A Man of Mystery and Other Stories

Sharply observed, wryly comic yet touched with sadness, these eight stories were written between 1969 and 1974. 'A Man of Mystery' charts the tragic downfall of Mr Green, a shoemaker overtaken by commercialization. Other stories range from the hilarious rivalry of a group of competitors in 'The Beauty Contest' to the heartbreaking disintegration of a marriage in 'The Dolly House'. Masterpieces of storytelling, they successfully capture the absurdities and pathos of human behaviour.