5 h 58 minAudiobook8 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
In these drawing rooms, a talking cat can be more dangerous than a tiger.
Saki’s The Chronicles of Clovis gathers short, sharp stories set among the drawing rooms, house parties and country gardens of Edwardian England. Here, visits and gossip become contests, and polite manners hide vanity and hypocrisy. Clovis Sangrail, a clever, bored young man, appears in several tales, finding cheerful ways to unsettle the dull and pompous.
At Lady Blemley’s house party, Tobermory the cat says exactly what he has seen and heard. Mrs Packletide wants a tiger hunt to help her outshine Loona Bimberton, without much danger. Elsewhere, lonely Conradin keeps a private god in a garden shed. Across the collection, social embarrassment and darker feelings sit close to the laughter.
What you’ll discover
- A cat without discretion In Tobermory, human speech gives a house-party cat the power to unsettle polite company.
- Vanity on the hunt Mrs Packletide’s Tiger turns a wealthy woman’s rivalry into a sharp comedy of ambition.
- A boy’s secret world Sredni Vashtar brings you close to Conradin’s loneliness, strict guardian and hidden ferret.
- Clovis breaks the routine The Unrest-Cure sets a mischievous young man against a life grown dull and fixed.
- Laughter with sharp edges Follow small social traps that expose hypocrisy, with little comfort for the pompous.
Is it for you?
This book suits you if you enjoy dry wit, short stories you can read in one sitting, and comedy with a sting in it. If you want warm, gentle humour or tidy morals, some of these tales may feel too cold.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Clovis laughs at polite society
- Tobermory shows what guests really think
- Mrs Packletide pays for a tiger
- Sredni Vashtar gives a lonely boy a god
- Other tales turn on pranks and strange forces
- Cruel wit hides a serious point
Who’s who
- Clovis SangrailA bright, bored young man about town who plays tricks on dull and pompous people, and who appears in several of the tales.
- TobermoryA large tomcat at Lady Blemley's house who is taught to speak, and who says exactly what he has seen and heard.
- Cornelius AppinA guest at the house party who claims to have taught a cat human speech and wants the company to see it.
- Mrs PackletideA rich woman set on outdoing a social rival by shooting a tiger, though she wants little real danger.
- Miss MebbinMrs Packletide's paid companion, who watches the tiger hunt closely and understands more than her employer thinks.
- ConradinA sickly ten year old boy who hates his strict guardian and worships a ferret hidden in the garden shed.
- Sylvia SeltounA fashionable young wife who dislikes the country and scoffs at the old local belief in the god Pan.
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- 15-minute summary
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- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
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The Chronicles of Clovis
by Saki· 1911
Polite society meets cruel jokes, strange animals and private rebellions.
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Language: English
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 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.
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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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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.
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