The Potting Shed by Graham Greene. Short summary

5 seconds

The head of the family, Henry Callifer, dies. His wife has decided to invite all relatives to the funeral, except for a brother named William and a son named James, who was expelled from the family 30 years ago.

1 minute

The head of the family, Henry Callifer, passed away. His wife decided to send an invitation to the funeral ceremony to all relatives except his brother William and son James, who had been banished from the family 30 years earlier under mysterious circumstances. An old family companion, Dr. Baston, was busy preparing a eulogy for Callifer’s funeral.

The latter had declared shortly before his death that he wanted his body burned and the resulting ashes thrown into a body of water. The scenery did not look as pleasant as in years past, but Henry’s widow was able to find a suitable place to carry out the last will of the deceased.

After a while, James unexpectedly appears. He is eager to find out the circumstances of a mysterious incident that occurred on the grounds of the barn when he was 14 years old. James did not remember anything about it, and family members who were well aware of the event did not want to share their memories. As a result, Callifer’s son enlists the help of a psychoanalyst.