The Brass Bottle Illustrated

By: Anstey, Thomas

Thomas Anstey Guthrie (1856-1934), was an English novelist and journalist, who wrote his comic novels under the pseudonym F. Anstey. He was educated at King's College London and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and was called to the bar in 1880. But the popular success of his story Vice Versa (1882) with its topsy-turvy substitution of a father for his schoolboy son, at once made his reputation as a humourist of an original type. He published in 1883 a serious novel, The Giant's Robe; but, in spite of its excellence, he discovered that it was not as a serious novelist but as a humourist that the public insisted on regarding him. As such his reputation was further confirmed by The Black Poodle (1884), The Tinted Venus (1885), and A Fallen Idol (1886). Many of Anstey's stories have been adapted into theatrical productions and motion pictures. The Tinted Venus (1885) was adapted by S. J. Perelman, Ogden Nash, and Kurt Weill into One Touch of Venus in 1943.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1701774585
• ISBN13: 9781701774582
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 254 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Don't keep your laughter bottled up.

The author F. Anstey = Thomas Anstey = Thomas Anstey Guthrie. Chapters: I. Horace Ventimore Receives a Commission II. A Cheap Lot III. An Unexpected Opening IV. At Large V. Carte Blance VI. Embarras de Richesses VII. "Gratitude-A Lively Sense of Favours to Come" VIII. Bachelor's Quarters IX. "Persicos Odi, Puer, Apparatus" X. No Place Like Home! XI. A Fool's Paradise XII. The Messenger of Hope XIII. A Choice of Evils XIV. "Since There's No Help, Come, Let Us Kiss and Part!" XV. Blushing Honours XVI. A Killing Frost XVII. High Words XVIII. A Game of Bluff The Epilogue I never had a chance to see the play and would like to someday. In the meantime, I have a DVD copy of the movie with Tony Randall, Barbara Eden, and Burl Ives (1964, Harry Keller). I would like the other movie versions also. Because the movie took place in modern-day (1964), I did not realize the story took place in England (originally published in 1900). We also see a few adaptations to the movie to change the timing of the media. Yet for the most part, when you read the story, you will see that the movie follows the book pretty faithfully down to some of the dialogue. The story is simple but becomes complex. Mild-mannered, obscure architect Horace Ventimore, in an attempt to impress his potential father-in-law, purchases a brass bottle. Upon opening it, you guess it, a djinn (Fakrash) pops out, and in his gratitude, Fakrash helps Ventimore in a way you would not believe; neither did Ventimore. I also purchased the Kindle freebie, which worked well except that each page number was read out.