Ronald Firbank

Men adored her, women envied her. Caprice lived up to her name. A tantalizing, colourful butterfly, she was an unpredictable young beauty who kept everything hidden beneath the surface. No man had ever gotten close to her, and that was the way she wanted it. Why, then, did her mind dwell on the handsome, enigmatic Pierce Langston? Why did he excite her—and frighten her? Caprice knew the answer. It lay in his disturbing gaze, which seemed to see right through her; in his touch, which sent sensual shivers down her spine.

This novella by the British novelist Ronald Firbank begins in a mosque, and follows the young boy, Cherif, home through a fantasy vision of a North African community, with palm-laden streets and colorful bazaars. But the young boy is disinterested in the outer beauty of the world, and instead seeks the spiritual adventure, exemplified by the mysterious Prophet living in the desert. From the busy house of women - mother, aunts, and sisters - Cherif escapes to undergo a long and arduous journey to find the Prophet, The All-Knowing One. The fact that Firbank's unusual tale ends in the boy's failure and resignation towards death only reiterates the theme of this Firbankian work: the sensual and the spiritual are in eternal war, and a truce between the two is at best fleeting.

A sparklingly written, if slight, play about two young couples, a Princess who wants to found a convent, and various British aristocrats in Florence. The characters of Lord Orkish and Reggie Quintus are based, respectively, on Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas

The novel is a satirical and fantastical narrative set in an opulent and imaginary world. It follows the story of a character named Princess Sphinx, who is the ruler of a mythical kingdom. The plot delves into themes of decadence, vanity, and the absurdities of high society, presented through a highly stylized and unconventional narrative. Firbank's work is known for its lush, ornate prose and its focus on the superficialities of upper-class life. In "The Flower Beneath the Foot," he uses satire to critique the extravagances and moral vacuity of his characters, creating a story that is both humorous and sharply observant.