A set of often funny, sometimes tragic stories by Israel Zangwill. Most famous for his scathingly accurate portrayals of the Jewish ghetto, these stories have a wider stage, poking fun at social conventions and society itself, both high and low. The real and the fantastic collide to produce a world uniquely Zangwill's.These are the tales of figures as diverse as a pantomime dragon, an excellent butler, a man living his life in the wrong order and a Jewish maiden who knows exactly what she is worth. Well observed and original, the satire is biting and the wit sparkling.Many of the stories in this volume are accompanied by excellent illustrations, which are well worth a look. They are available in the Gutenberg e-text.The novella, King of Schnorrers, which began this collection when it appeared in print, has already been recorded separately. As such it is omitted from this collection, and only the shorter stories are included.

Latest episodes of the podcast Grotesques and Fantasies by Israel Zangwill

• Foreword
• The Semi-Sentimental Dragon
• An Honest Log-Roller
• A Tragi-Comedy of Creeds
• The Memory Clearing House
• Mated by a Waiter. Chapter I, Black and White
• Mated by a Waiter. Chapter II, A Difficult Opening
• Mated by a Waiter. Chapter III, The Queen Comes Into Play
• Mated by a Waiter. Chapter IV, The Winning Move
• The Principal Boy
• An Odd Life
• Cheating the Gallows
• Santa Claus
• A Rose of the Ghetto
• A Double-Barrelled Ghost
• Vagaries of a Viscount
• The Queen's Triplets
• A Successful Operation
• Flutter-Duck. Chapter I, Flutter-Duck in Feather
• Flutter-Duck. Chapter II, A Migratory Bird
• Flutter-Duck. Chapter III, Flight
• Flutter-Duck. Chapter IV, Poor Flutter-Duck