Customer Reviews

Switch Bitch

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

An easy read, well-plotted, and often surprising, these four stories should please most readers with a taste for the ironic. The philandering, eccentric character of "Uncle Oswald" is a hedonistic delight, and the two stories involving him are certainly the better half of this small collection. It takes a masterful writer to make such an amoral protagonist work, in any context. The other two tales, involving a wife-swapping and a widow ready to try intimacy again, are less gripping, and a bit anticlimactic with their payoffs.

..

This is easily Dahl's most sfnal work, and is mostly erotic humor, a micro-genre that is in woefully short supply.

Here's a sample from "Bitch", my favorite. The protag has been dosed with the world's most potent aphrodosiac:

[quote] ...the two of us were millions of miles up in outer space, flying through the universe in a shower of meteorites all red and gold. I was riding her bareback... "Faster!" I shouted, jabbing long spurs into her flanks. "Go faster!" Faster and still faster she flew, spurting and spinning around the rim of the sky, her mane streaming with sun, and snow waving out of her tail. The sense of power I had was overwhelming. I was unassailable, supreme. I was the Lord of the Universe, scattering the planets and catching the stars in the palm of my hand...

Oh, ecstasy and ravishment! Oh, Jericho and Tyre and Sidon! The walls came tumbling down and the firmament disintegrated, and out of the smoke and fire of the of the explosion, the sitting-room in the Waldorf Towers came swimming slowly back into my consciousness like a rainy day..."

What a pity that Roald Dahl didn't write more adult fiction. Anyway, if you haven't read Switch Bitch, some wonderfully sly, bawdy and remarkably well-written entertainment awaits you. Bon appetit!

Happy reading--

Peter D. Tillman

Roald Dahl could easily be the best ever writer of 'twist in the tale' short stories. A few years ago in the UK ( and I'm sure on PBS in the USA ) there was a television show called "Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected" in which some of his stories were dramatized. It was not too successful and I suspect that the reason was that Mr.Dahl's stories are stories to be read. That is, read on a dark night, with a strong drink close at hand, by the light of a single reading lamp.... Then you get the full effect. Yes, these stories are chilling and bizarre and simply wonderful. Though it is not in this book, everyone should read Mr.Dahl's story entitled 'Pig'. In this reviewer's opinion that was the best story that he ever wrote. The word 'shocking' does not even come close.

I checked this out on tape from the library for a long car trip, and I was excited to experience some "adult" work from the author of my beloved _Matilda_ and _The Witches_.

I was pretty gripped by the first story; I found the character to be very layered and interesting. Dahl included a lot of elements that lent depth to the character. But the ending disappointed me; it was so gimmicky! I felt rather cheated, as though the whole story had been a long road to a cheap punch line. What about all that character detail? Had it been for nothing?

The rest of the stories seemed the same way, too.

I wouldn't call the book "worthless." It was certainly entertaining. But by the third story, all I could do was listen and try to guess what the next punch line would be, and the layers of the characters seemed to lose all meaning.

Until recently, I didn't realize that Roald Dahl -- the famous writer of such children's classics as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and the Fantastic Mr. Fox -- wrote adult-oriented stories as well. It was probably as surprising as when I found out Judy Blume wrote novels like Wifey.

I decided to see what these stories were like and ordered SWITCH BITCH. SWITCH BITCH is a collection of four short stories of Dahl's. While I enjoy and appreciate the short story form, I typically don't read short story collections because too often I feel a bit cheated. I invest my time in getting to know the characters, begin to like and understand them, and then before I know it, the story ends and the characters are gone. Forever. This is not a reason to not read (or write) short stories, but it can sometimes be disappointing to a reader to get involved again and again with different characters so quickly.

The title of this short story collection comes from combining the titles of two of the included short stories: "The Great Switcheroo" and "Bitch." Also included are "The Visitor" and "The Last Act." "The Visitor" and "Bitch" are stories about the fictitious oversexed Uncle Oswald. Apparently, Dahl wrote a lot of short stories involving this character's travels and exploits. "The Great Switcheroo" involves something of a Twilight Zone-like story where two men plot to have sex with the other man's wife without her knowledge. "The Last Act" involves a lonely widow who tries to move on after the death of her beloved husband.

There are consistent themes throughout the four short stories included in SWITCH BITCH. Each of the four short stories included in this collection have a bit of suspense to them. It's not in a thriller sort of way, mind you, but once I read one story and realized the technique Dahl was using to write each story, I found myself a bit hooked, very curious, and rushing toward the end to see what happens. Additionally, each story has a twist at the end, and I found myself trying to guess what was going to happen, much like an O. Henry short story. Lastly, each story introduces some sort of scientific theory that is relevant to the story. Whether they're true or not is anyone's guess, but they're interesting enough to believe for the sake of the plot.

Ironically, the introduction says that these short stories were originally published in -- of all places -- Playboy magazine; however, details of the sexual encounters are glossed over, and the narrator always says, "I won't bore you with the details..." or "I'm sure you can guess what happened next..." Hello, it's Playboy! I guess now I can honestly say that I read Playboy just for the articles.

I was quite entertained by Dahl's short stories in this small collection. So much so, that I'll probably look into buying and reading more. They really held my attention and seem to withstand the test of time.

I rarely read short stories anymore because I think there are very few good writers in this genre. The reason for that, I think, is because good short stories are hard to write. You've got to be able to pack a lot of punch into a small space. And this is exactly what Roald Dahl is able to do. He creates memorably eccentric characters and unexpected plot elements, usually culminating in something deliciously surprising by story's end. I recommend this collection for anyone who appreciates well-crafted short stories. Paul Gehrman, Author, Kaleidoscope

When I first read Dahl's adult writings as a kid, I was a Wonka and Peach fan. I was surprised to see how easily he dealt with far darker themes, and as an adult I appreciate his wit even more.
Not everything here is great, but the highlights are very special indeed.
Roald twists things around but is never cruel to the reader or character; justice is usually served, often a la carte...
When he's at his best, I'd rank Dahl up there with Saki and O'Henry for knowing how to stand a short story on its head. That's high praise!
Very entertaining.

This is quite possibly the most entertaining a hilarious collection of short stories I have ever read. Dahl's humor is flawless and he leaves you on the edge throughout every strangely sexual tale in this book. I didn't know what I was getting into when I began reading this for my Comedy in the United States class, but I have never read an author with more style and wit, comparable to Mark Twain, and who never failed to keep me interested throughout the entirety of this collection. It simply leaves you wanting more.

These four short stories were a real surprise to me when i saw the great Roald Dahl had written them.
They have a bit of seductiveness about them....they are a bit creepy, but always brilliantly painted and with often an ironic twist.
There is one story i will always go back to read and others which did not get me quite as much, but on the whole i really enjoy this book and recommend it to friends, mostly male friends.

am now looking at the other 'uncle oswald' publication.

Four wickedly funny, sexy tales with patented Roald Dahl twist endings. Very enjoyable reading, although the type on my copy is a bit small for comfortable reading.