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Title
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en_US
Ironical Tales
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Description
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en_US
This is a hardbound book (hard cover)
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en_US
This book has a dust jacket (book cover)
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en_US
Laurence Housman
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Creator
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en_US
Housman, Laurence
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Date
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2016-01-25T19:02:44Z
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en_US
1998-06
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en_US
1927
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Date Available
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2016-01-25T19:02:44Z
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Date Issued
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en_US
1927
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Abstract
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en_US
Irony is the central concept here. Just when a reader thinks that she or he has found the right vantage point, there can be an ironic shift. This book starts with seven short stories and ends with ten similar pieces. In between there are thirteen Philosophical Romances that sometimes come close to fables. Of the early short stories, I recommend most highly The Real Temptation of St. Anthony and The Turn of the Worm. I find in Housman's work a steady clash of body and soul, of belief and unbelief. The latter of these two pieces is about getting the head and body of a missionary together in a literal way. It is typical of Housman's satire that the head ends up being made into a god and leading local Christians into many battles against other tribes, including many that were Christian (58). The shorter pieces at the center sometimes approach Bierce for their sardonic quick shifts. Try the first, The Merchant and the Robber (59) for a taste of human ingratitude and ingenuity. The Poet and his Mistress (74) shifts perspective several times--deftly and pointedly. Among the best for humor is The Prince and His Two Mistresses (92).
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Identifier
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en_US
4104 (Access ID)
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Language
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en_US
eng
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Publisher
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en_US
George H. Doran Company
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en_US
New York
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Subject
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en_US
PR4809.H18 I7 1927
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en_US
Title Page Scanned
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Type
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en_US
Book, Whole