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Humour & Fantasy
1174-page omnibus volume collecting four novels, VICE VERSA (1882), THE TINTED VENUS (1895), A FALLEN IDOL (1886) and THE BRASS BOTTLE (1900), and seventeen stories from THE TALKING HORSE (1892) and SALTED ALMONDS (1906). Barron (ed), Fantasy Literature 2-5, 2-6, 2-7, 2-8, and 3-5. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 33. Schlobin, The Literature of Fantasy 455.
- GenresFantasy
1173 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1931
7 people want to read
About the author
F. Anstey
235 books9 followersThomas Anstey Guthrie was an English novelist and journalist, who wrote his comic novels under the pseudonym F. Anstey.
He was born in Kensington, London, to Augusta Amherst Austen, an organist and composer, and Thomas Anstey Guthrie. He was educated at King's College School and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and was called to the bar in 1880. But the popular success of his story Vice Versa (1882) with its topsy turvy substitution of a father for his schoolboy son, at once made his reputation as a humorist of an original type. He published in 1883 a serious novel, The Giant's Robe; but, in spite of its excellence, he discovered (and again in 1889 with The Pariah) that it was not as a serious novelist but as a humorist that the public insisted on regarding him. As such, his reputation was further confirmed by The Black Poodle (1884), The Tinted Venus (1885), A Fallen Idol (1886), and other works. Baboo Jabberjee B.A. (1897) , and A Bayard from Bengal (1902) are humorous yet truthful studies of the East Indian with a veneer of English civilization.
Guthrie became an important member of the staff of Punch magazine, in which his voces populi and his humorous parodies of a reciter's stock-piece (Burglar Bill, &c.) represent his best work. In 1901, his successful farce The Man from Blankleys, based on a story that originally appeared in Punch, was first produced at the Prince of Wales Theatre, in London. He wrote Only Toys (1903) and Salted Almonds (1906).
Many of Anstey's stories have been adapted into theatrical productions and motion pictures. The Tinted Venus was adapted by S.J. Perelman, Ogden Nash, and Kurt Weill into One Touch of Venus in 1943. Vice Versa has been filmed many times, usually transposed in setting and without any credit to the original book. Another of his novels, The Brass Bottle, has also been filmed more than once, including The Brass Bottle (1964).
He was born in Kensington, London, to Augusta Amherst Austen, an organist and composer, and Thomas Anstey Guthrie. He was educated at King's College School and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and was called to the bar in 1880. But the popular success of his story Vice Versa (1882) with its topsy turvy substitution of a father for his schoolboy son, at once made his reputation as a humorist of an original type. He published in 1883 a serious novel, The Giant's Robe; but, in spite of its excellence, he discovered (and again in 1889 with The Pariah) that it was not as a serious novelist but as a humorist that the public insisted on regarding him. As such, his reputation was further confirmed by The Black Poodle (1884), The Tinted Venus (1885), A Fallen Idol (1886), and other works. Baboo Jabberjee B.A. (1897) , and A Bayard from Bengal (1902) are humorous yet truthful studies of the East Indian with a veneer of English civilization.
Guthrie became an important member of the staff of Punch magazine, in which his voces populi and his humorous parodies of a reciter's stock-piece (Burglar Bill, &c.) represent his best work. In 1901, his successful farce The Man from Blankleys, based on a story that originally appeared in Punch, was first produced at the Prince of Wales Theatre, in London. He wrote Only Toys (1903) and Salted Almonds (1906).
Many of Anstey's stories have been adapted into theatrical productions and motion pictures. The Tinted Venus was adapted by S.J. Perelman, Ogden Nash, and Kurt Weill into One Touch of Venus in 1943. Vice Versa has been filmed many times, usually transposed in setting and without any credit to the original book. Another of his novels, The Brass Bottle, has also been filmed more than once, including The Brass Bottle (1964).
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 24, 2012
I slowly worked my way through this large omnibus volume and reviewed each part separately as I came to it.
1. Vice Versa **** (Read from May 16 to 20, 2011)
Yes it is the book that allegedly killed Anthony Trollope!: according to the Trollope society website "In September he left Harting and took quarters at Garland's Hotel, Suffolk Street, Pall Mall, London. Here, on November 3, while laughing at a family reading of F. Anstey's Vice Versa, he was struck down by a paralytic stroke; and on December 6, at a house in Welbeck Street, he died."
The story is probably the first "Body swap" comedy and as such is the direct or indirect inspiration for everything from such novels as Thorne Smith's "Turnabout" and P. G. Wodehouse's "Laughing Gas" to such movies as "Freaky Friday." The book it's self has been directly filmed at least three times.
The story concerns a father and son who with the help of a magic stone swap place, the father into the sons body and well... vice versa. The story follows the father (now in the sons body) to boarding school and tells of his misadventures there. The son (in the fathers body's) misadventures happen off-stage. The book was first published in 1882 and I thoroughly enjoyed it, although not perhaps killingly funny I regularly laughed-out-loud and I look forward to reading more from F. Anstey.
2. The Tinted Venus ** (Read from July 07 to 13, 2011)
A bit of a come down after "Vice versa" but still a pleasant vintage comic fantasy. Complications arise when a statue of Venus comes to life and pursues a young, recently engaged hairdresser.
3. A Fallen Idol ** (Read from October 26 to November 2, 2011)
An Indian Idol brings bad luck to all who come into contact with it. An English artist is given it as a present by his fiancée causing many misadventures.
Anstey's young lovers are rather dull and the "comic" mystic rather difficult to follow. By the end though I was forgiving the books short comings as it wound up to rather an enjoyable climax.
4. The Talking Horse *** (Read from March 12 to 16, 2012)
This is not the full collection of short stories entitled "The talking horse" that was first published in 1892 by Smith, Elder, & Co. only two of the ten stories from the book are included in "Humour and fantasy" these are "the talking horse" and "A matter of taste" I actually went to the trouble of obtaining the full book which I have reviewed on it's own page. The short story "The talking Horse" seems fairly typical Anstey a man to impress a girl takes up riding only to find him self in difficulties when his horse starts talking. "A matter of taste" is more enjoyable than it sounds a man decorates their new house to surprise his fiancée.
5. Salted Almonds **** (Read from July 9 to 12, 2012)
A collection of 15 short pieces of which 7 are written in dialogue as little playlets these are amusing but unexceptional comedies of manners. The remaining 8 pieces though are on a different level each a fantastical short story, amongst others we have people's spirits inheriting monkeys, a novelist's characters coming to visit him, a man who believes his love's spirit has returned to him in the form of a seagull, a demon making a pact with a man so that he will pronounce his H's and an encounter with a princess and a dragon in a snow globe.
6. The Brass Bottle **** (Read from December 14 to 24, 2012)
An excellent genie in a bottle yarn, charming old-fashioned fun, exactly the kind of thing I was hoping for when I began to read F. Anstey. A young architect purchases a brass bottle and finds himself in an Arabian nights story as a genie wrecks havoc and ruins his social life in turn of the century London.
1. Vice Versa **** (Read from May 16 to 20, 2011)
Yes it is the book that allegedly killed Anthony Trollope!: according to the Trollope society website "In September he left Harting and took quarters at Garland's Hotel, Suffolk Street, Pall Mall, London. Here, on November 3, while laughing at a family reading of F. Anstey's Vice Versa, he was struck down by a paralytic stroke; and on December 6, at a house in Welbeck Street, he died."
The story is probably the first "Body swap" comedy and as such is the direct or indirect inspiration for everything from such novels as Thorne Smith's "Turnabout" and P. G. Wodehouse's "Laughing Gas" to such movies as "Freaky Friday." The book it's self has been directly filmed at least three times.
The story concerns a father and son who with the help of a magic stone swap place, the father into the sons body and well... vice versa. The story follows the father (now in the sons body) to boarding school and tells of his misadventures there. The son (in the fathers body's) misadventures happen off-stage. The book was first published in 1882 and I thoroughly enjoyed it, although not perhaps killingly funny I regularly laughed-out-loud and I look forward to reading more from F. Anstey.
2. The Tinted Venus ** (Read from July 07 to 13, 2011)
A bit of a come down after "Vice versa" but still a pleasant vintage comic fantasy. Complications arise when a statue of Venus comes to life and pursues a young, recently engaged hairdresser.
3. A Fallen Idol ** (Read from October 26 to November 2, 2011)
An Indian Idol brings bad luck to all who come into contact with it. An English artist is given it as a present by his fiancée causing many misadventures.
Anstey's young lovers are rather dull and the "comic" mystic rather difficult to follow. By the end though I was forgiving the books short comings as it wound up to rather an enjoyable climax.
4. The Talking Horse *** (Read from March 12 to 16, 2012)
This is not the full collection of short stories entitled "The talking horse" that was first published in 1892 by Smith, Elder, & Co. only two of the ten stories from the book are included in "Humour and fantasy" these are "the talking horse" and "A matter of taste" I actually went to the trouble of obtaining the full book which I have reviewed on it's own page. The short story "The talking Horse" seems fairly typical Anstey a man to impress a girl takes up riding only to find him self in difficulties when his horse starts talking. "A matter of taste" is more enjoyable than it sounds a man decorates their new house to surprise his fiancée.
5. Salted Almonds **** (Read from July 9 to 12, 2012)
A collection of 15 short pieces of which 7 are written in dialogue as little playlets these are amusing but unexceptional comedies of manners. The remaining 8 pieces though are on a different level each a fantastical short story, amongst others we have people's spirits inheriting monkeys, a novelist's characters coming to visit him, a man who believes his love's spirit has returned to him in the form of a seagull, a demon making a pact with a man so that he will pronounce his H's and an encounter with a princess and a dragon in a snow globe.
6. The Brass Bottle **** (Read from December 14 to 24, 2012)
An excellent genie in a bottle yarn, charming old-fashioned fun, exactly the kind of thing I was hoping for when I began to read F. Anstey. A young architect purchases a brass bottle and finds himself in an Arabian nights story as a genie wrecks havoc and ruins his social life in turn of the century London.
March 7, 2016
I read this volume (reprinted 1933 from the original in 1882) when I was a eighteen. I loved it then, and I love it now (still have my copy).
If you can get over some of the old fashioned language (which adds to the charm for me) you will find many concepts/themes that were ground breaking at the time - the best known example is Vice-Versa (about body/mind exchange).
If you can get over some of the old fashioned language (which adds to the charm for me) you will find many concepts/themes that were ground breaking at the time - the best known example is Vice-Versa (about body/mind exchange).
June 23, 2015
Too annoying to finish!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews