Olga Fialová Books

Originally published: New York: William Morrow & Company, 1953.

Stephen Butler Leacock (1869 -1944) was a Canadian writer and economist. Leacock, always of obvious intelligence, was sent to the elite private school of Upper Canada College in Toronto, where he was top of the class and so popular he was chosen as head boy. Early in his career Leacock turned to fiction, humour, and short reports to supplement and ultimately exceed his regular income. His stories, first published in magazines in Canada and the United States and later in novel form became extremely popular around the world. It was said in 1911 that more people had heard of Stephen Leacock than had heard of Canada. Although he wrote learned articles and books related to his field of study, his political theory is now all but forgotten. Leacock was awarded the Royal Society of Canada's Lorne Pierce Medal in 1937, nominally for his academic work.

Einer der neuesten Geschichten des bekannten amerikanischen Autors führt uns in das ländliche Anwesen des seltsamen alten Mannes Hendrik Mosaze, einem ehemaligen Goldschmied, der auf ungewöhnliche Weise mehrere Gäste eingeladen hat. Unter ihnen befindet sich auch die Pflegerin Jessie, deren Ehemann niemand anderes als der pensionierte Inspektor Queen ist. Warum verspricht der Alte gerade diesen Personen ein Millionenvermögen? Gibt es verborgene Blutsbande oder handelt es sich um einen Launen oder eine raffinierte Falle? Die Spannung steigt, als der Tod ins Spiel kommt. Das Leben im merkwürdigen Haus wird immer komplizierter, doch die Aussicht auf das beträchtliche Erbe vertreibt die Angst. Wo sind jedoch die Millionen des Alten? Inspektor Queen versucht, das Geflecht der Geheimnisse zu entwirren, doch wie oft wird er seine Meinung ändern müssen, bevor er erkennt, dass alles ganz anders abgelaufen ist… Wie? Das erfahren Sie erst am Ende, und Sie werden ebenso überrascht sein wie der Inspektor selbst.

Set against the backdrop of the wilderness, the story follows an Eastern lawyer as he vies for the affection of a beautiful yet dissatisfied city woman, who is married to a capable backwoodsman. The novel explores themes of masculinity and societal expectations in the 1920s, highlighting the tension between physical prowess and intellectualism. Critics have humorously noted the title's significance, unaware of the real-life adventure that inspired it, adding an intriguing layer to the narrative's exploration of gender roles.

To the outside world, Sarah and Oliver Watson had the perfect marriage. Happy and successful, with three beautiful children, they seemed to have it all. But under the surface, Sarah felt lost, empty and inadequate. And one Christmas, after eighteen years of marriage, she walked out. Left alone, Oliver struggles to cope with raising his three children. Seventeen-year-old Benjamin rebels with disastrous consequences, while fifteen-year-old Melissa angrily turns against her father, and nine-year-old Sam, the 'baby', is too shaken to deal with his mother's abandonment. And then tragedy strikes once more when Oliver's mother dies in an untimely accident and three generations of the Watson family find that they must pull together to cope, and maybe one day move on and love again . . .

Povídky anglické spisovatelky – kompletní ze sbírky Five Short Novels (1953) a po jedné ze The Habit of Loving (1957) – svou uměleckou hloubkou a jednotou formy a obsahu sugestivně odhalují kolonialismus a rasovou diskriminaci v jižní a střední Africe.

Satirické povídky o snobech a zbohatlících žijících na luxusní Plutoriánské třídě v jednom menším americkém městě.