And now we arrive at the ninth story included in the 20 Christmas Stories volume of Everyman’s Pocket Classics, Reginald’s Christmas Revel.

I’ve always been intrigued with Saki but hadn’t read any of his stories.  In fact, I lacked even the cursory knowledge that his real name was Hector Hugh Munro and he was British, not Asian as I had thought.  So with a lively curiosity, I began this story with relish.

The Edwardians (1918) Frances Hodgkins
~ source Wikiart

Reginald is recounting his Christmas spent with the Babwold’s, a rather dull and uninspiring family by his estimation.  Interestingly, he quotes in the beginning, “…. there’s nothing sadder than victory except defeat. If you’ve ever stayed with dull people during what is alleged to be the festive season you can probably revise that saying ….”   Immediately, the reader is given a general setting for the story, a taste of what Reginald’s character might be like, and the general outcome of the tale.  Very nice condensation of the story by Saki.

We are treated to Reginald’s sarcastic wit throughout his visit and although the outcome is perhaps not what he expected, it appears to be completely acceptable to Reginald.

Edwardian Gentleman – Emil Fuchs
~ source Wikimedia Commons

Ummmm …. okaaay ……. This story did not even take up four pages and the lack of room for development shows.  Reginald’s wit and sassiness is somewhat amusing but the story is so brief that I wasn’t entirely impressed with my first Saki story.  That said, I did see some gems in his writing shining through and I will definitely give him another try.

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