Reginald's Christmas Revel

by Saki

Little Clothbound irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith.With his signature flair and razor-sharp wit, Saki is an undisputed master of the short story. His tales are by turns hilarious, festive, supernatural and macabre, but all offer fabulous, bite-sized satires of a decadent upper-class Edwardian world.'Saki, like a chivalrous highwayman, only robs the behind all these stories is an exacting sense of justice . . . they dazzle and delight' Graham Greene

Genres: Short Stories, Christmas, Humor, Classics, Holiday, Audiobook, Classic Literature

227 pages, Hardcover

Published November 3, 2022

About the author

British writer Hector Hugh Munro under pen name Saki published his witty and sometimes bitter short stories in collections, such as The Chronicles of Clovis (1911).

His sometimes macabre satirized Edwardian society and culture. People consider him a master and often compare him to William Sydney Porter and Dorothy Rothschild Parker. His tales feature delicately drawn characters and finely judged narratives. "The Open Window," perhaps his most famous, closes with the line, "Romance at short notice was her specialty," which thus entered the lexicon. Newspapers first and then several volumes published him as the custom of the time.

His works include
* a full-length play, The Watched Pot , in collaboration with Charles Maude;
* two one-act plays;
* a historical study, The Rise of the Russian Empire , the only book under his own name;
* a short novel, The Unbearable Bassington ;
* the episodic The Westminster Alice , a parliamentary parody of Alice in Wonderland ;
* and When William Came: A Story of London under the Hohenzollerns , an early alternate history.

Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll, and Joseph Rudyard Kipling, influenced Munro, who in turn influenced A. A. Milne, and Pelham Grenville Wodehouse.

Reviews

[Siân · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entirely hilarious, albeit brief, account of Reginald's Christmas with the Babwolds. Loaded with H.H.Munro's famous satire and wit - if only it were longer...
I read this short anecdote from Everyman's Pocket Classics 'Christmas Stories'.

[Camilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading some short stories for the Christmas season and stumbled upon this gem of an author. His story made me laugh out loud and I had to look him up afterwards. Apparently, he’s considered one of the masters of the short story alongside O. Henry and Wilde. I could tell. His six page little tale stood out among twenty others in the book. His life was also extraordinary, from the little research I did on him after. Highly recommend this tiny tale of satire.

[Kirsti (Kris) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny and satirical short stories, that are well worth reading.

[Checkie Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saki really is a master of the short story. Each story in this collection feels masterfully crafted in the navigation and pacing of unexpected twists and turns, with the resolution of the story often coming in a punchy final line. Saki has a satirical and wicked sense of humour that pokes fun at Edwardian society, most frequently through wealthy young people refusing to conform to custom and misbehaving, often at the expense of their rather up-tight elders.

These stories are hysterically funny and exhibit real genius in their construction. I cannot recommend Saki enough to anyone who enjoys short stories.

[Cecily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've reviewed this story HERE.

I'v reviewed other Saki short stories under The Best of Saki, HERE.

[K. Anna Kraft · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, I've arranged my thoughts into a haiku:

"Antics following
Unfashionable sojourns
Reveal who's a shit."

[Nadia Zeemeeuw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saki is an absolute master of the short story form. Each of the 30 stories in this collection leaves an unforgettable impression. They’re a true delight to read, especially during Christmas, with the fireplace crackling and champagne bubbling.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A zapping short story with a good ending, but an unlikeable narrator.

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also included ‘Reginald on Christmas presents’ - charming, dry humour

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reginald's Christmas Revel is a little brief, and I would have preferred it to be rather longer. I read this as part of the Everyman Christmas Stories collection, as selected by Diana Secker Tesdell.

[Castillo de libros · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me ha parecido un relato aburrido, los personajes no han sido de mi agrado y la trama no tiene nada que llame mi atención, lo único que puedo rescatar es que está bien escrito.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story turns Christmas into a performance of controlled chaos. Reginald approaches festivity not with reverence but with opportunism, using tradition as raw material for amusement.

What makes the story postmodern is its awareness of ritual as spectacle. Christmas here is not sacred—it is theatrical. Reginald understands this and exploits it openly.

The humour is sharp, the pace quick, and the tone gleefully irreverent. Saki allows pleasure without apology. There is no moral reckoning at the end—only aftermath.

Read today, the story feels refreshingly honest about how celebration can become strategy. It refuses sentimentality without lapsing into cynicism.

Neat story. Recommended.

[Paula Mota · Rating 4 out of 5]

#Natal até quando uma mulher não quer

They say (said Reginald) that there’s nothing sadder than victory except defeat. If you’ve ever stayed with dull people during what is alleged to be the festive season, you can probably revise that saying.

Agora que já soltaram a Mariah Carey e muitos outros clássicos natalícios durante a meia hora que passei numa loja de gordices e produtos de higiene, posso dedicar-me a contos de Natal menos melancólicos e nostálgicos, passando à vertente mais disruptora de quem também tem pouca paciência para reuniões de família: Saki.
Em “Reginald’s Christmas Revel”, o narrador aceita, depois de muita insistência, o convite para passar a consoada com uns primos afastados que são o supra-sumo do tédio. Mrs. Babwold não sabe o que é um sorriso e o marido, por isso, dizem as más línguas, faz jardinagem faça chuva ou faça sol. Para passar o serão, escolhem um jogo de charadas tão ou tão pouco estimulante que o protagonista prefere ir para a copa fazer um jogo com o moço de recados, em que ganha quem acertar com uma rolha de champanhe no maior número de copos de cristal sem os partir. A noite culmina numa partida que o leva a ter de sair de mansinho após o dia de Natal.

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

[Josi · Rating 4 out of 5]

~3.5

[Paul Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Clovis Sangrail is a comic creation who should endure for all time.

[Luna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[C Hewitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice mix of tales

[Marie-Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute treat; genius short stories by an Edwardian master of the form.

[Alan Fitzgerald-Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saki’s irascible take on the lives of the wealthy and social norms of a bygone time - captivating !

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an ending

[Kt]

very humorous

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reginald escapes boring parlor games by playing "with the page-boy in the pantry." Well well! I'm clutching my pearls!

[Roadtotherisingsun · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story collection filled with cute and beautiful stories.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me ha gustado la forma de escribir del autor y además, el fuerte sarcasmo que utiliza resulta muy gracioso. Me ha parecido muy original la historia y me he echado unas buenas risas. Además, lo bueno si breve mejor.

[SpookySoto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reginald is invited to a christmas party, to celebrate with people he doesn't like, to talk about things he doesn't like. He reminds us how christmas is sometimes about being with random people, eating and talking about trivial things than to be with the people we really want to be with, the ones that are really important.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like
to give this 10 stars.

One of the funniest
and cleverest short
stories I have ever
read.

Incredibly well written.
IMO, one of the best short
stories I have read in
my life and I have read
very many.