“In all literature, he was the first to employ successfully a wildly outrageous premise in order to make a serious point. I love that. And today the best of his stories are still better than the best of just about every other writer around.”
― Roald Dahl on Saki,
original source unknown (can anyone help?)
Quotes
“I regard one’s hair…”
“I regard one’s hair as I regard husbands: as long as one is seen together in public one’s private divergences don’t matter.”
― ‘The Secret Sin Of Septimus Brope’
A new book contains a reference to “Saki (Mr. Neil Munro)”…
Literary notes and news
A new book contains a reference to “Saki (Mr. Neil Munro).” As our readers are well aware, “Saki” was the pen-name of Mr. Hector Munro. He was not related to Mr. Neil Munro, the Scottish novelist.
Westminster Gazette, 26 March 1917, p. 2
“I’m always having depressing experiences…”
“‘I’m always having depressing experiences,’ said the Baroness, ‘but I never give them outward expression. It’s as bad as looking one’s age.’”
― ‘The Way To The Dairy’
“I’m living so far beyond my means…”
“I’m living so far beyond my means that we may almost be said to be living apart.”
― The Unbearable Bassington
“I love Americans…”
“I love Americans, but not when they try to talk French. What a blessing it is that they never try to talk English.”
― ‘Adrian’
Her husband gardens in all weathers.
“Her husband gardens in all weathers. When a man goes out in the pouring rain to brush caterpillars off rose-trees, I generally imagine his life indoors leaves something to be desired; anyway, it must be very unsettling for the caterpillars.”
― “Reginald’s Christmas Revel”
“To my mind, education is an absurdly over-rated affair…”
“To my mind, education is an absurdly over-rated affair. At least, one never took it very seriously at school, where everything was done to bring it prominently under one’s notice. Anything that is worth knowing one practically teaches oneself, and the rest obtrudes itself sooner or later.”
― ‘Reginald on Worries’
“Presented to the author…”
“Presented to the author by himself, as a mark of affection and esteem.
H.H. Munro”
― Dedication written by Munro on his own copy of The Westminster Alice
“So many people who have money to throw about…”
“Over here the trouble is that so many people who have money to throw about seem to have such vague ideas where to throw it.”
― ‘Reginald on Worries’