''Lady into Fox'' was
David Garnett's first
novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
using his own name, published in 1922. This short and enigmatic work won the
James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and the
Hawthornden Prize a year later. Being a work of
fantasy set in the present-day society, it fits into the category of
Contemporary Fantasy which was not yet recognized as a distinct genre at the time of writing.
Plot summary
Silvia Tebrick, the 24-year-old wife of Richard Tebrick, suddenly becomes a
fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelv ...
while they are out walking in the woods. Mr. Tebrick sends away all the servants in an attempt to keep Silvia's new nature a secret, although Silvia's childhood nurse returns. While Silvia initially acts human, insisting on wearing clothing and playing
piquet, her behaviour increasingly becomes that characteristic of a vixen, causing the husband a great deal of anguish. Eventually, Mr. Tebrick releases Silvia into the wild, where she gives birth to five kits, whom Tebrick names and plays with every day. Despite Tebrick's efforts to protect Silvia and her cubs, she is ultimately killed by dogs during a
fox hunt; Tebrick, who tried to save Silvia from the dogs, is badly wounded, but eventually recovers.
McSweeney's Collins Library The Collins Library is an imprint of McSweeney's Books that publishes unusual out-of-print books. The imprint is named for its editor, Paul Collins.
Publications
# ''English as She Is Spoke'', by José da Fonseca and Pedro Carolino (1855) (McSwee ...
imprint republished ''Lady into Fox'' in 2004.
Reception and influence
Rebecca West described ''Lady Into Fox'' as one of the "best imaginative productions" of the decade.
The success of the novel resulted in several imitations. They included a parody by Christopher Ward (1868-1943) ''Gentleman Into Goose'' (1924), while
Vercors' homage ''Sylva'' (1961), depicts a fox transforming into a woman.
Adaptation
In 1939, British choreographer
Andrée Howard created a musical work of the same name based on Garnett's book for
Ballet Rambert
Rambert (known as Rambert Dance Company before 2014) is a leading British dance company. Formed at the start of the 20th century as a classical ballet company, it exerted a great deal of influence on the development of dance in the United Kingd ...
.
Sally Gilmour dancing Silvia Tebrick assured the ballet's success. The music was an arrangement of piano pieces by
Arthur Honegger (''Sept pièces brèves'' and ''Toccata et variations''), setting and costumes designed by
Nadia Benois.
[Deryck Lynham: ''Ballet Then and Now - A History of the Ballet in Europe'' (Sylvan Press, 1946) - p.154]
References
External links
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1922 British novels
British fantasy novels
Chatto & Windus books
Hawthornden Prize-winning works
Novels by David Garnett
Books about foxes
Fiction about shapeshifting
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