{"product_id":"days-end-and-other-stories-9781448215546","title":"Day's End and Other Stories","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eDay's End and Other Stories\u003c\/i\u003e, H. E. Bates's first short story collection published in 1928 when he was just 23, depicts the rural lives of quirky characters cast in his distinctive, beautifully drawn style. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Each story has a youthful quality, intimate and often profound, perfectly demonstrating the progression of this masterful wordsmith. Bates explores bittersweet young love in 'The Birthday', the delightful reflections of a man spellbound by the sounds of the sea and the breathing of his new baby in 'The Holiday', and two old friends in 'Fishing', described by David Garnett as a tale that \"could hardly be shorter and could hardly be slighter, but it is a complete and perfect little work of art, full of humour and containing a profound reflection on human life.\" \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e This edition of \u003ci\u003eDay's End and Other Stories, \u003c\/i\u003e published by Bloomsbury Reader to celebrate H. E. Bates's 110th birthday anniversary, is enhanced with a bonus story - \u003ci\u003eIn View of the Fact That\u003c\/i\u003e - a rare gem previously published in a small pamphlet in 1927, and never reproduced.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eH. E. Bates was born in 1905 in the shoe-making town of Rushden, Northamptonshire, and educated at Kettering Grammar School. After leaving school, he worked as a reporter and as a clerk in a leather warehouse. \u003cbr\u003eMany of his stories depict life in the rural Midlands, particularly his native Northamptonshire, where he spent many hours wandering the countryside. \u003cbr\u003eHis first novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Two Sisters\u003c\/i\u003e (1926) was published by Jonathan Cape when he was just twenty. Many critically acclaimed novels and collections of short stories followed. \u003cbr\u003eDuring WWII he was commissioned into the RAF solely to write short stories, which were published under the pseudonym \"Flying Officer X\". His first financial success was \u003ci\u003eFair Stood the Wind for France\u003c\/i\u003e (1944), followed by two novels about Burma, \u003ci\u003eThe Purple Plain\u003c\/i\u003e (1947) and \u003ci\u003eThe Jacaranda Tree\u003c\/i\u003e (1949) and one set in India, \u003ci\u003eThe Scarlet Sword\u003c\/i\u003e (1950). Other well-known novels include \u003ci\u003eLove for Lydia\u003c\/i\u003e (1952) and \u003ci\u003eThe Feast of July\u003c\/i\u003e (1954). \u003cbr\u003eHis most popular creation was the Larkin family which featured in five novels beginning with \u003ci\u003eThe Darling Buds of May\u003c\/i\u003e in 1958. The later television adaptation was a huge success. \u003cbr\u003eMany other stories were adapted for the screen, the most renowned being \u003ci\u003eThe Purple Plain\u003c\/i\u003e (1947) starring Gregory Peck, and \u003ci\u003eThe Triple Echo\u003c\/i\u003e (1970) with Glenda Jackson and Oliver Reed. \u003cbr\u003eH. E. Bates married in 1931, had four children and lived most of his life in a converted granary near Charing in Kent. He was awarded the CBE in 1973, shortly before his death in 1974.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Bloomsbury Reader","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50337319354642,"sku":"9781448215546","price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_0778c2c9-6b0d-484e-9a9c-e6f23146c60b.jpg?v=1727959463","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/days-end-and-other-stories-9781448215546","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}