"The Open Window," one of Saki's most popular stories, first appeared in Beasts and Super Beasts, a collection of short stories published in 1914. The story is appreciated for its twist ending, wherein the reader discovers that everybody has been fooled by Vera's ability to weave fanciful tales of death and desperation.
Key Aspects of The Open Window
Tone
Eerie and dark, but also comically light bordering on the absurd toward the end.
Setting
October in the rural countryside, Edwardian England.
Point of view
Omniscient Third-Person Narrator
Character development
Frampton Nuttel: Nuttel has moved to the countryside on doctor's orders, where he hopes to cure his nerves. His...
