Saki?

[wellinghall]

Do you remember my posting this story by Saki?
http://wellinghall.livejournal.com/723719.html

Well, it is time to come clean; it was actually written by colinbj

Comments

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

*shrug* and?

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

See colinbj's comment.

[colinbj.livejournal.com]

Wellinghall very kindly posted the story at my request. I wanted to see whether anyone was fooled - I enjoy the challenge of writing pastiche.

The game ‘Ex Libris’, invented by former Oxford student Leslie Scott as part of a promotional campaign for the Bodleian and British libraries, challenges players to write introductory book paragraphs which can’t be told apart from the real thing.

(She is also the inventor of Jenga, I recommend her autobiography!)

I first met the game thanks to Geoff, whose pseudonym some will recognise from the former Arthurian Society. I have subsequently adapted the theme for confidence-building creative writing exercises. Wellinghall’s occasional posting of Saki stories gave a perfect opportunity for me to try the game for myself with his help.

I would very much like to hear in comments from anyone who rumbled me, or who is willing to admit to being deceived!

[bunn.livejournal.com]

It didn't seem quite right to me - I have the 'complete Saki' and have read it more than a few times.

I wondered if this were some sort of juvenilia or even fanfic - the style seemed a little clumsy in places, and I think in a real Clovis story the retribution would have been more swift and devastating.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

I, of course, was in on the joke; but I thought much the same as you.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Thank you for that explanation, colinbj.