The Brass Bottle (ePub)

F. Anstey was the pseudonym adopted by Thomas Anstey Guthrie (1856-1934), an English novelist and journalist known for his comic and fantasy writings. Born in Kensington, London, Anstey was educated at King's College School and at Trinity College, Cambridge. His initial career choice was the legal profession, but his passion for writing led him to pursue a career in journalism and literature. His first major success came with the publication of 'Vice Versa' in 1882, a comic novel about a father and son who magically swap bodies. This work established the thematic and stylistic approach that would characterize much of Anstey's oeuvre, blending humor with elements of the fantastic. Anstey's prolific career included the writing of 'The Brass Bottle' in 1900, a humorous fantasy that tells the story of an architect who discovers a brass bottle containing a djinn. The book is notable for its witty exploration of the complications arising from the granting of wishes and its satirical take on contemporary society. Anstey's literary style often parodied and satirized the mores and quirks of Victorian and Edwardian England, and his works were influential in the development of humorous fantasy as a genre. His skill at combining the absurd with critical social commentary earned him a place among the prominent satirical writers of his time.