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The Lumber Room
by
Kindle Edition
Published
(first published August 9th 2009)
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My father introduced me to Saki by reading aloud, with relish and great expression. The familiar opening lines of this story instantly took me back to my pre-teen days:
“The children were to be driven, as a special treat, to the sands at Jagborough. Nicholas was not to be of the party; he was in disgrace. Only that morning he had refused to eat his wholesome bread-and-milk on the seemingly frivolous ground that there was a frog in it.”
There follows the short tale of a bright child, indignant at ...more
“The children were to be driven, as a special treat, to the sands at Jagborough. Nicholas was not to be of the party; he was in disgrace. Only that morning he had refused to eat his wholesome bread-and-milk on the seemingly frivolous ground that there was a frog in it.”
There follows the short tale of a bright child, indignant at ...more
In "The Lumber Room" a clever, bright young boy outsmarts his controlling aunt who is trying to punish him. Although Nicholas is not angelic, he possesses a wonderful imagination that needs to be nourished. Nicholas outwits his aunt--using her own rules--as a way to explore the treasures she keeps hidden in the lumber room, and as an excuse not to rescue her when she slips into the empty rain water tank. The story is humorous, and is sympathetic to the viewpoint of the mischievous child.
Saki is ...more
Saki is ...more
Finally a children's story in which it paid to be mischievious.
...more
The Lumber Room is regarded as one of the best known stories of Saki (a.k.a. Hector Hugh Munro), a British author who writes with generous flashes of Wildean wit and wicked humor. This is my second Saki story and I loved it.
In The Lumber Room, as in Shredni Vashtar, Saki pits a powerless but clever child against a controlling and mean-spirited adult. Any of us who remembers being at the receiving end of penalties meted out by authority figures for a multitude of sins, real or imagined, will fin ...more
In The Lumber Room, as in Shredni Vashtar, Saki pits a powerless but clever child against a controlling and mean-spirited adult. Any of us who remembers being at the receiving end of penalties meted out by authority figures for a multitude of sins, real or imagined, will fin ...more
Utterly delightful. Nicholas is such a charming and witty child. I have always loved children who can outsmart annoying adults :P Ps, I'm not an adult; I'm Ashley ;)
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Wonderful story ... One child's ability to manipulate a situation to his favour ... So many times over the years I've contemplated the wolves on the fire screen ... Say no more ...
...more
This is such a great short story. It reminded me of my own childhood and the kind of naughty behaviour we had in the past. Lovely. 4 stars.
Fantastically humourous portrayal of the naughtiness mingled innocence of a child and how he outsmarts his aunt!!
I have arranged my thoughts on this story into a haiku:
"Slick exit artists
Never fail to get away,
Or leave on a gibe."
...more
"Slick exit artists
Never fail to get away,
Or leave on a gibe."
...more
An uninteresting story with a silly twist
If the character of Nicholas could be drawn out into a full novel and retain his wit and charm he would surpass even Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.
Masterpiece in a single page.
I enjoyed this book!!! This book clearly deals with child exploitation, and criticizes the Edwardian period elders....
The aunt really underestimates that child... I haven't notice that she is not their aunt by birth or marriage until now. She is more like their guardian. I like this vividly imagined tale very much!
...more
When you are cataloging books you should ignore the THE at the beginning. I thought most people were aware of that--apparently not.
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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
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