“Every single substantive word in the title, apart from ‘Penguin’, is under fierce debate,” declares Philip Hensher in the introduction to his magisterial two-volume anthology. His diverting essay, in which he explains his unabashedly personal selection, is scholarly, polemical, sniping, witty and eccentric, reaching its zenith when celebrating what makes a short story definitively British: Arthur Conan Doyle’s “Silver Blaze” is “exemplary”, and “playfulness” is key.
Reading the stories one after another yields an illuminating historical sweep; dipping in can leave one reeling from a potent hit. I would have loved a brief preface to each one for a bit of context and more of Hensher’s persuasive musings. Instead, fittingly playful author biographies are at the back, where we learn, for instance, that Beryl Bainbridge’s home contained a stuffed water buffalo.
There’s much to appreciate in Hensher’s tour – not everyone would consider Elizabeth Bowen sufficiently British to merit inclusion, and her little known story “The Dancing-Mistress” is staggeringly good. As for omissions, well, is it so bad to be left thirsting for more?
