Showing results for "Aunts" in Classics

On doctor's orders, Bertie Wooster retires to the village of Maiden Eggesford, but his rest-cure is interrupted by Aunt Dahlia, who wants him to nobble a racehorse; Vanessa Cook, who wants him to act as go-between for her and Orlo Porter; and Orlo Porter himself, who would tear Bertie limb from limb if he ever discovered that Bertie and Vanessa were once engaged. Throw in a dotty explorer, an unreliable poacher, an irascible father, and the stable cat, and the stage is set for a sublime farce.

This classic farce was first performed in 1892. Since the record-breaking initial run in London, it has been revived many times around the world in a variety of languages, and has also been adapted for a number of presentations on film. The play incorporates many of the features which have become standard in romantic comedies: a cross dressing central character, identity confusion, young lovers kept apart by parental influence and older lovers unexpectedly reunited.

‘Aunt Crete’s Emancipation’ follows Miss Lucretia Ward or ‘Crete’ to her family, as she navigates life with her rude sister Carrie and her spoilt niece Luella. They treat the older Crete like a maid more than a family member but everything will change when cousin Donald Grant visits from out west. Carrie and Luella shun the ‘backwoods’ cousin but Crete welcomes him with loving and open arms, changing everyone’s lives forever.

Aunt Crete has spent a lifetime of toil catering to the needs of her family, especially her waspish sister, Carrie, and social-climbing niece, Louella. When a telegram from a nephew from out west announces his imminent arrival, mother and daughter hasten a trip to the shore to escape the "country cousin" who they are sure will shame them.

Bobby is an accomplished and charming pianist who has befriended a number of rich elderly widows and spinsters, each of which he refers to as 'aunt'. He already has his own Bechstein grand piano, plus another concert grand which was (touchingly but highly inconveniently) left to him by a late 'aunt'. Now various of his other 'aunts' are also keen to offload their grand pianos on him....

Aunt Caroline's Silk Dress: Patty came in from her walk to the post office with cheeks finely reddened by the crisp air. Carry surveyed her with pleasure. Of late Patty's cheeks had been entirely too pale to please Carry, and Patty had not had a very good appetite. Once or twice she had even complained of a headache. So Carry had sent her to the office for a walk that night, although the post office trip was usually Carry's own special constitutional, always very welcome to her after a weary day of sewing on other people's pretty dresses.

When P.G. Wodehouse wrote: "It is no use telling me there are bad aunts and good aunts. At the core they are all alike. Sooner or later out pops the cloven hoof." he might as well have been describing poor Francis Flushington's dilemma.

Nikolai Gogol's classic short story "Ivan Fedorovich Shponka and His Aunt is a hilarious satire, exploring the fear of marriage and romantic commitment in Russian men.

"What would you have done? Rubbed your eyes and thought you were dreaming? Well, if you had, nothing more would have happened. Nothing ever does when you behave like that." In 'The Aunt and Amabel' a young girl damages a special flower-bed without meaning to, and as a punishment her aunt sends her to the bedroom with the large wardrobe. When Amabel finds a railway timetable naming a station called 'Bigwardrobeinspareroom' in there she is intrigued. And in opening the wardrobe, she finds something very unexpected on the inside. C.S.