The Mirror of Kong Ho by Ernest Bramah

Dodo Collections brings you another classic from Bramah Ernest, ‘The Mirror of Kong Ho.’   This lively and amusing set of stories, constructed as a series of letters dealing with the oddities and eccentricities of the West, are purportedly by Kong Ho, a Chinese man visiting early 20th century London. These letters, addressed to his homeland, refer to the Westerners in London as barbarians and reinterpret many elements of modern life (such as the motor car and the piano) with the wit, wisdom and wry sense of humor that suffuses the best of Bramahs Oriental works. Bramah was a reclusive soul, who shared few details of his private life with his reading public. His full name was Ernest Bramah Smith. It is known that he dropped out of Manchester Grammar School at the age of 16, after displaying poor aptitude as a student and thereafter went into farming, and began writing vignettes for the local newspaper. Bramahs father was a wealthy man who rose from factory hand to a very wealthy man in a short time, and who supported his son in his various career attempts.   Bramah went to Fleet Street after the farming failure and became a secretary to Jerome K. Jerome, rising to a position as editor of one of Jeromes magazines. At some point, he appears to have married Mattie.