Customer Reviews

The Collected Short Stories of Roald Dahl

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If you like reading, than this Roald Dahl book is for you. If you hate reading, than this book is definatly for you. Its a great collection of stories for the young at heart, as well as for those cynical souls who believe they have ¨Seen and done it all¨. For those of you afraid that this will be sappy or sentimentel claptrap, rest at ease; TCSH has none of the blatentency found in todays suspense novels (such as Steven King), but rather a sly and crafty way of reaching to its conclusion. I read my first RD story in high school becuase I was forced to, loved it, and bought this collection on a trip to Oxford when I was 17...ever since then Ive turned to this book on long weekends and holidays; it has a funny way of making you feel like everytime like its the first time youve read it. Simply put, the this THE COLLECTION for true fans of the short story, leaving you not just statisfied, but longing for more more more (with special kudos to the Uncle Oswald stories...) Ironic content? Oh yes...Will these stories leave you awake at 3am , cursing the moment you started to read so early, because now its just all over? Most likely...

Roald Dahl was my favorite author as a child. So when I heard about this work of adult fiction, I picked it up. What always made Dahl so great for kids was that he didn't talk down to them; he wasn't afraid to be a bit macabe and grotesque. But he never lacked heart. Well, these stories are much the same. Don't be fooled, however, for his reputation as a kid's write because these stories are definitely for the sophisticated reader.

My only negative comment is that Dahl relies on many of the same themes and tricks of the trade in his stories. I happen to like twist endings, but for some people an entire book of them may become tiresome. All and all, definitely worth reading!\

Get this thing back in print!

If you enjoy this, then you will love Dahl's book of Ghost Stories. I was astounded to find that he was extremely skilled in the art of scaring you more with less. They are the kind of stories that stir up the depths of your imagination and lay bare the macabre fears of every soul. I needed no description from Dahl to "see" ghosts of shy,little girls looking for a playmate, or the sea rolling back and the dead returning for a night of revelry. He leads you right in. Scared me good. I came away truly impressed at his cleverness.

Dahl's stories are as shallow as a puddle, but that doesn't keep them from being a great read. Dahl has a crafty way of building up each of his stories to a fiendish shocker of a conclusion. If you've never read Dahl, suffice it to say that he has a disgusting and macabre mind, and I mean that in the most complimentary way. The effect is delightful, funny and addictive. You won't take any deep truths from this book, but you'll go back to it anytime you need a dose of earthy, clever humour.

This is Roald Dahl at his best, I love his short stories that are a strange mix of the unbelievable, the morbid, the grotesque and the very believable.

I started reading this on Kindle (as a sample), but when I had finished the sample and wanted to buy the book, it was "no longer available". Too bad :( Here's hoping it will be available on Kindle again!

Everybody knows, or should know, Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected. These stories alone make this book a must-read for anybody.

Fewer people are familiar with Dahl's stories about his experiences as a pilot during World War II. In my opinion this category has the higher re-read value, since the Tales of the Unexpected are similar to jokes: no matter how well they are told, if you know the punchline you might as well skip them..

In contrast, his WW-II stories are touching and more personal. They are a brilliant mixture of fact and fiction. For example, the settings are those of real WW-II campaigns and the descriptions of aircraft are true to history. However, the events that take place in these stories have a curious fictional, if not magical, feel to them.

This omnibus edition of his short stories is shear joy to sit down and read. I would recommend this great title to anyone who has a stomach for the unexpected......

It's such fun. The first time I heard "Pig" was on a rainy Sunday afternoon when Faith Child read it aloud to us in front of a roaring fire. I was appalled/delighted when our hero, Lexington, was conveyed (literally!) from this, the best of all possible worlds, into the next.

My personal favourite, however, is "Parson's Pleasure" which I understand was made into a television story.