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A Month by the Lake & Other Stories
A month by the lake --
The flame --
Time --
Sergeant Carmichael --
It's just the way it is --
The flag --
Elaine --
Country society --
The evolution of Saxby --
The maker of coffins --
The cowslip field --
Death and the cherry tree --
The butterfly --
Where the cloud breaks --
Mrs. Eglantine --
The chords of youth --
The song of the wren.
The flame --
Time --
Sergeant Carmichael --
It's just the way it is --
The flag --
Elaine --
Country society --
The evolution of Saxby --
The maker of coffins --
The cowslip field --
Death and the cherry tree --
The butterfly --
Where the cloud breaks --
Mrs. Eglantine --
The chords of youth --
The song of the wren.
209 pages, Paperback
First published September 17, 1987
3 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
H.E. Bates
278 books194 followersHerbert Ernest Bates, CBE is widely recognised as one of the finest short story writers of his generation, with more than 20 story collections published in his lifetime. It should not be overlooked, however, that he also wrote some outstanding novels, starting with The Two Sisters through to A Moment in Time, with such works as Love For Lydia, Fair Stood the Wind for France and The Scarlet Sword earning high praise from the critics. His study of the Modern Short Story is considered one of the best ever written on the subject.
He was born in Rushden, Northamptonshire and was educated at Kettering Grammar School. After leaving school, he was briefly a newspaper reporter and a warehouse clerk, but his heart was always in writing and his dream to be able to make a living by his pen.
Many of his stories depict life in the rural Midlands of England, particularly his native Northamptonshire. Bates was partial to taking long midnight walks around the Northamptonshire countryside - and this often provided the inspiration for his stories. Bates was a great lover of the countryside and its people and this is exemplified in two volumes of essays entitled Through the Woods and Down the River.
In 1931, he married Madge Cox, his sweetheart from the next road in his native Rushden. They moved to the village of Little Chart in Kent and bought an old granary and this together with an acre of garden they converted into a home. It was in this phase of his life that he found the inspiration for the Larkins series of novels -The Darling Buds of May, A Breath of French Air, When the Green Woods Laugh, etc. - and the Uncle Silas tales. Not surprisingly, these highly successful novels inspired television series that were immensely popular.
His collection of stories written while serving in the RAF during World War II, best known by the title The Stories of Flying Officer X, but previously published as Something in the Air (a compilation of his two wartime collections under the pseudonym 'Flying Officer X' and titled The Greatest People in the World and How Sleep the Brave), deserve particular attention. By the end of the war he had achieved the rank of Squadron Leader.
Bates was influenced by Chekhov in particular, and his knowledge of the history of the short story is obvious from the famous study he produced on the subject. He also wrote his autobiography in three volumes (each delightfully illustrated) which were subsequently published in a one-volume Autobiography.
Bates was a keen and knowledgeable gardener and wrote numerous books on flowers. The Granary remained their home for the whole of their married life. After the death of H. E Bates, Madge moved to a bungalow, which had originally been a cow byre, next to the Granary. She died in 2004 at age 95. They raised two sons and two daughters.
primarily from Wikipedia, with additions by Keith Farnsworth
He was born in Rushden, Northamptonshire and was educated at Kettering Grammar School. After leaving school, he was briefly a newspaper reporter and a warehouse clerk, but his heart was always in writing and his dream to be able to make a living by his pen.
Many of his stories depict life in the rural Midlands of England, particularly his native Northamptonshire. Bates was partial to taking long midnight walks around the Northamptonshire countryside - and this often provided the inspiration for his stories. Bates was a great lover of the countryside and its people and this is exemplified in two volumes of essays entitled Through the Woods and Down the River.
In 1931, he married Madge Cox, his sweetheart from the next road in his native Rushden. They moved to the village of Little Chart in Kent and bought an old granary and this together with an acre of garden they converted into a home. It was in this phase of his life that he found the inspiration for the Larkins series of novels -The Darling Buds of May, A Breath of French Air, When the Green Woods Laugh, etc. - and the Uncle Silas tales. Not surprisingly, these highly successful novels inspired television series that were immensely popular.
His collection of stories written while serving in the RAF during World War II, best known by the title The Stories of Flying Officer X, but previously published as Something in the Air (a compilation of his two wartime collections under the pseudonym 'Flying Officer X' and titled The Greatest People in the World and How Sleep the Brave), deserve particular attention. By the end of the war he had achieved the rank of Squadron Leader.
Bates was influenced by Chekhov in particular, and his knowledge of the history of the short story is obvious from the famous study he produced on the subject. He also wrote his autobiography in three volumes (each delightfully illustrated) which were subsequently published in a one-volume Autobiography.
Bates was a keen and knowledgeable gardener and wrote numerous books on flowers. The Granary remained their home for the whole of their married life. After the death of H. E Bates, Madge moved to a bungalow, which had originally been a cow byre, next to the Granary. She died in 2004 at age 95. They raised two sons and two daughters.
primarily from Wikipedia, with additions by Keith Farnsworth
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 22, 2018
The classic Master of short stories he can make a man walking in 1920s to buy a packet of gaspers into a huge fabulous journey through Wonderland.
He was famous for Uncle Silas & Pop Larkin.
He was famous for Uncle Silas & Pop Larkin.
August 5, 2025
Only recently discovered this author, and this collection of his best short stories, introduced by Anthony Burgess, was wonderful.
Very crisp writing, perfect dialogue, compact yet evocative. Bates is considered to be an accomplished novelist, as well as short story writer, but I haven't got that far yet!
Research continues.
Very crisp writing, perfect dialogue, compact yet evocative. Bates is considered to be an accomplished novelist, as well as short story writer, but I haven't got that far yet!
Research continues.
September 19, 2011
I'll always have a soft spot for Bates. He's one of the two writers that helped me (as a very slow reader) begin to really enjoy reading. The other is R.F. Delderfield. It's been a ages since I've read a page turner but that's what these stories were for me. I just wanted to keep reading to find out how each story turned out and I'd forgotten how enjoyable that experience can be.
The four stories were all quite different. Probably the most well written is the title story but since I am familiar with the movie I wasn't surprised by the ending. An Aspidistra in Babylon captures brilliantly a fascinating time after the war - a way of life and a sensibility that has vanished. A Prospect of Orchards is different again but probably my least favourite of all the stories but the landscape (apparently not far from London and accessible by train) with a whole valley of fruit trees in bloom, still lingers.
My favourite story is the last - The Grapes of Paradise and Bate's excellent characterisation of Therese and wonderful descriptions of Tahiti as it was about fifty years ago make it a really worthwhile read.
The four stories were all quite different. Probably the most well written is the title story but since I am familiar with the movie I wasn't surprised by the ending. An Aspidistra in Babylon captures brilliantly a fascinating time after the war - a way of life and a sensibility that has vanished. A Prospect of Orchards is different again but probably my least favourite of all the stories but the landscape (apparently not far from London and accessible by train) with a whole valley of fruit trees in bloom, still lingers.
My favourite story is the last - The Grapes of Paradise and Bate's excellent characterisation of Therese and wonderful descriptions of Tahiti as it was about fifty years ago make it a really worthwhile read.
January 24, 2012
An absolute masterpiece of English literature. This book is worth reading for the first story alone. The descriptions of Italy are sublime. His writing is engaging, his observations of people are insightful and his use of English is expert. I wish I could award 10 stars! Particularly liked the first store and the story about the men who ditch in the water in WWII. They are completely captivating!
August 13, 2020
Enjoyed 3 of the stories tremendously- the title story was a delight and the Pacific island story was reminiscent of Maugham. An Aspidistra in Babylon was a good read with stunning descriptions. A Prospect of Orchards was not my favourite.
January 27, 2021
The titular short story was great, but the rest were middling at best.
June 2, 2021
These stories from the fifties and later are impressive, but Bates's touch is usually quite light and sometimes almost invisible. "The Chords of Youth" made me laugh and shake my head in wonder.
December 25, 2021
A treat.
November 8, 2024
A short story collection mostly exploring and relating various experiences through conversation.
December 29, 2025
Picked this up at goodwill for the attractive cover. I really loved his writing style, but I am not a fan of the short story format.
January 22, 2016
I bought this book since I wanted to read the story "A month by the lake" after discovering that the film by the same name, is indeed based on this short story by Herbert E. Bates. I love the film and reading the story was no disappointment, even if the director has had to give more meat to the story to be able to make an entire film of it.
Unfortunately I did not care for the rest of the stories in the book. Perhaps with the exception of the story called "Sergeant Carmichael" which also is a little longer story than usual, about a WWII airplane crew crash landing in the sea and trying to survive. All the other stories were too short to really be meaningful and very, very tragic or gloomy. To sit and read one gloomy story after the next about middle aged people or very ugly looking people, is just not my cup of tea. Some of the stories could have become a novel I suppose, but for the most part they are like watching 5 minutes of a long film, nothing or very little make any sense.
Is the book worth a purchase? "A month by the lake" is only 49 pages long but this might be the only way to get to read this story, in this compilation of stories from the years 1928-1972.
Unfortunately I did not care for the rest of the stories in the book. Perhaps with the exception of the story called "Sergeant Carmichael" which also is a little longer story than usual, about a WWII airplane crew crash landing in the sea and trying to survive. All the other stories were too short to really be meaningful and very, very tragic or gloomy. To sit and read one gloomy story after the next about middle aged people or very ugly looking people, is just not my cup of tea. Some of the stories could have become a novel I suppose, but for the most part they are like watching 5 minutes of a long film, nothing or very little make any sense.
Is the book worth a purchase? "A month by the lake" is only 49 pages long but this might be the only way to get to read this story, in this compilation of stories from the years 1928-1972.
July 6, 2007
It was the title story that propelled me to travel overseas for my quarantième anniversaire. A lakeside vacation in Europe where an atypical unmarried English woman of a certain age encounters a somewhat befuddled Major who's stuck in an infatuation with a cool young idiotic girl. I'm still not quite sure what Miss Bates sees in the Major but the restful mountainside nap that leads to his realization about her is so lovely. The film starring Vanessa Redgrave and Uma Thurman is quite lovely too, filmed on Lake Como.
March 16, 2016
H. E. Bates writes about war, romance and that delightful thing we know as English eccentricity with equal facility and with skill that makes one understand what is meant by the term "fine writing."
See the full essay on this work at www.newsoutherngentleman.wordpress.com - link available at my Goodreads page - thanks for stopping by!
See the full essay on this work at www.newsoutherngentleman.wordpress.com - link available at my Goodreads page - thanks for stopping by!
July 14, 2021
Beautifully written novella. Will definitely read another/more of H E Bates.
December 9, 2022
Interesting four novellas. I'll definitely seek out the movie made from the title novella.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews