Sunday, October 29, 2017

The Chronicles of Clovis (1912)

So, it started with Saki's "Tobermory" - based on a list of the allegedly top 25 cats in sci fi & fantasy - but then I started getting curious about Clovis. The one-word name suggested a butler, but he seemed to have the access and freedom of a guest. I tracked down the Chronicles and went back to the beginning with "Esmé" and, now, "The Match-Maker."

I liked this bit of Wildean dialogue* between Clovis and his host:
"My mother is thinking of getting married." 
"Again!" 
"It's the first time." 
"Of course, you ought to know.  I was under the impression that she'd been married once or twice at least." 
"Three times, to be mathematically exact.  I meant that it was the first time she'd thought about getting married; the other times she did it without thinking."

FN* I think I'm safe comparing Saki (1870-1916) to Wilde (1854-1900) in this manner, since Munro (later Saki) only started writing as Wilde's career was winding down, and this collection in particular - published 12 years after Wilde's death - certainly could not have influenced Wilde.

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