The Open Window

by Saki

Genres: Short Stories, Horror, Fiction, Classics, Humor

4 pages, ebook

Published January 1, 1911

About the author

British writer Hector Hugh Munro under pen name Saki published his witty and sometimes bitter short stories in collections, such as The Chronicles of Clovis (1911).

His sometimes macabre satirized Edwardian society and culture. People consider him a master and often compare him to William Sydney Porter and Dorothy Rothschild Parker. His tales feature delicately drawn characters and finely judged narratives. "The Open Window," perhaps his most famous, closes with the line, "Romance at short notice was her specialty," which thus entered the lexicon. Newspapers first and then several volumes published him as the custom of the time.

His works include
* a full-length play, The Watched Pot , in collaboration with Charles Maude;
* two one-act plays;
* a historical study, The Rise of the Russian Empire , the only book under his own name;
* a short novel, The Unbearable Bassington ;
* the episodic The Westminster Alice , a parliamentary parody of Alice in Wonderland ;
* and When William Came: A Story of London under the Hohenzollerns , an early alternate history.

Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll, and Joseph Rudyard Kipling, influenced Munro, who in turn influenced A. A. Milne, and Pelham Grenville Wodehouse.

Reviews

[EveStar91 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You may wonder why we keep that window wide open on an October afternoon,” said the niece, indicating a large French window that opened on to a lawn.

A brilliant example of Saki's cutting edge humour and sardonic wit, displayed through the very self-possessed young lady of fifteen in just a few pages. The twist - common in Saki's stories - perfectly encapsulates the rebelliousness of his characters against society and the hilarity of his conclusions.

🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2🌟
[3/4 star for the premise; One star for the character sketches; One star for the plot; 3/4 star for the world-building; One star for the writing - 4 1/2 stars in total.]

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful story is often anthologised as a 'ghost/supernatural/horror' story, though it is nothing of the sort, but I can understand why. It must be an onerous job editing an anthology and ploughing through really terrible or second rate material because it 'fits' the anthology's 'theme'. Who wouldn't grab onto a work with Saki's finest crystalline prose that sends shivers up your spine and makes you feel as if you have just experienced the most wonderful of petit morts even if including it is 'stretching' your anthologies thematic framework to its limits. I imagine it would have been one of the few happy moments (aside from cashing the cheque) that the editor received.

Banish the supernatural and ghosts this a story about the self absorbed blindness of Framton Nuttel who:

"...laboured under the tolerably widespread delusion that total strangers and chance acquaintances are hungry for the least detail of one's ailments and infirmities..."

Saki is extremely good at delineating with forensic exactness the foibles of the dull and uninteresting in stories like 'The Unrest Cure' and 'The She Wolf' (although I could easily mention a dozen more) and, in The Open Window, Frampton Nuttel is one of his greatest 'dull' characters. That he is up against one of Saki's finest 'nieces', Vera Stappleton (it is easy to imagine her as the 'niece' in the Boar Pig) ensures that when they are brought together the result is purest literary gold.

I refuse to say more because Saki's stories are gossamer spider webs, fragile and easily spoilt. It is only a few thousand words long - take a risk - indulge yourself.

[Shreyas · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me by surprise. 😆

At first, I thought it was going to be a horror or supernatural story, but the way the story ended had me chuckling. Cleverly done.

[Paola Micheli · Rating 3 out of 5]

that was fun!

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this story - know quite a few Frampton Nuttells.

[mackenzie lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was lowk confusing (but maybe I’m just not smart) but I think because I was reading it knowing there would be a plot twist. When I finished it and the plot twist was kinda anti-climatic, I thought I misread it and had to look it up. In reality, I understood it but it just wasn’t that spooky. Underwhelming.

[Annika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oväntat uppfriskande

[Margot Meanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young girl tells a visitor a chilling story about the tragic fate of her family. The unexpected twist lies in the truth behind her tale. Truth vs fiction, escapism, dramatic irony. Great little story with sinister undertones.

[midnightfaerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit, I laughed out loud at the end, totally not expecting it, and so delighted with the conclusion. A short one, but so worth it, and perfect for the spooky Halloween season. It's my last read for Halloween this year, but definitely the best. A man visits a teen girl's aunt, who is upstairs and will be down in a minute. So he has an interesting, if not stilted, conversation with the girl. She talks of the open window and why it is open until dusk everyday. Turns out the family has a heart wrenching, pitiful story, one that draws you in, in a matter of minutes, perhaps even seconds. This adds to the horror the man must feel when the end events happen. I really don't want to give it away, but it was so good. This is one I will remember the next time I'm asked to tell a spooky story around a campfire. Highly recommended.

[George Ilsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sent to the country for your nerves — who hasn't dreamt of that?

Poor Mr. Nuttel did not find the remedy so agreeable, and yet dutifully used the letters of introduction to meet some new people, and perhaps settle his rattled nerves.

Oh dear. The "niece of the moment" was a finely tuned instrument, and a creative genius.

[Mayda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this clever short story. I dubbed it with a new genre - horror humor. Wish I could find more like it. Sometimes what appears to be unreliable narrator really isn’t. You decide who to believe and when.

[Amelia (Taylors Version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*read for class*

[Amelia Di Nardo]

*read for class*

[aliaareadstoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I thought it's a horror story, but at the end of it I laughed so bad 🤣🤣🤣

[Caro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent short story ☺️

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent for teaching tension and humor.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful short story 🥰

[Lotus_Dibbets · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had to Read to for school bit I actually liked the story

[Sara Al-Abri · Rating 4 out of 5]

BRILLIANT!

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great. Neat little horror tale… or is it?

(Audiobook)

[Ghazal Farmani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me when I’m bored:

[Elizabeth van Niekerk-Venter · Rating 5 out of 5]

THis made me chuckle. Very good.

[Charlotte M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. The first part reads almost like The Legend of Sleepy Hollow but the twist is very funny and unexpected. 🪟👻

[Paul Bard · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amusing joke told by a girl

[Rouya Majid Nasiri · Rating 3 out of 5]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
How was I able to forget that I read this story loooongg longgg agoooo? Maybe when I was 14 years old.
It made me laugh so hard back then and even now

[Tony Ciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

great story by great author.

[Hottest Brunette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance at short notice was her speciality.

[Julia Shanahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

delightful, perfect, piece.