Gabriel-Ernest and Other Tales

(Paperback)

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Description

The local landowner Van Cheele experiences an unnerving encounter with a youth sunning himself near a pond, and starts to wonder if there is any connection between this wild-looking boy and the recent disappearances of poultry, hares, lambs and, more alarmingly, an infant child in the area. To his astonishment, he discovers the next day that his aunt has decided to take the boy in, buying him a suit of clothes and naming him Gabriel-Ernest. Van Cheele remains suspicious, especially when it is revealed that there is something supernatural about their new ward An eerie and disquieting tale about the dark side of adolescence, Gabriel-Ernest, written with Sakis trademark wit and mischievousness, is here presented with seven other uncanny and macabre tales, featuring Quentin Blakes inimitable illustrations.

Reviews

Sakis short stories may be more than 100 years old but that sharp wit, precise uncompromising vocabulary, and championing of children over unpleasant supervisory adults is timeless...And Quentin Blakes drawings make them livelier than ever. * The Independent *
Quentin Blake's characteristically spiky illustrations capture the Saki irony well and make these century-old tales feel very fresh. * The School Library Association *

Author Bio

Hector Hugh Munro (18701916) wrote under the pen name Saki and is best known for his strange, mischievous and witty short stories.