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The Interlopers (Tale Blazers)

Saki

3.63 · Rating details · 838 ratings · 72 reviews

Two men, Ulrich von Gradwitz and Georg Znaeym, are both in a forested area on the Carpathian Mountains one night. The men are sworn enemies, embroiled in a generations-old land dispute. On this particular night, each hopes to find the other in order to kill him in defense of their property rights

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Paperback, 6 pages

Published September 2002 by Perfection Learning (first published September 1910)

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Average rating 3.63 ·

Rating details

· 838 ratings · 72 reviews

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May 07, 2020 Sheri rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020, short-story

"Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony." -- Morpheus

This short story builds in suspense as you wonder who will triumph, then turns slightly anticlimactic as the tension eases, and then suddenly and unexpectedly culminates in a formidable conclusion.

Read online here: http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-sto... ...more

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Oct 31, 2020 PattyMacDotComma marked it as read-story-article

Shelves: kindle, story-1-34-pp, fiction-adult

4★
“If only on this wild night, in this dark, lone spot, he might come across Georg Znaeym, man to man, with none to witness - that was the wish that was uppermost in his thoughts. And as he stepped round the trunk of a huge beech he came face to face with the man he sought.”

A long-standing family feud over a patch of forest find two enemies hunting at the same time. One is now the owner, the other is the dispossessed landholder now poaching. Each is really hoping to hunt the other.

The website at ...more

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Jun 05, 2015 K. Anna Kraft rated it really liked it

I've arranged my thoughts into a haiku:

"It's all well and good,
Making peace, ending our strife,
But we're the squatters." ...more

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May 05, 2014 Justine rated it really liked it

This book is a classic! It teaches you to forgive your enemy's even if they drive you crazy. To forgive and forget before it's too late to fix the past. It is definitely a dark humor. I liked it but if you don't like bad endings this isn't for you. ...more

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Oct 06, 2019 Addie rated it liked it

I read this in English.

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May 22, 2017 Austin Krause rated it it was ok

Personal Response:
This story was all right. I was not extremely impressed by it, but it was good enough to let me continue to read. It is very easy to understand, and it was a decent storyline. I didn't really like the point where the tree fell only because it made the story a little cheesey. Overall, this was not a very bad story for me to read, but it did have a sort of cliffhanger that I probably could predict.
Plot:
Ulrich von Gradwitz and Georg Znaeym have a very bad relation with each other. Personal Response:
This story was all right. I was not extremely impressed by it, but it was good enough to let me continue to read. It is very easy to understand, and it was a decent storyline. I didn't really like the point where the tree fell only because it made the story a little cheesey. Overall, this was not a very bad story for me to read, but it did have a sort of cliffhanger that I probably could predict.
Plot:
Ulrich von Gradwitz and Georg Znaeym have a very bad relation with each other. The story began with some history on why the relation is so poor between them. Gradwitz acquired his bit of forestland from a lawsuit, but Znaeym still claims that Gradwitz owns the land illegally. One night, both men went into their land to defend their claims, but in reality, are there to kill each other. This particular night had a windstorm which played an important part in the upcoming meeting of the two men. As they walked through the woods, they met, both with rifles, ready to kill, but at that exact moment, a strong gust blew over a huge tree, trapping both of them underneath. Instead of quarreling again, like they usually do, they make promises to save each other if one man's search party comes before the other. With the coming of a lull in the wind, the two men decide to call out to their parties, and appear to hear answer. They call again and see shapes running down the hill where they sat. The only problem is that these shapes were wolves.
Characterization:
At the start of the story, Gradwitz and Znaeym were complete enemies. They had absolutely no desire for each other and were inclined to kill each other. After the tree fell on them, they still hated each other severely, but the anger subsided as they began to realize their fate. Gradwitz and Znaeym learned to live with each other because there was nothing else they could do.
Recommendation:
This was an okay story for anyone to read. It is not hard to understand at all, and is probably fit for any middle school student to read. There is a very obvious storyline that even the most uneducated reader would well understand this book. ...more

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May 15, 2017 Tyler Togstad rated it really liked it

Personal Response
When I went to go and read this book, I got exactly what I expected from any short story. Really if you think about it they all have the same formula. Some characters with different personalities have some problem and they solve it. Except the way they are enemies or the problem that they have changes. Generally the outcome is different as well. It is good for what it is, but not much more than that.

Plot
Basically the plot of the book is there are two rival hunters. Both of whic ...more

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Jan 26, 2021 Tania rated it really liked it

I saw somebody's review of a book and started reading it on a whim. Encountered an unfamiliar word and googled it. Saw that there is a short story with this word as a title. Read this short story that had nothing to do at all with my reading plans. All in about half an hour. Ah, the true reality of the life of a book junkie.
As for the story, it's very nice, just what I look for in a short one - vivid characters and setting painted with quick strokes, rapid plot development, unexpected and impac ...more

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May 11, 2017 Zephren Milentz rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 28, 2017 Peyton rated it liked it

Shelves: school

Read for school. It was ok

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Oct 10, 2020 Simone added it

Shelves: classics, short-stories

Read for school so no rating

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Mar 18, 2017 Laura Guilbault rated it liked it

A short story I read in my Language Arts class (grade 9). My favorite part was the end.

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Dec 20, 2016 Morgan Monty rated it liked it

Personal Response:
I read the short story version of this book. I liked this story very much because it left the reader in suspense for most of the time. I was always wondering whether they were going to murder each other or if they were going to make up in the end of the story. The suspense towards the end of the story was amazing as well due to both of the men not knowing who was running towards them.

Plot Summary:
There are two families that live near each other, one that owns hunting land and Personal Response:
I read the short story version of this book. I liked this story very much because it left the reader in suspense for most of the time. I was always wondering whether they were going to murder each other or if they were going to make up in the end of the story. The suspense towards the end of the story was amazing as well due to both of the men not knowing who was running towards them.

Plot Summary:
There are two families that live near each other, one that owns hunting land and one that steals their land from them and hunts on it even though it is not their property. These two families have been in a feud for generations and the major two men that are fighting go by the names of Ulrich von Gradwitz and Georg Znaeym. The family that owns the land is Ulrich's family. However, Georg and his family are hunting on this land. These two men absolutely despised each other. They have both wished the worst of the worst upon their neighbor. They had both even come to the point of where they had chosen murder as a choice to "destroy" each family. This was very close to occurring when during one night, the Gradwitz family decided that they were going to look guard for the night and catch the Znaeym family on their land. While the men were standing guard at the edge of the forest, Ulrich heard a noise that was coming from far into the woods and he had a very eery feeling about the situation so he decided to go into the woods by himself to see if he could find his foe. When he ended up meeting his foe in the forest, they both stood silently staring at one another, knowing that they could kill one another at any given moment. This however did not happen due to the winds picking up so greatly that branches fell from the tree above that pinned them both to the ground. They both could not escape the "traps" that they were in. However, during this time of containment, the two foes made up for their grueling and foolish actions over the years and ended up making a deal to become friends. Finally after they had made up, they heard noises coming from up on the hill and they were very excited because their men were going to find them and help them after the grueling times in the forest. However, the noises that they heard were not the voices that they had thought they had heard. They were the sounds of wolves.

Characterization:
Ulrich von Gradwitz is the first main character of this short story and is the owner of the land that both of the men are fighting over. He is very protective of his lands due to the amount of wildlife in it and how much hunting that both him and his family do. He absolutely despises his foe, Georg Znaeym. This man is the other main character in this short story. This is the man that has been hunting on his neighbors land when instructed not to. Him and his family hunt on this wealthy, resourceful land which creates a feud between the two hunting families. Towards the end of the story, it describes how the foes who absolutely despise one another, become friends and come to an agreement in the end.

Recommendation:
I gave this short story three out of five stars due to the lack of interesting opinions and facts. It was very suspicious which was very good in the middle of the story and towards the end there was so much suspense which created an intense mood. I personally liked the ending a lot more than what the beginning and middle did for the story. I would recommend this short story to anyone that is looking for a good short story of suspense. I would also recommend it to high school students just due to some of the advanced language used in the story. ...more

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Oct 19, 2016 Brock Brunner rated it it was amazing

Personal Response
I found this short story to be one of the better ones I've read. I like the whole enemy of my enemy is my friend theme. The two men who've always hated each other eventually get into a situation where they must become friends to survive and I really enjoyed that.

Summary
This story is about two men who've hated each other for years. One of the men, Ulrich Von Gradwitz, owned a large forest with was overflowing with game. The other man however, inherited a quarry and was also a ga Personal Response
I found this short story to be one of the better ones I've read. I like the whole enemy of my enemy is my friend theme. The two men who've always hated each other eventually get into a situation where they must become friends to survive and I really enjoyed that.

Summary
This story is about two men who've hated each other for years. One of the men, Ulrich Von Gradwitz, owned a large forest with was overflowing with game. The other man however, inherited a quarry and was also a game snatcher. This mans name was Georg Znayem and his quarry was on the border of the forest. One night, Ulrich stood out watching and listening for any wild beast that may come through those woods. Ulrich had gathered his foresters to keep watch in the forest in the case that any thieves may try to sneak it. That night was a rather disturbed night. There was a terrible wind storm and the whole forest was alive. Ulrich eventually moved from where he was down the slope, still listening for any intruder. Ulrich hoped he would come across Georg so he could end him. And just like that, his wish was granted. As he stepped around a large beech tree, Georg was standing there, both men with rifles in hand and hate in their hearts. Just then, the storm kicked in and knocked over the large tree, which fell and landed on the two men, pinning them down. Ulrich wasn't too badly injured, just he couldn't move, while Georg was in serious trouble. Somehow, Georg was still able to spit some cocky remarks at Ulrich, and Ulrich was getting annoyed. Georg still wanted to fight Ulrich and he kept saying his men will free him and then decide Ulrich's fate. Then silence fell upon them, until Ulrich brought out his wine flask and drank some. Then he noticed how miserable Georg looked, and offered him some. Georg refused because he didn't want to share wine with an enemy. Ulrich then started talking about he's been thinking that they should end their rivalry and try to call for help together. Georg thought about it, and then he realized that he couldn't get out of there without Ulrich's help. So the two of them called, waited a few minutes, then called again. Soon Ulrich noticed about 8-9 figures coming over the hill. The two men were so happy to be saved, until the figures got closer. Ulrich laughed, a laugh of fear. Georg asked who they were. Ulrich responded "Wolves."

Characteraztion
The two men at first in this story both hate each other. Their families have been in a rivalry for three generations, and Ulrich and Georg just dispised one another. The two men where both out for blood, until an unlikely situaton happens and they end up becoming friends to help save each other.

Reccommendation
I would reccomend this to anyone who likes suspenseful stories or short stories. It was a very good short story in my opinion. Im sure many others would enjoy this as well. ...more

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May 05, 2014 Broderick Hageman rated it really liked it

It was a pretty good short story, the only one I've ever actually been interested in. I liked how the author addressed the fact that in life threatening circumstances it is better to come together than to pull apart. In The Interlopers this happens after the tree falls and pins the two characters to the ground. After realizing that they would be there a while, they had a change in heart about each other. For years their families had been sworn enemies, but this one situation made them realize ho ...more

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Oct 23, 2015 Naveen rated it liked it

Shelves: short-story

Classic story of vendetta and reconciliation; Masterful narration with a swift storyline and limited character cast.

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Sep 14, 2016 Tanner Walling rated it really liked it

Good suspense, a cliffhanger ending, and good writing. Characters are good. Not necessarily something I'd read again or typically read, but I'm glad I read it because I like suspense.

3.5 stars. ...more

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Mar 13, 2017 Rylee Bartel rated it really liked it

Personal Response: I thought this short story of the book was very suspenseful. It was always leaving me as the reader wondering what was going to happen next. One thing I wanted to know was if the two guys were going to murder each other or just fight the whole time.

Plot Summary: This short story was a short version of the book. And it was about to families that lived near each other that shared a little piece of land. But these two families hate each other a lot as well. Ulrich's family owns t Personal Response: I thought this short story of the book was very suspenseful. It was always leaving me as the reader wondering what was going to happen next. One thing I wanted to know was if the two guys were going to murder each other or just fight the whole time.

Plot Summary: This short story was a short version of the book. And it was about to families that lived near each other that shared a little piece of land. But these two families hate each other a lot as well. Ulrich's family owns the land, but Georg and his family use it to hunt on. Ulrich von Gradwitz and Georg Znaeym are the two main characters in this short story and they hate each other a lot. One night Ulrich's family wanted to catch Georg and his family using their land because they didn't want them to anymore, so they decided to stand guard. While standing guard there was a weird noise that came from in the woods so Ulrich ran into the woods because he wanted to know what it was. Ulrich ended up meeting Georg in the woods. They both looked at each other, wanting to kill one another, but that didn't happen. The wind ended up getting worst and broke a bunch of branches that fell on top of them, pinning them to the ground. Both guys couldn't escape, so during this time of waiting for help they made up. Once they made up, they heard noises from a distances and they thought it was help, so they started calling and making noise so help could find them. Turns out it was not help, it was a pack wolves that tracked the smell of the blood from the branches hitting the guys and scratching their faces and body. Will they die or live?

Characterization: There are two main characters in this short story and they are Ulrich and Georg. Ulrich has a family that owns a piece of land that they let Georg and his family use to hunt on. But Ulrich hates Georg and all he wants to do is murder Georg. Georg on the other hand wants to do the same thing Ulrich wants to do, murder Ulrich. But the two main characters end up change at the end of the short story. They become friends after they got trapped by all of the branches that fell on them.

Recommendation: I recommend this short story to anyone able to read. It teaches my lessons, one being friendship, and also sharing. It is also very intense because it is always leaving the reader wondering what will happen next. I gave this short story a 4 out of 5 stars. I didn't really get into it right away, but it was a very good short story. ...more

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Jun 07, 2020 Anatoly rated it really liked it

The Interlopers by Saki -- Review
The short story "The Interlopers" by Saki is about long-standing grudges between two neighboring families. The two main characters of the story hated each other but by the will of fortune (or unfortunate) they had to stay in one place for a few hours.
After one of them made a step toward reconciliation, the other accepted it with pleasure. They imagined how surprised their neighbors would be seeing them together... This relationship did however not last long.
Wha ...more

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Nov 09, 2019 Stacey Browne rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 22, 2017 Gale Harrison rated it liked it

Shelves: 2017

The Interlopers is one of those books you have to read for school. Otherwise, I probably would not have read it. It is purely okay. It is not horrible. It is not heart racing. It is mediocrely okay.

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Jun 13, 2017 Dawnstream rated it really liked it

It took me a minute, but I laughed.

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Sep 05, 2017 Susan Krafcheck rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 04, 2017 Madison Young rated it liked it

Shelves: etc-books-i-have-read

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Oct 13, 2017 elle rated it liked it

the irony caught me off guard!!!!!!

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Nov 07, 2018 Kaitlyn rated it did not like it

I wasn't a large fan of the writing style. But that's simply my personal opinion ...more

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Jan 29, 2019 Oceana rated it it was amazing

There is something about this story I just love. Forgiveness, friendship, and just a little bit of tragedy.

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Sep 27, 2019 Stephanie rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: everyone

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 29, 2019 Mare rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Short story, enemies, surprising ending

I really liked it. There is something very proper and amazing in a short story that you will never find in a long novel.

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Sep 30, 2019 paige rated it it was ok

Shelves: from-school

Boring

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About Saki

Saki

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Hector Hugh Munro, better known by the pen name Saki, was born in Akyab, Burma (now known as Sittwe, Myanmar), was a British writer, whose witty and sometimes macabre stories satirized Edwardian society and culture. He 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. "The Open ...more