5 h 27 minAudiobook15 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What is charm worth when a life begins to slip toward ruin?
In The Unbearable Bassington, Saki brings charm and ruin into the same frame. This Edwardian comedy of manners turns attention toward the price of a life wasted. Its sharp humour invites laughter, but its central idea gives that laughter an uncomfortable edge.
Here, manners are more than a pleasant subject for comedy. They provide the ground for satire, with charm set against the possibility of ruin. Read for the wit, and for the darker question beneath it: what does a wasted life cost?
What you’ll discover
- Charm against ruin Explore the uneasy contrast that gives this comedy its darker promise.
- An Edwardian world Enter a comedy of manners with a sharp satirical edge.
- Laughter with a sting Find humour tied to the troubling idea of a life wasted.
- The price of waste Consider a question that reaches beyond charm and outward manners.
- Saki's sharp comedy Discover a literary work that places wit beside the prospect of ruin.
Who will love it
For readers who love sharp Edwardian comedies of manners and stories of charm, ruin, and the price of a life wasted.
What’s inside
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- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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L’insopportabile Bassington
by Saki · 1912
Charm meets ruin in an Edwardian comedy of manners that explores the price of a life wasted.
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The author
Saki
1870–1916 · British short story writer
Saki was the pen name of Hector Hugh Munro (1870–1916), a British writer born in Burma. He lived in England and worked as a journalist. He wrote short stories and the novel The Unbearable Bassington (1912). His collections included Beasts and Super-Beasts (1914). He died in France during the First World War.
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