A biting satire on the conceits of high society, this exquisite novel of manners describes the adventures of the fastidious and likeable but maladjusted Comus Bassington. Bassington is an upper-class young man with a cynical outlook, whose mother's sole aim is to arrange advantageous opportunities for him. But Bassington has a terrible habit of spoiling things through his self-centered behavior. An incisive piece of writing, this novel anticipates the early works of Evelyn Waugh, whose introduction to a previous edition is included here. Here Edwardian society is impaled on Saki's inimitable skewer.

Hector Hugh Munro (Dec 18, 1870 - Nov 14, 1918) was a witty British author who published under the pen name SAKI or H.H. Munro. Given Munro's intellect, wit, and mischevious nature it's possible it was based on both simultaneously. As a writer, Munro (Saki) was a master of the short story form and is often compared to O. Henry and Dorothy Parker. Munro had a penchant for mocking the popular customs and manners of Edwardian England. He often did so by depicting characters in a setting and manner that would contrast their behavior with that of the natural world; often demonstrating that the simple and straightforward rules of nature would always trump the vanities of men.