The Black Dog, and Other Stories

"The Black Dog, and Other Stories" by A. E. Coppard is a collection of short stories written in the early 20th century. The book features various tales that delve into the complexities of human relationships and often intertwine elements of charm, simplicity, and poignancy. The narratives are likely to explore various characters and settings, revealing insights into love, longing, and the passage of time. At the start of the narrative titled "The Black Dog," we are introduced to Honourable Gerald Loughlin, who is at a remote train station reflecting on his fleeting holiday and a charming woman he recently met, Orianda Crabbe. As Loughlin contemplates his immediate return to the city, he is overwhelmed by an impulse to seek out Orianda again. The story unfolds through his thoughtful musings and an unexpected encounter with Orianda, who reveals her complicated family history and feelings towards her father, an innkeeper named Nathaniel Crabbe, and the tumult that defines her life. The rich, atmospheric descriptions and the emotions tied to their interaction create an intriguing setup for the unfolding tales of human connection and personal discovery. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Alfred Edgar Coppard was an English author, noted for his short stories, many of which had rural settings. Largely self-taught, he was championed by Ford Madox Ford and Arnold Bennett, among others, in his lifetime, and more recently by Frank O’Connor, Doris Lessing and Russell Banks. Some of his stories were dramatised for British television in the 1960s and 1970s.