Sign-In
Cart
The Unbearable Bassington
Paperback
Classic FictionGeneral FictionLiterary Fiction
ISBN13: 9781026063569
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 272
Weight: 0.85
Height: 0.57 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
The Unbearable Bassington is the first full-length novel by the master of the short story, Saki (H.H. Munro). Set against the backdrop of Edwardian London's high society, the work is a brilliant and biting satire that explores the complexities of social ambition and the fragility of status. The story centers on Francesca Bassington, a woman whose life is defined by her love for her art collection and her desire to maintain her social standing, and her son, Comus. Comus is a charming, witty, but utterly irresponsible young man who becomes the primary obstacle to his mother's carefully laid plans.
As Francesca attempts to engineer a wealthy marriage for her son to secure their financial future, the novel shifts from a sparkling comedy of manners into a poignant tragedy. Saki's signature wit is on full display, providing a sharp critique of the vanity and cruelty inherent in the upper-class social circles of the era. Renowned for its cynical humor and elegant prose, The Unbearable Bassington remains a profound exploration of the tensions between maternal love and material greed. This work stands as a testament to Munro's unique ability to blend devastating irony with a deep sense of pathos, making it a cornerstone of early 20th-century British literature.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
3 different editions
Also available
Also from
Munro, H. H.
Beasts and Super-Beasts by Saki, Fiction, Classic, Literary, Short Stories
Saki
Munro, H. H.
Paperback
The Collected Supernatural and Weird Fiction of H. H. Munro (Saki): Thirty-Four Short Stories of the Strange and Unusual Including 'Laura', 'The Open
Munro, H. H.
Saki, Writing As
Hardcover
The Collected Supernatural and Weird Fiction of H. H. Munro (Saki): Thirty-Four Short Stories of the Strange and Unusual Including 'Laura', 'The Open
Munro, H. H.
Saki, Writing As
Paperback
The Square Egg And Other Sketches With Three Plays: The Works Of Saki
Saki
Munro, H. H.
Munro, Ethel M.
Paperback
When William came; a story of London under the Hohenzollerns . By: H. H. Munro ( saki ) ( NOVEL )
Munro, H. H.
Paperback
Also in
General Fiction
Elizabeth Spencer: Novels & Stories (Loa #344): The Voice at the Back Door / The Light in the Piazza / Knights and Dragons / Stories
Spencer, Elizabeth
Hardcover
Anniversaries, Volume 2: From a Year in the Life of Gesine Cresspahl, April 1968-August 1968
Johnson, Uwe
Paperback
Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams: Short Stories, Prose, and Diary Excerpts
Plath, Sylvia
Paperback
Selected Writings: Robert Musil: Young Torless, Three Women, the Perfecting of a Love, and Other Writings
Musil, Robert
Agee, Joel
Paperback