle and more likely to elicit nothing more profound than a quiet sigh of pleasure. Such are the short stories of the British writer Hector Hugh Munro (1870-1916), usually known by his pen name Saki.

Michael Dirda, Wall Street Journal

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