The twenty-six stories included in this volume are taut, economical in structure, precisely observed and laced with irony.

The twenty-six stories included in this volume are taut, economical in structure, precisely observed and laced with irony. They include some of his most popular and well known stories: A Dog without a Master, a meditation upon a godless existence, The Fur Coat, in which a borrowed garment reveals an adulterous secret, and The Chinese, with its delicate depiction of loneliness and isolation. Shining through all the stories is Söderberg's clear-sighted affection for Stockholm, in all its moods - it is only too easy to see why Söderberg is regarded as one of the foremost chroniclers of the city. "These are marvellous little pieces [...] full of wise and witty thoughts about religion and other forms of nonsense, and they have been efficiently translated and informatively introduced." Rationalist Review "Carl Lofmark has done valuable service by providing a modern English translation of many of Söderberg's stories, and a first English translation of others." Swedish Book Review