BRITISH
SHORT
STORY

PENGUIN CLASSICS

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This collection first published in Penguin Classics 2015

Introduction and editorial matter copyright © Philip Hensher, 2015
The acknowledgements constitute an extension of this copyright page
All rights reserved

The moral rights of the editor and authors of the stories have been asserted

ISBN: 978-0-141-97929-8

Contents

General Introduction

THE PENGUIN BOOK OF THE BRITISH SHORT STORY
2

P. G. WODEHOUSE
Unpleasantness at Bludleigh Court

‘MALACHI’ WHITAKER
Courage

JACK COMMON
Nineteen

ELIZABETH BOWEN
The Dancing-Mistress

EVELYN WAUGH
Cruise

JAMES HANLEY
The German Prisoner

T. H. WHITE
The Point of Thirty Miles

LESLIE HALWARD
Old Sweat

JULIAN MACLAREN-ROSS
Death of a Comrade

ALUN LEWIS
Private Jones

‘HENRY GREEN’
The Lull

SYLVIA TOWNSEND WARNER
The Trumpet Shall Sound

W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM
Winter Cruise

ROALD DAHL
Someone Like You

L. A. G. STRONG
The Rook

T. F. POWYS
The Key of the Field

GRAHAM GREENE
The Hint of an Explanation

G. F. GREEN
A Wedding

ANGUS WILSON
The Wrong Set

RHYS DAVIES
A Human Condition

FRANCIS KING
The Mouse

WILLIAM SANSOM
A Contest of Ladies

SAMUEL SELVON
Knock on Wood

MURIEL SPARK
Bang-Bang You’re Dead

ROBERT AICKMAN
Bind Your Hair

V. S. NAIPAUL
The Perfect Tenants

J. G. BALLARD
The Cloud-Sculptors of Coral D

CHRISTINE BROOKE-ROSE
Red Rubber Gloves

ELIZABETH TAYLOR
In and Out the Houses

KINGSLEY AMIS
Mason’s Life

ALAN SILLITOE
Mimic

V. S. PRITCHETT
The Camberwell Beauty

JEAN RHYS
Pioneers, Oh, Pioneers

IAN MCEWAN
Pornography

ANGELA CARTER
The Courtship of Mr Lyon

DORIS LESSING
Notes for a Case History

PENELOPE FITZGERALD
The Means of Escape

ALASDAIR GRAY
Five Letters from an Eastern Empire

BERNARD MACLAVERTY
Phonefun Limited

SHENA MACKAY
Cardboard City

BERYL BAINBRIDGE
The Longstop

DOUGLAS DUNN
Bobby’s Room

GEORGINA HAMMICK
Grist

ADAM MARS-JONES
Baby Clutch

GEORGE MACKAY BROWN
Three Old Men

A. S. BYATT
Racine and the Tablecloth

MARTIN AMIS
Career Move

CANDIA MCWILLIAM
The Only Only

JANICE GALLOWAY
last thing

ALI SMITH
miracle survivors

TESSA HADLEY
Buckets of Blood

ADAM MAREK
The 40-Litre Monkey

JON MC GREGOR
The Remains

ZADIE SMITH
The Embassy of Cambodia

Author Biographies

Acknowledgements

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