Stories of the East

by Leonard Woolf

Although Leonard Woolf has long been revered as one of the great literary minds of the 20th century, he is seldom remembered as a writer of fiction. While his novel The Village in the Jungle has the status of a minor classic, his superb collection of short stories dating back to his time as a colonial administrator in Ceylon has been almost completely forgotten. This slender volume represents the first time that Stories of the East has been available to the general reader. Originally published in 1921 by the Hogarth Press in an edition limited to 300 copies, these stories have hardly seen the light of day since.

Sir Christopher Ondaatje, an expert on Leonard Woolf and author of Woolf in Ceylon, provides a specially commissioned introduction to this edition of Stories of the East, in which he argues the case for the enduring importance of the three stories "A Tale Told by Midnight", "The Two Brahmans" and "Pearls and Swine". Stories of the East is not typical of Woolf, but these three pieces are of vital importance in understanding his mistrust of and dislike for colonialism. The stories provide disturbing commentaries about the disintegration of the colonial process and the uncomfortable moral ground occupied by the servants of the British Government in Ceylon prior to the Great War.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

81 pages, Paperback

First published March 3, 2007

About the author

Leonard Sidney Woolf was a noted British political theorist, author, publisher (The Hogarth Press), and civil servant, but perhaps best-known as husband to author Virginia Woolf.

Reviews

[Fionnuala]

Different to his unique Village in the Jungle, these stories resemble those of many of his contemporaries: stories involving a group of retired colonials sitting by a fire after dinner talking about life in the colonies, and then the quietest man in the room begins to tell a strange story...

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Free download available at Project Gutenberg

I made the proofing of this book for Free Literature and it will be publishing by Project Gutenberg.

CONTENTS
A TALE TOLD BY MOONLIGHT
PEARLS AND SWINE
THE TWO BRAHMANS

[Heidi C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little gem contains 3 stories about Ceylon, written with a great sense for detail. One can clearly feel the connection between Leonard Woolf and the people from Ceylon and his respect for their civilisation and their wisdom in a era of imperialism. He is not just some bystander who writes about it, it feels as if he is part of the story and he drags one into it. Every story contains a valuable lesson. What I did miss was a bit of attention for the women in this man's world.

Deze kleine parel omvat 3 verhalen over Ceylon, die met veel zin voor detail geschreven werden. Je voelt duidelijk aan dat Leonard Woolf een band heeft met de bevolking en respect heeft voor hun cultuur en wijsheid en dit in een imperialistische tijdperk. Hij is geen omstander die erover schrijft, je voelt dat hij een deel is van het verhaal en hij betrekt je ook als lezer in het verhaal. Elk verhaal bevat een waardevolle les. Ik miste wel een beetje aandacht voor de vrouwen in deze mannenwereld.

[Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Pearls and Swine' a haunting tale of imperialism's dehumanization of both the colonized and the colonizer.

[Gabi · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2.5/5