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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Taste 4.5
Lamb to the slaughter 4
Man from the south 1.25
My lady love, my dove 2
Dip in the pool 2
Galloping Foxley 3.5
Skin 3
Neck 2
Nunc Dimittis 3.75
The landlady 5
William and Mary 5
The way up to heaven 3
Parson's pleasure 3.5
Mrs. Bixty and the Colonel's coat 5
Royal jelly 1.25
Edward the Conqueror 0.5
Lamb to the slaughter 4
Man from the south 1.25
My lady love, my dove 2
Dip in the pool 2
Galloping Foxley 3.5
Skin 3
Neck 2
Nunc Dimittis 3.75
The landlady 5
William and Mary 5
The way up to heaven 3
Parson's pleasure 3.5
Mrs. Bixty and the Colonel's coat 5
Royal jelly 1.25
Edward the Conqueror 0.5
dark
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
I did like the book, Roald Dahl's wit and clever writing style are as good as you would expect. However I quickly got bored with the fact that every story has the same format, funny story with a twist/secret at the ending. My favourite story was near the end (Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's Coat) but overall I was getting weary towards the end of the book and just wanted to finish it.
Had the format of each short story had a little variety I am sure I would have marked it higher, because apart from the Bee story the ideas and writing was amusing.
Had the format of each short story had a little variety I am sure I would have marked it higher, because apart from the Bee story the ideas and writing was amusing.
medium-paced
This was my pick for book club. A collection of short stories from perhaps my favourite author of all-time. This book helped reinforce to me that I am not a love of short stories, no matter how many I try. That said, these tales were better than most for me. With the exception of two stories where I didn't understand the ending (very likely a cultural and/or age disconnect), these were generally quick and wicked reads. Many endings were expected when you got there, but always a little twisted. Overall, I am glad to have read it, but I liked it far less than any other Dahl long story (for children or adults).
Dahl was my favorite author as a child. I loved "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", and "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator". So when looking for books of short stories I was happy to find this collection from Dahl.
Compared to the childhood classics this book of tales is much more disturbing as each tale is some sort of twisted story of people doing disturbing things such as the man in "Man from the South" who makes bets, and demands a finger as payment if the bet is lost. Some are tragic irony, some are demonstrating the dangers of gambling.
It was a good book to pick up in between books, and will forever change the way I think about my favorite childhood author.
Compared to the childhood classics this book of tales is much more disturbing as each tale is some sort of twisted story of people doing disturbing things such as the man in "Man from the South" who makes bets, and demands a finger as payment if the bet is lost. Some are tragic irony, some are demonstrating the dangers of gambling.
It was a good book to pick up in between books, and will forever change the way I think about my favorite childhood author.
Dahl is an absolute master of brevity, drawing the reader in and painting vivid character studies with just a few words. The stories in this collection have a fairly common structure (something unusual or macabre happens to some ordinary-ish characters), but he manages to get something different out of each tale. They're all gripping and whilst Dahl doesn't always hit a satisfying high note at the end, when he does it's a joyous thing. Favourites for me in this collection were 'Man from the South', 'Lamb to the Slaughter' and 'Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's Coat'.
HUGELY recommended.
HUGELY recommended.
" 'When Beaumont planted the yew trees for the chess-men and the other things, he knew they wouldn't amount to much for at least a hundred years. We don't seem to possess that sort of patience in our planning these days, do we?' "
"There is nothing more tantalizing than a thing like this which lingers just outside the borders of one's memory."
"There is nothing more tantalizing than a thing like this which lingers just outside the borders of one's memory."
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes