I read the Tenth of December and found it terrific. This one threw me off for a time--it seemed oddly simple for Saunders. A "writing fox" describes the brutality/wonder of modern life. Nothing new. But . . . this would be a great short story for middle school and even high school kids. It's clever linguistically, it's funny, and it's got food for thought. I was lucky enough to use Junior Great Books when I taught, and I'd say that Fox 8: A Story is a perfect fit for that series. Teachers will love it; kids will love it. I hope it finds those readers.
February 1895 (Alice died in 1892) Money problems, jealousy of Wilde; time spent with Lord Wolseley1; off to Ireland to lick his wounds; Irish unrest--Irish landlords boycott all social events; much time spent with manservant Hammond (homosexual attraction again); fancy dress ball, appalling to James, who is only happy in company of Hammond, though Hammond remains a servant and no more; little girl alone on the grounds--inspiration for Turn of the Screw?; conflict with Webster who alludes to Wilde's successful play and HJ's failure; Wolseley was an Anglo-Irish officer in the British Army . He became one of the most influential and admired British generals after a series of successes in Canada, West Africa, and Egypt, followed by a central role in modernizing the British Army in promoting efficiency. He served in Burma, the Crimean War , the Indian Mutiny , China, Canada and widely throughout Africa—including his Ashanti campaign (18...
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