H. E. Bates’s most beloved collections of short stories, brought vividly to life by the charming illustrations of Edward Ardizzone.
In this collection the stories are presented in full, accompanied by the original drawings by Edward Ardizzone that perfectly capture the little reed-thatched house atop a violet-banked lane.
Over the course of ninety-five years Uncle Silas found the time to do most things: He boasted of the villains he had knocked to kingdom come as he boasted of the women whose hearts he had truly captured.
Crotchety, vainglorious, occasionally wicked, he maintained a devilish spark of audacity which made him so attractive to everyone he met. One of Ardizzone's earliest book illustrations.
The book remains relevant today because it celebrates qualities that are increasingly rare in a fast-moving, digital world: community, storytelling, connection to place, and an appreciation of life's simple pleasures. Uncle Silas’s humorous scepticism toward authority and convention also speaks to modern readers, while the stories preserve a way of rural life that has largely disappeared. At a time when many people are seeking authenticity, local identity, and a slower pace of living, My Uncle Silas offers both a delightful escape and a reminder of enduring human values.
The book is in good condition with some wear on the dust-jacket.
The book was first published in 1939, This edition was published in 1947 by the Reprint Society.
