Little Mexican & Other Stories

In Short

This collection of psychological stories examines European society in the aftermath of the First World War and the shadow of historical change. Characters drift through Belgium, Italy, and England, encountering emotional distance, absurdity, and quiet human tragedy. Across these narratives, vulnerable idealists and self-absorbed opportunists attempt to forge connections, navigate family expectations, or manipulate others for personal gain. The book endures because of its sharp observation of human vanity, its refusal to offer easy sentimental consolations, and its clear-eyed depiction of how easily innocence is crushed by cynical ambition.

The Story

The book traces a series of psychological portraits, beginning with an extended journey into memory and childhood impression. A young English boy spends his formative holidays not in varied landscapes, but in the Belgian town of Longres, staying with his Uncle Spencer. The town is defined by its omnipresent church bells, which play endless carillons that visitors find maddening but locals learn to tune out through an unconscious "mental deafness." Uncle Spencer is an upstanding, generous Englishman who manages a sugar factory inherited from his Belgian ancestors. He is intensely squeamish about the local Belgian culture’s casual ribaldry, maintaining an embarrassed silence whenever confronted by vulgarities like chocolate novelty items in sweet-shop windows.

This predictable world shatters with the arrival of World War I. The invading German forces arrest Uncle Spencer and a fellow Briton named Alphonse simply because of their nationality. Imprisoned in Brussels among an eccentric array of captives—including a vain opera singer, a brooding Latin professor, and an Indian seer—Uncle Spencer falls deeply, obsessively in love with Emmy, a fellow prisoner in spiritual distress. Spencer’s idealized devotion becomes a heavy burden to Emmy; as her spirits recover, his solemn adoration strikes her as ridiculous, and she mocks his mournful expressions. When the Indian foretells that Emmy will one day marry Spencer, Spencer clings to the prophecy as a sacred truth, meditating on fate and free will while staring at the stars. However, Spencer is abruptly released and sent back to Longres without a chance to say goodbye, leaving his romantic obsession suspended in memory.

Subsequent narratives shift focus to the broader European stage, dissecting the comedy and tragedy of personal relationships. In Italy, a young narrator observes the domestic machinations of an old Count and his son, Fabio. The elderly father pretends to spend his time on agricultural affairs, but secretly slips away to travel with a mistress—his colombella—while his dutiful son remains behind to manage the family estate, harboring desperate hopes of artistic discovery. Elsewhere, a young man named Hubert experiences a sudden, chilling revulsion toward his devoted lover Minnie, finding her affections suffocating compared to his idealized, fleeting fascination with another woman.

In another setting, an antique dealer named Mr. Bigger recounts the history of a eighteenth-century portrait to a prospective buyer, detailing how an elderly aristocrat's young wife embarked on an affair with the handsome painter commissioned to capture her likeness. Finally, in a Tuscan villa, an English traveler witnesses the brilliant mathematical precocity of a small boy named Guido, whose extraordinary mind becomes an object of intense interest for a calculating local woman, Signora Bondi. When the pressure and conflict surrounding the child lead to an abrupt, tragic end, the boy’s father and the narrator are left to process a profound grief that anger cannot wash away.

How It Unfolds

Childhood in Longres A young boy spends his school holidays in a flat Belgian town dominated by the endless, melodic jangle of town carillons. He observes his Uncle Spencer’s strict English propriety, especially his uncle's deep embarrassment when confronted by the earthy, uninhibited humor of the local Belgian sweet-shops.

Internment in Brussels When World War I breaks out, German authorities arrest Uncle Spencer as an enemy alien and detain him alongside a motley group of prisoners. In captivity, Spencer forms an intense, worshipful attachment to Emmy, a fellow inmate whose recovery of spirits eventually makes his solemn affection feel tiresome and absurd.

The Prophecy and Separation An ailing Indian prisoner predicts that Emmy will eventually marry Spencer, instilling a lingering hope in Spencer's mind as he ponders destiny. Soon after, Spencer is abruptly released and returned to Longres under military supervision, separated from Emmy before any farewell can take place.

The Count’s Secret In Italy, a young narrator learns how an aging Count manages to escape his domestic responsibilities by pursuing a secret affair with a mistress. His son Fabio remains bound to the family land, managing the estate while dreaming of relief through art.

A Sudden Revulsion During a quiet encounter, Hubert realizes he no longer desires Minnie, the woman who adores him. Overwhelmed by her unreserved affection, he feels an icy resentment build within himself and coldly withdraws from her touch.

The Portrait’s History An art dealer narrates the backstory of an old painting, detailing the mismatch between a gloomy, antique-collecting Earl and his vibrant young wife. The wife's sittings with a handsome young painter in Venice lead directly to a secretive romance.

Tragedy on the Hilltop In the Tuscan countryside, a traveler discovers a child prodigy whose miraculous grasp of geometry eclipses his age. When an overbearing woman attempts to claim the boy for herself, the resulting strain culminates in a fatal fall that leaves his father consumed by grief.

The People

• Uncle Spencer: An upright, generous English manager of a Belgian sugar factory. He seeks order, moral reticence, and elevated beauty, but finds himself rendered helpless and desperate by his sudden, romantic obsession with a fellow prisoner during the war.
• The Narrator: A sensitive, sharp-eyed observer who spending his childhood holidays in Belgium and later travels through Italy. He wants to understand the motives of the people around him, standing by as a quiet witness to their vanity, secret lives, and unexpected griefs.
• Emmy: A young woman imprisoned during the German occupation of Brussels. Initially remorseful and in need of comfort, she wants lightness and high spirits; she eventually finds Uncle Spencer’s mournful, intense devotion stifling and ridiculous.
• Fabio: A dutiful Italian young man who manages his family's estate. He wants freedom to seek his own fortune, but stays anchored by his family obligations while his elderly father sneaks off to enjoy life.
• Hubert: A fickle young man torn between idealized romance and reality. He wants thrilling, effortless admiration, but reacts with sudden, cold anger when faced with the genuine, unreserved devotion of a partner he no longer desires.
• Carlo: A fiery, hardworking Italian father who deeply loves his brilliant young son. He wants to protect his child from greedy patrons, but when disaster strikes, he struggles to process his overwhelming sorrow without turning to violent thoughts of revenge.
• Guido: A quiet, remarkably gifted young boy with a natural genius for mathematics and geometry. He wants only to share the logical beauty he sees in figures, unaware of the adult power struggles surrounding him.

In Its Own Voice

"It is the beggars, it is the green umbrellas under which the cabmen sit when it rains, not Brunelleschi’s dome, not the extortions of the hotel-keeper, not the tombs of the Medici that impress the childish traveller."

— Reflecting on the unique, uncritical way a young boy observes the world during his early travels.

"And meanwhile the most incredible miracles are happening all round us: stones, when we lift them and let them go, fall to the ground; the sun shines; bees visit the flowers... These things leave us almost perfectly indifferent."

— Observing humanity's endless appetite for local gossip and romantic scandal over the natural wonders of the physical universe.

"He stood as though poised, ready to leap off into the boisterous air. 'How I should like to fly!' she said."

— Capturing a moment of fleeting, romantic idealization on the crest of a windy chalk down.

What It's Really About

The collection explores the deep mismatch between human expectations and the cold realities of existence. Characters repeatedly build elaborate mental castles—whether rooted in romantic devotion, rigid propriety, or artistic ambition—only to see them undone by war, social awkwardness, or their own psychological flaws.

A central concern is the nature of perception itself: the way adults develop a selective "mental deafness" to the suffering, absurdities, or noise around them, tune out obvious truths, or obsess over minor romantic scandals while ignoring profound beauty and real human tragedy. The stories critique both the emotional coldness of self-absorbed intellectuals and the destructive intrusion of possessive individuals into fragile lives, showing how easily genuine innocence is misunderstood or exploited by an indifferent world.

Why Read It Today

This work speaks directly to readers who enjoy psychological acuity, subtle irony, and rich atmospheric settings. It offers an unvarnished look at early twentieth-century European life, contrasting the quiet, bell-chime rhythms of provincial Belgium with the sunlit, art-filled landscapes of post-war Italy.

Reading it requires patience with deliberate pacing and an uncompromising view of human nature. The narratives do not cushion the reader from uncomfortable realities; characters can be self-centered, moral reticence often prevents honest conversation, and class and period attitudes are presented without modern apology. The prose demands attention as it moves from delicate comic satire to sudden, jarring tragedy.

What lingers after reading is the sharp clarity of its character studies: an uncle embarrassed by chocolate novelties, a lover fleeing the suffocating weight of genuine affection, and a grieving father looking down over the rosy roofs of Florence. It is a rewarding collection for anyone interested in the quiet motives, sudden cruelties, and fragile illusions that drive human behavior.