I have long been a fan of H.H. Munro (A.K.A. Saki). His caustic humour and fierce intelligence shine through in all his work – he has a peculiar paradoxical blend of civilisation and savagery. This particular story, Sredni Vashtar, is quite typical of his writing. Like many of his stories, it features dark humour, but this time with a macabre twist.
The boy in the story is similar to the one in The Lumber Room – clever, imaginative, isolated and engaged in a quiet war of nerves with a stultifying older relative who has power over him. In both stories, the younger mind prevails.
As you read, pay attention to how Saki manipulates our response to the protagonist, Conradin, and how he makes the ending so effective.
Here, Tom Baker takes a break from battling Daleks and Cybermen, and reads Sredni Vashtar. Enjoy.
