PDF: The Best British short stories of 1923: and yearbook of the British short story





Contents of the book:

Introduction -- The smell in the library / Michael Arlen -- Miss Bracegirdle does her duty / Stacy Aumonier -- A queer fellow / Clifford Bax -- Melancholy adventure / D.F. Boyd -- The mole / Gerald Bullett -- Black country / Thomas Burke -- Alas, poor Bollington! / A.E.Coppard -- Sindbad of "Sunny Lea" / Norman Davey -- Death of the jester / W.L. George -- The stranger / Richard Hughes -- "Some talk of Alexander" / A.S.M. Hutchinson -- Comfort / F.Tennyson Jesse -- Old Gadgett / Sheila Kaye-Smith -- The horse dealer's daughter / D.H.Lawrence -- The fly / Katherine Mansfield -- The taipin / W. Somerset Maugham -- Stripes / Ethel Colburn Mayne -- Another temple grove / C.E. Montague -- The inspired 'busman / Elinor Mordaunt -- The sniper / Liam O'Flaherty -- Contrairy Mary / Edwin Pugh -- The mayor's dovecote / Sir A.T. Quiller-Couch -- The prophetic camera / L. De Giberne Sieveking -- The machine breaks down / Osbert Sitwell -- The enemy / Hugh Walpole -- Blessed are the meek / Mary Webb

Excerpt from the book's introduction:Certain critics, as well as individual readers, of the first issue of this series, have done us the embarrassing honor of presenting a demand for a set of principles governing the art of the short story. At first sight, this demand would seem to be a legitimate one, seeing that, in making our compilation, my colleague and I have, in the words of a distinguished contemporary, set ourselves up as "self-appointed authorities" on the art of the short story. To this serious charge, I, for my part, plead guilty, but on good grounds beg to be recommended to mercy.There is the extenuating circumstance which I could put into the inevitable retort: "But can you tell me, sir, of any authority in this profession of Arts and Letters which is not self-appointed?" After all, my distinguished contemporary, who happens to be a novelist, has, in his excellent books, appointed himself an authority on human nature. One may be sorry that human nature is like that, and no better than he has depicted it, but that is surely not his fault.To decree otherwise would require at least authority on authorities, but as that also must need be self-appointed we would not be any nearer to solving the problem of the novelist's truth, accuracy, and precision. That is the worst of the standardized existence which this novelist, in particular, is fond of depicting: standardized life does not appear to make for standards in art. Limitations imposed upon human nature by the machine have produced curious effects in that the artists, the first to react, have sought escape in a riot of individualism.As often, in times of physical danger, the individual sees the prospect of escape in the personal initiative, in fending for himself, so in time of social danger, the artist instinctively gropes to save his soul in his own way. Close formations are not to be anticipated when a house is on fire and its occupants are trying to make their escape. They are almost sure to do this through as many doors and windows as are open to them. There may be only one starting point, but many directions of departure. One man finds escape in presenting pictures of life as antithetic to the life the artist has escaped from as it is possible to attain. This has been called "romantic escape," or "wish fulfillment." Another finds escape in the act of escape itself.This is not such a paradox as it sounds. It merely means that the artist finds an exhilaration, a joy, in presenting types who are in revolt against the status quo imposed upon society by a mechanical order. Such an artist sees the only pleasure of existence in the struggle and makes of this struggle an end in itself.Author:Edward Joseph Harrington O'Brien, - John Cournos Publication Date:1923