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Salted Almonds
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1906
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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 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 16, 2024
This is mildly humourous collection of shorts. Not all of them have a punchline and are merely little scenes but almost all of them are at least mildly diverting.
The weirder tales are still funny but usually it's turned into a really dark humour. Decently entertaining overall, nothing amazing but pretty fun.
Made available by the Merril Collection.
The weirder tales are still funny but usually it's turned into a really dark humour. Decently entertaining overall, nothing amazing but pretty fun.
Made available by the Merril Collection.
July 12, 2012
I read this as part of the F. Anstey omnibus Humour & fantasy
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 loves 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.
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 loves 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.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews