The polite drawing rooms of Edwardian society become the setting for savage wit and macabre humor in this biting collection of short stories. The author introduces a cast of mischievous children, talking animals, and cynical socialites who disrupt the boring conventions of the upper class. Stories like "The Open Window" and "Sredni Vashtar" display a mastery of the surprise ending and a cruelty that is strangely delightful. It is a brilliant satire that reveals the wild, predatory nature lurking beneath the veneer of civilization.