Saki

Saki (December 18, 1870 - November 14, 1916) was the pen name of British author Hector Hugh Munro, whose witty and outrageous stories satirised the Edwardian social scene in macabre and cruel ways.

Quotations

From "Reginald on Besetting Sins":

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:The cook was a good cook, as cooks go; and as cooks go she went.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

From "Reginald's Christmas Revel":

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:As a crowning dissipation, they all sat down to play progressive halma, with milk-chocolate for prizes. I've been carefully brought up, and I don't like to play games of skill for milk-chocolate, so I invented a headache and retired from the scene. I had been preceded a few minutes earlier by Miss Langshan-Smith, a rather formidable lady, who always got up at some uncomfortable hour in the morning, and gave you the impression that she had been in communication with most of the European Governments before breakfast. There was a paper pinned on her door with a signed request that she might be called particularly early in the morning. Such an opportunity does not come twice in a lifetime. I covered up everything except the signature with another notice, to the effect that before these words should meet the eye she should have ended a misspent life, was sorry for the trouble she was giving, and would like a military funeral. A few minutes later I violently exploded an air-filled paper bag on the landing, and gave a stage moan that could have been heard in the cellars. Then I pursued my original intention and went to bed. The noise those people made in forcing open the good lady's door was positively indecorous; she resisted gallantly, but I believe they searched her for bullets for about a quarter of an hour, as if she had been a historic battlefield.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:I hate travelling on Boxing Day, but one must occasionally do things that one dislikes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

From "Reginald on the Academy":

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"To have reached thirty," said Reginald, "is to have failed in life."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:To die before being painted by Sargent is to go to Heaven prematurely.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

From "The Jesting of Arlington Stringham":

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:Eleanor hated boys, and she would have liked to have whipped this one long and often. It was perhaps the yearning of a woman who had no children of her own.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

From "For The Duration Of The War":

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:You are not on the Road to Hell,' You tell me with fanatic glee: Vain boaster, what shall that avail If Hell is on the road to thee?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

From "Reginald on Christmas Presents":

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:Even friends of one's own set, who might be expected to know better, have curious delusions on the subject . I am NOT collecting copies of the cheaper editions of Omar Khayyam. I gave the last four that I received to the lift-boy, and I like to think of him reading them, with FitzGerald's notes, to his aged mother.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~