The Unbearable Bassington By Saki ( H H Munro)

Several decades back, I picked up a book titled Chronicles of Clovis by Saki at a platform book stall near Marina Beach. Because it was well within my budget and the name of the writer was charming (I took Saki for a lady!) I had no hesitation to invest one rupee on it. I came home and sat with it on a Sunday and believe me, I was stunned to the core by the language, wit and humour of the stories. Yes. It was a collection of short stories. The story that bears the title of the book is the best. It is about a cat named Clovis that could talk like a human being and becomes a terror in the community because it has in its possession the ugly truths of all people around it.

After reading this book, I became a fanatic fan of Saki and I started hunting for his books. The second that came to my possession was a novel titled The Unbearable Bassington.

The story is about the relationship between mother and son. Francesca Bassington is still a beautiful woman in her 40's but she is now a widow and not very affluent. She lives in a house bequeathed to her by a friend but on condition that the house would be available with her only until the friend’s daughter gets married. After the marriage, the daughter will inherit the house. When the story begins, Francesca is scheming to marry her son, Comus, to this girl, Emmeline Chetrof. Comus is a very handsome young man but has no moral compass and no instinct for self- preservation either. He seems almost wilfully determined to sabotage his chances, as Francesca realises,
“Comus,” she said quietly and wearily, “you are an exact reversal of the legend of Pandora’s Box. You have all the charm and advantages that a boy could want to help him on in the world, and behind it all is the fatal damning gift of utter hopelessness.” ”I think,” said Comus, “ that is the best description that anyone has ever given of me.”

Saki is a brilliant writer. There’s something almost Wildean about the comments and observations in this book. Here he is on an unwelcome guest, “Hostesses regarded her philosophically as a form of social measles which everyone had to have once.”

Don't miss this novel and of course Chronicles of Clovis.

 

@Rihana

That's the best tribute for Saki! I must tell you about a book I once attempted to read at the recommendation of a retired English Professor. It was 'Gravity's Rainbow by the American writer Thomas Pynchom in 1973. It was over seven hundred pages of stuff that made me touch my skull through frantic scratching. I knew I would never complete it but gamely read some 20 pages out of respect I had for the English Professor.
I am basically a reador of light-hearted stuff and could never stand serious stuff running into a thousand pages. I can assure you that you will never feel let down with Saki

 

@GeetaKashyap
You will love Saki, Geeta. Read any book of his that you can lay your hands on.

 

@Amulet
Thanks for your mention about the Japanese Saki. Never heard of her before. I am surprised that she wrote The Tale of Genji in the 11th century! And I am even more surprised that the Penguin version costs around seven hundred rupees while the hardcore version costs Rs.59425! It must be a collector's edition. And tell me if there is any book that Amazon doesn't market. I would like to buy it.

 

@Rihana
I am glad you got hold of Clovis in its best moods! And now go for Bassington. Saki will become your best 'Saki' in life!