The Sin of Monsieur Pettipon, and Other Humorous Tales

First published in 1922, this collection showcases Richard Edward Connell's gift for comic storytelling at its most polished. The centerpiece follows Monsieur Alphonse Pettipon, a ship steward of towering ambition and impeccable pride, whose dreams of elevating his station in life rest heavily on his young son's musical future. When a disgruntled passenger claims to have discovered a mysterious creature lurking in their cabin, Pettipon's carefully constructed world threatens to collapse. What unfolds is a delicious comedy of errors, as the steward battles to preserve both his reputation and his illusions while navigating the absurd demands of the wealthy passengers he serves. The surrounding tales in this collection chip away at the same target: the gap between how we see ourselves and how the world sees us, rendered with the kind of wit that was already vanishing when these stories first appeared. This is sophisticated, gentle humor from an era that still believed dignity was worth defending, even when the forces arrayed against it were ridiculous.