The Roald Dahl Omnibus: Perfect Bedtime Stories for Sleepless Nights [Hardcover]

Roald Dahl (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 682 pages
• Publisher: Hippocrene Books (June 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0880291230
• ISBN-13: 978-0880291231
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #247,284 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was born in Llandaff, South Wales, and went to Repton School in England. His parents were Norwegian, so holidays were spent in Norway. As he explains in Boy, he turned down the idea of university in favor of a job that would take him to"a wonderful faraway place. In 1933 he joined the Shell Company, which sent him to Mombasa in East Africa. When World War II began in 1939 he became a fighter pilot and in 1942 was made assistant air attaché in Washington, where he started to write short stories. His first major success as a writer for children was in 1964. Thereafter his children's books brought him increasing popularity, and when he died children mourned the world over, particularly in Britain where he had lived for many years.The BFG is dedicated to the memory of Roald Dahls eldest daughter, Olivia, who died from measles when she was seven - the same age at which his sister had died (fron appendicitis) over forty years before. Quentin Blake, the first Children's Laureate of the United Kingdom, has illustrated most of Roald Dahl's children's books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Roald Dahl - Master of psychological horror. Who knew?, December 7, 2001

By 

Zack Davisson "japanreviewed" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Roald Dahl Omnibus: Perfect Bedtime Stories for Sleepless Nights (Hardcover)

Like many American readers, I only knew Roald Dahl from his children's books. I picked this book up expecting lighter fare. Wow, was I in for a chilling surprise.

This book is one of the best-written horror collections that I own. In this case, horror does not mean monsters but simply people being cruel and spiteful to each other in clever and interesting ways. The language and writing of the stories is captivating. Descriptive text flows from every page. The pacing of the stories is precise. This is a talented writer in full command of his skills.

A few examples of the stories: A man with new money hosts a dinner party, and a famous epicurean is invited. The host bets the epicurean that he can not name the wine being served. The stakes of the bet is the host's unwilling daughter. A homeless man bears the tattoo of a famous artist on his skin. Many wealthy collectors plot for the man's skin. The man is not needed. There are many other tales, each with a distinct brand of meanness.

Strangely enough, a few of these tales are very familiar. I realized later that they were dramatized on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." I highly recommend the "Roald Dahl Omnibus."

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Most of the contents of 3 separate collections, November 6, 2004

By 

Michele L. Worley (Kingdom of the Mouse, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Roald Dahl Omnibus: Perfect Bedtime Stories for Sleepless Nights (Hardcover)

Dahl is probably most famous for his stories for children: CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, and MATILDA come to mind.

None of the short stories herein are that kind of story. At least four first appeared in PLAYBOY, and another 7 in THE NEW YORKER. Some are risque, but not all; one would have been suitable for ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE, and indeed was adapted to become one of the strongest episodes of ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS ("Lamb to the Slaughter").

Specifically, this omnibus contains:

- all but 2 stories from Dahl's collection SOMEONE LIKE YOU (the two missing stories are "My Lady Love, My Dove" and "The Sound Machine");

- 9 of the 11 stories from KISS KISS (the missing pair are "Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat" and "Parson's Pleasure"); and

- 3 of the 4 stories from SWITCH B**** (the missing story, unfortunately, is the first uncle Oswald story, "The Visitor", which provides the backstory for how the old lecher's diaries came into the author's hands, as well as Oswald's experiences in the Sinai with a Syrian female leper).

Consequently, see reviews of the 3 individual collections for detailed discussion of all the stories herein. To summarize, the OMNIBUS makes an interesting read for an adult who can stand some macabre stories (including mysteries where justice may not be done), but this is *not* suitable bedtime reading for little children.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, comprehensive and sinfully funny, July 12, 2001

By 

A. Whitney (Silicon Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Roald Dahl Omnibus: Perfect Bedtime Stories for Sleepless Nights (Hardcover)

Roald Dahl had a gift, and luckily for us, he figured it out early enough in his life that he could share it amply with the world. I read his children's story books as a child, but was re-introduced to him accidentally as I stumbled upon a different short story collection. I tore through it immediately and loved it. I happened upon this book & noticed that it had quite a few stories that I had not read. This collection is more comprehensive than others I have seen. It even contains some of his more sexually explicit works (although they aren't that explicit by today's standards.) Each story is a perfectly timed twist that keeps you guessing. I rarely can guess the outcome of his stories, which is a testament to his ability to tell a story without giving it away. I recommend this collection for anyone with an appreciation for the slightly twisted who wants a thorough introduction to his "adult" works. Also good for teens who are ready for something kind of edgy but not trashy. The stories are funky, but entirely appropriate for a read before bedtime.