Riassunto
Riassunto di Le cronache di Clovis
A chi è rivolto
For readers who love dry wit, short stories you can read in one sitting, and comedy with a sting in it, especially tales of house parties, social rivalry and mischief behind polite manners.
Che cos’è questo libro
The Chronicles of Clovis is a collection of short stories by Saki, the pen name of Hector Hugh Munro. It came out in 1911, when Munro was a journalist who had already made his name with sharp political satire and with sketches of English country life. The stories are set in the drawing rooms, house parties and country gardens of Edwardian England. They are short, quick and merciless, and most of them run only a few pages.
The book takes its name from Clovis Sangrail, a young man about town who turns up in some of the tales. He is bored, clever and cheerfully cruel to anyone pompous. Other tales have no Clovis at all, but they share his spirit. You will meet a cat that can talk, a hunter who buys her tiger, a lonely boy with a private god, and a hostess whose guests wish she would stop. Each story sets a small trap, and the pleasure lies in watching who walks into it. We begin with the world these stories mock, and with the young man who mocks it best.
In questo riassunto
- 1Clovis laughs at polite societyFree
- 2Tobermory shows what guests really think
- 3Mrs Packletide pays for a tiger
- 4Sredni Vashtar gives a lonely boy a god
- 5Other tales turn on pranks and strange forces
- 6Cruel wit hides a serious point
Punto chiave 1 di 6
Clovis laughs at polite society
The world of these stories is the English upper class just before the First World War. People have money, leisure and country houses, and they fill their days with visits, gossip and rivalry. Saki sees how much of this life is show. His targets are hostesses, bishops, society ladies, bores and anyone who takes herself too seriously.
Clovis Sangrail is the figure who moves through some of these scenes. He is young, quick and unshockable. He says outrageous things in a calm voice and enjoys watching the effect. He is not a hero in the usual sense, since he plays tricks on people and rarely feels sorry afterwards. Yet he is often more honest than the grown-ups around him.
Many of the tales begin with a small social problem. A guest is dull, a visit is dreaded, a rival must be outdone, or a household needs shaking up. Clovis or some other sharp mind sees a way to make mischief of it. The mischief is usually neat and surprising, and it often hits someone who deserves it, though not always.
The tone is the real subject of this first part. Saki never lectures. He lets the absurd behaviour of his characters speak for itself, and he describes it in smooth, elegant sentences. A listener quickly learns that a polite sentence in this book may hide a very sharp point.
That’s 1 of 6 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Questions about Le cronache di Clovis
What is The Chronicles of Clovis about?
It is a collection of short, witty stories about the English upper class before the First World War. They mock vanity, hypocrisy and boredom through pranks, strange events and sharp conversation, with Clovis Sangrail appearing in some of them.
Who is Clovis Sangrail?
Clovis is a clever, idle young man about town who appears in some of the stories. He enjoys mischief, says outrageous things calmly, and likes to deflate pompous people.
Which stories are in The Chronicles of Clovis?
The book includes Tobermory, Mrs Packletide's Tiger, Sredni Vashtar, The Music on the Hill, The Unrest-Cure, Esmé and The Background, along with many other short tales.
When was The Chronicles of Clovis written?
It was published in 1911. The stories are fiction, but they are set in the real social world of Edwardian England, with its country houses, house parties and strict manners.
Is The Chronicles of Clovis easy to read?
Yes. The stories are short and written in clear, polished sentences. The jokes and plots are easy to follow.