Stories are one of mankind’s greatest artistic achievements. Whether written down or spoken they have an ability to capture our imagination and thoughts, and take us on incredible journeys in the space of a phrase and the turn of a page.Within a few words of text or speech, new worlds and characters form, propelling a narrative to a conclusion with intricate ease. Finely crafted, perfectly formed these Miniature Masterpieces, at first thought, seem remarkably easy to conjure up. But ask any writer and they will tell you that distilling the essence of narrative and characters into a short story is one of the hardest acts of their literary craft. Many attempt, but few achieve.
Stories are one of mankind’s greatest artistic achievements. Whether written down or spoken they have an ability to capture our imagination and thoughts, and take us on incredible journeys in the space of a phrase and the turn of a page.Within a few words of text or speech, new worlds and characters form, propelling a narrative to a conclusion with intricate ease. Finely crafted, perfectly formed these Miniature Masterpieces, at first thought, seem remarkably easy to conjure up. But ask any writer and they will tell you that distilling the essence of narrative and characters into a short story is one of the hardest acts of their literary craft. Many attempt, but few achieve.
Stories are one of mankind’s greatest artistic achievements. Whether written down or spoken they have an ability to capture our imagination and thoughts, and take us on incredible journeys in the space of a phrase and the turn of a page.Within a few words of text or speech, new worlds and characters form, propelling a narrative to a conclusion with intricate ease. Finely crafted, perfectly formed these Miniature Masterpieces, at first thought, seem remarkably easy to conjure up. But ask any writer and they will tell you that distilling the essence of narrative and characters into a short story is one of the hardest acts of their literary craft. Many attempt, but few achieve.
Stacy Aumonier was born at Hampstead Road near Regent's Park, London on 31st March 1877.He came from a family with a strong and sustained tradition in the visual arts; sculptors and painters.On leaving school it seemed the family tradition would also be his career path. In particular his early talents were that of a landscape painter. He exhibited paintings at the Royal Academy in the early years of the twentieth century.In 1907 he married the international concert pianist, Gertrude Peppercorn, at West Horsley in Surrey. A year later Aumonier began a career in a second branch of the arts at which he enjoyed a short but outstanding success-as a stage performer writing and performing his own sketches.The Observer newspaper commented that "...the stage lost in him a real and rare genius, he could walk out alone before any audience, from the simplest to the most sophisticated, and make it laugh or cry at will."In 1915, Aumonier published a short story 'The Friends' which was well received (and was subsequently voted one of the 15 best stories of 1915 by the Boston Magazine, Transcript).Despite his age in 1917 at age 40 he was called up for service in World War I. He began as a private in the Army Pay Corps, and then transferred as a draughtsman in the Ministry of National Service.By now he had four books published-two novels and two books of short stories-and his occupation is recorded with the Army Medical Board as 'author.'In the mid-1920s, Aumonier received the shattering diagnosis that he had contracted tuberculosis. In the last few years of his life, he would spend long spells in various sanatoria, some better than others.Shortly before his death, Stacy Aumonier sought treatment in Switzerland, but died of the disease in Clinique La Prairie at Clarens beside Lake Geneva on 21st December 1928. He was 55. This volume comes to you from Miniature Masterpieces, a specialized imprint from Deadtree Publishing. Our range is large and growing and covers single authors, themes, and many compilations.
The short stories written during and about World War I are often over shadowed by the excellent verse of the War Poets.Yet the short story is perhaps their equal in other ways. Within these succinct little time capsules of words are captured ideas, attitudes, feelings and life that are expressed in a few pages just as movingly, imaginatively and tellingly as in any other form.Some of these stories will be familiar but some may not. From Virginia Woolf to Katharine Mansfield and John Buchan to C. E. Montague various writing styles try to make sense of this world at war.Some may do so directly and some obliquely. Some speak of class others of the masses but all reveal their author's intent and their mastery of war and its effects and consequences upon the human condition as told through their words.
Stacy Aumonier (1877–1928) was a British writer, best known for his outstanding short stories. Nobel Prize-winner John Galsworthy described Aumonier as "one of the best short story writers of all time" and predicted that he would "outlive all the writers of his day."
Aumonier wrote over 85 short stories in his lifetime. He has been described as the "British Maupassant" owing to his captivating plots and his ability to create complex characters with just a few lines of carefully selected prose.
His intensely visual prose meant his works were readily adaptable to the cinema screen, and several of his short stories were adapted by Alfred Hitchcock.
"The Deserter" is a multi-layered story about a young man, Wainwright, who is called up to the Great War, but decides instead to desert. It is not that he is a coward, but he cannot identify with the cause of the Great War. He goes into hiding in the best possible place he can think of... and all seems to be going well. But then, one day, he meets Emma and falls in love. Suddenly he has a cause which he does believe in... somebody worth fighting for. Wainwright suddenly finds himself engaged in his own personal "Great War" and fighting just as formidable an enemy as the Germans.
But like in the "Great War" outside, Wainwright's is a bitter victory.
Stacy Aumonier was a British writer, best known for his outstanding short stories. Nobel Prize-winner John Galsworthy described Aumonier as "one of the best short story writers of all time" and predicted that he would "outlive all the writers of his day".
Aumonier wrote over 85 short stories in his lifetime. He has been described as the "British Maupassant" owing to his captivating plots and his ability to create complex characters with just a few lines of carefully selected prose. His intensely visual prose meant his works were readily adaptable to the cinema screen, and several of his short stories were adapted by Alfred Hitchcock.
The Perfect Murder tells the story of two brothers who are perpetually on the brink of financial ruin, but are unable to prise funds from trust fund left by their uncle until after the death of their aunt. The solution is to plan the perfect murder.
The younger brother is confident that he can carry it out... and indeed, does so. With very unexpected results.
Stacy Aumonier's famous depiction of human nature in action. An eight-part series of snapshots, starting with a tramp who feels pangs of envy when he sees someone with a more settled and domesticated life. The focus of the story shifts to this individual, who we discover is jealous of someone else...who in turn is envious of another person and so on.
James Hilton (author of Goodbye, Mr Chips and Lost Horizon) said of Aumonier: "I think his very best works ought to be included in any anthology of the best short stories ever written." Asked to choose "My Favourite Short Story" for the March 1939 edition of Good Housekeeping, James Hilton chose The Octave of Jealousy, which the magazine described as a bitterly brilliant tale.
Stacy Aumonier was a British writer, best known for his outstanding short stories. Nobel prize winner, John Galsworthy described Aumonier as "one of the best short-story writers of all time" and predicted that he would "outlive all the writers of his day".
Aumonier wrote over 85 short stories in his lifetime. He has been described as the "British Maupassant" owing to his captivating plots and his ability to create complex characters with just a few lines of carefully selected prose. His intensely visual prose meant his works were readily adaptable to the cinema screen, and several of his short stories were adapted by Alfred Hitchcock.
• Miss Bracegirdle does her Duty
• Old Iron
• Where was Wych Street?
• Old Fags
• A Source of Irritation
• The Brothers
• Juxtapositions
The small minded and prudish sister of an English clergyman travels on her own to a hotel in Bordeaux. When she closes the door of her room after returning from a bath, she finds a man asleep on the bed. She realises then she is in the wrong room, but the door handle has come off in her hand, and she can’t get out. Then she discovers the man is dead. "To be found in a strange man’s bedroom in the night is bad enough, but to be found in a dead man’s bedroom was even worse." A masterpiece, with outstanding characterisation and laced with subtle humour.
