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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Unfortunately, I wasn't that impressed with this collection of short stories. There were a few that I enjoyed, but for the most part I just felt like I was reading them to get them done. There were a couple with twists that made me smile at the end, but most of them were pretty predictable somewhere around the halfway point. I'm not sure I'd suggest reading the whole book, but there are probably four or five stories within it that are worth taking a look at.
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
These wicked little stories were absolutely fantastic. While some were culturally frustrating, the human condition obviously hasn’t changed much since the 1950s. “Lamb to the Slaughter” was included in my tenth-grade high school English textbook and I remember it fondly. Revisiting it again as an adult added some depth and satisfaction.
Mr. Dahl really did a superb job of building suspense in each tale, encouraging readers to nibble their nails as each adventure spun toward inevitable catastrophe, suitable revenge, or chilling questions. Highly recommended, with the most memorable stories being, “Neck,” “The Way Up to Heaven,” and “The Hitchhiker.”
Mr. Dahl really did a superb job of building suspense in each tale, encouraging readers to nibble their nails as each adventure spun toward inevitable catastrophe, suitable revenge, or chilling questions. Highly recommended, with the most memorable stories being, “Neck,” “The Way Up to Heaven,” and “The Hitchhiker.”
slow-paced
This took me years to get through because it's all short stories so was easy to put down and come back to much later. The stories are all bizarre and absurd and often have twist endings. Eventually it got slightly predictable but still quite entertaining.
so cleverly written & as interesting in content as it is in style :)
" '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."
" '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."
The best short story collection I've ever read. Loved it since I was thirteen years old and still find incredible fascination and entertainment in each story today.