Expect brief, tightly controlled stories that invite attention to clues, appearances and timing. The pleasure comes from the sudden turn, but the collection’s wit is often edged with cruelty, bodily discomfort and unsettling consequences.
More about this book
Who could imagine that a woman would kill her husband with a frozen leg of lamb--and then feed it to the police investigating the murder? Or that a greedy group of art dealers would stop at nothing to separate a poor man form a valuable picture--that's tattooed on his back? These thirteen tales will keep readers spellbound from the opening lines until the surprise-twist endings that are always immensely satisfying. Roald Dahl is one of the few authors ever to be so hugely successful as an author for both children and adults. He was a master of the adult short story, and his popular anthologies showcase his skill as a sleight-of-hand artist. The stories in this new collection have been specially selected as Ain introduction for teenagers to the adult writings of one of the greatest storytellers ever. --front flap
Contains:
[Skin](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL20504460W/Skin)
[Lamb to the Slaughter](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL20504418W/Lamb_to_the_Slaughter)
[Sound Machine](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL8318678W/The_Sound_Machine)
[An African Story](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL20504280W/An_African_Story)
[Galloping Foxley](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL20504444W/Galloping_Foxley)
[Wish](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL20504494W/The_Wish)
The surgeon --
[Dip in the Pool](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL20504442W/Dip_in_the_Pool)
[Champion of the World](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL20504277W/Champion_of_the_World)
Beware of the dog --
[My Lady Love, My Dove](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL20504441W/My_Lady_Love_My_Dove)
DeceptionThe available evidence does not establish the book's treatment of this theme. See Confidence & Basis for the evidence gap.ExpectationThe available evidence does not establish the book's treatment of this theme. See Confidence & Basis for the evidence gap.Surprise endingsThe available evidence does not establish the book's treatment of this theme. See Confidence & Basis for the evidence gap.
Consider
Fear and suspenseViolence and harmSocial conflict
Personalised Fit
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Stories establish apparently ordinary or polite situations before redirecting them through a sharp final turn.AmbiguousAmbiguous: the book leaves its position open to more than one reasonable reading.Ambiguous: the book leaves its position open to more than one reasonable reading.
How the book presents it: The reversals expose how quickly comfort and trust can become traps, but their moral meaning is not uniform across the collection.
Talk about: Does each reversal reveal something about the characters, or mainly demonstrate the storyteller’s control of the reader’s expectations?
Greed, status and appetite
Characters’ ordinary wants and social ambitions can become dangerous within the stories’ tightly controlled situations.CriticalCritical: the book challenges or disapproves of this theme.Critical: the book challenges or disapproves of this theme.
How the book presents it: The collection appears to use ironic escalation to expose or punish selfish appetites, though individual stories may frame them differently.
Talk about: If a character receives an apparently fitting outcome, does the story invite moral judgement or mainly dark amusement?
Cruelty and sympathy
The tales can involve mean-spirited irony, humiliation and outcomes that are not emotionally gentle.AmbiguousAmbiguous: the book leaves its position open to more than one reasonable reading.Ambiguous: the book leaves its position open to more than one reasonable reading.
How the book presents it: Cruelty seems deliberately built into the collection’s dark humour, but it is unclear whether the stories consistently condemn it or ask readers to enjoy its mechanism.
Talk about: When the narration seems amused by suffering or humiliation, what response does the story make possible for the reader?
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Why It May Be Worth Reading
This may suit a reader who enjoys compact suspense, dark humour and stories that expose uncomfortable sides of ordinary behaviour. It offers variety between tales rather than one continuous plot or a consistently warm emotional experience.
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What Deserves Attention
Some readers may need support with stories involving death, murder, bodily horror, humiliation, revenge and morally harsh outcomes. Attitudes concerning class or gender may also feel dated or uncomfortable in places.
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A Conversation Worth Having
After a twist, ask whether the ending feels satisfying, disturbing or both, and whether the story invites sympathy for anyone. Which details made the outcome seem possible without giving it away?
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Reading Approach
Read one story at a time, pausing before the final turn to predict what may change. Afterwards, compare the story’s surface politeness with its outcome, and stop or switch stories if the tone becomes too harsh.
Confidence & Basis
Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.
What remains unconfirmed
Appearances and reversal: Some details of this treatment remain unclear.
Greed, status and appetite: Some details of this treatment remain unclear.
Cruelty and sympathy: The collection’s complete emotional range and the balance between sympathy and relish remain unclear.
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