A Month by the Lake & Other Stories

by H.E. Bates

Book Overview

"If we set H. E. Bates's best tales against the best of Chekhov's," Graham Greene declared, "I do not believe it would be possible, with any conviction, to argue that the Russian was the finer... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811210367
• ISBN13: 9780811210362
• Release Date: September 1987
• Publisher: New Directions Publishing Corporation
• Length: 209 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.2" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

In a different time and place.

It was almost a lifetime ago when H.E. Bates wrote A Month by the Lake and Other stories. Perhaps, his writing is a little dated. However, I just love his use of metaphors. For example when Bates has Major Wilshaw describe Ms. Bentley as having "a mustardy sense of humour, a little dry and hot on the tongue as it were." You just can't get that in "Modern" day novella. Today's authors are too busy trying to discover governmental plots, or shop the entirety of London. Don't get me wrong. I savour these types of fiction too. I'm just so glad that I stumbled upon these short stories. It takes me back a different time and place where people took time out of their day to feel the breeze brush past them. They peeled grapes, posted mail, and rode trains from England to Italy.