The Year of the Short Corn, and Other Stories

By: Fred Urquhart, Isobel Murray (Introduction by)

Write A Review

Paperback | 15 February 2013

At a Glance

Paperback
240 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
20.32 x 12.7 x 1.4

Paperback

$34.57

or 4 interest-free payments of $8.64 with

Aims to ship in 30 to 35 business days

"The Year of the Short Corn" was first published in 1949, and the war, or its immediate aftermath, forms a presence in most of the stories. It can be a civilian family gathered together with scattered serving children for a precious Christmas leave, or a son or daughter returning from one of the services; it can illustrate clothes rationing, and the avid fervour with which civilian women greet silk stockings; it can be a 'townser' who thinks too much of himself who becomes snowbound on a North East farm, or the rage and humiliation of a young castrated ox. It can even be an Edinburgh boarding-house with a kenspeckle crew of lodgers (and an oversexed bulldog), under the eyes of a bewildered refugee girl from Vienna. Fred Urquhart was praised by George Orwell for the striking variety of his subject matter, and by others for his splendid dialogue, and his portraits of characters, especially women. None of these critics was wrong, but there is more here to praise!

Industry Reviews

In a Review in Tribune in 1946, George Orwell called Urquhart "a short story writer with vastly more life in him than the majority of the tribe ...", adding that "Few now writing are able to handle dialogue more skilfully". In 1967, V. S. Pritchett told readers of the New Statesman that Urquhart's "proletarian studies" had "opened the way for playwrights of the past decade". T.L.S.

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $99.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.