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Tales Of
Cruelty
Even when we mean to be kind we can sometimes be cruel. We each have a streak of nastiness inside us. In these ten tales of cruelty master storyteller Roald Dahl explores how and why it is we make others suffer.
Among others, you'll read the story of two young bullies and the boy they torment, the adulterous wife who uncovers her husband's secret, the man with a painting tattooed on his back whose value he doesn't appreciate and the butler and chef who run rings around their obnoxious employer.
Among others, you'll read the story of two young bullies and the boy they torment, the adulterous wife who uncovers her husband's secret, the man with a painting tattooed on his back whose value he doesn't appreciate and the butler and chef who run rings around their obnoxious employer.
240 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2016
103 people are currently reading
1978 people want to read
About the author
Roald Dahl
1,472 books26.6k followersRoald Dahl was a beloved British author, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter pilot, best known for his enchanting and often darkly humorous children's books that have captivated generations of readers around the world. Born in Llandaff, Wales, to Norwegian parents, Dahl led a life marked by adventure, tragedy, creativity, and enduring literary success. His vivid imagination and distinctive storytelling style have made him one of the most celebrated children's authors in modern literature.
Before becoming a writer, Dahl lived a life filled with excitement and hardship. He served as a Royal Air Force pilot during World War II, surviving a near-fatal crash in the Libyan desert. His wartime experiences and travels deeply influenced his storytelling, often infusing his works with a sense of danger, resilience, and the triumph of the underdog. After the war, he began writing for both adults and children, showing a rare versatility that spanned genres and age groups.
Dahl's children's books are known for their playful use of language, unforgettable characters, and a deep sense of justice, often pitting clever children against cruel or foolish adults. Some of his most iconic titles include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr Fox, and The Witches. These works are filled with fantastical elements and moral undertones, empowering young readers to challenge authority, think independently, and believe in the impossible.
Equally acclaimed for his work for adults, Dahl wrote numerous short stories characterized by their macabre twists and dark humor. His stories were frequently published in magazines such as The New Yorker and later compiled into bestselling collections like Someone Like You and Kiss Kiss. He also wrote screenplays, including the James Bond film You Only Live Twice and the adaptation of Ian Fleming's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Despite his literary success, Dahl was a complex and sometimes controversial figure, known for his strong opinions and difficult personality. Nonetheless, his books continue to be treasured for their wit, originality, and the sense of wonder they inspire. Many of his stories have been adapted into successful films, stage plays, and television specials, further cementing his legacy.
Dahl's impact on children's literature is immeasurable. His ability to connect with young readers through a mix of irreverence, heart, and imagination has made his stories timeless. Even after his death, his books remain in print and continue to be read by millions of children worldwide. His writing not only entertains but also encourages curiosity, courage, and compassion.
Roald Dahl's work lives on as a testament to the power of storytelling and the magic of a truly original voice. He remains a towering figure in literature whose creations continue to spark joy, mischief, and inspiration across generations.
Before becoming a writer, Dahl lived a life filled with excitement and hardship. He served as a Royal Air Force pilot during World War II, surviving a near-fatal crash in the Libyan desert. His wartime experiences and travels deeply influenced his storytelling, often infusing his works with a sense of danger, resilience, and the triumph of the underdog. After the war, he began writing for both adults and children, showing a rare versatility that spanned genres and age groups.
Dahl's children's books are known for their playful use of language, unforgettable characters, and a deep sense of justice, often pitting clever children against cruel or foolish adults. Some of his most iconic titles include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr Fox, and The Witches. These works are filled with fantastical elements and moral undertones, empowering young readers to challenge authority, think independently, and believe in the impossible.
Equally acclaimed for his work for adults, Dahl wrote numerous short stories characterized by their macabre twists and dark humor. His stories were frequently published in magazines such as The New Yorker and later compiled into bestselling collections like Someone Like You and Kiss Kiss. He also wrote screenplays, including the James Bond film You Only Live Twice and the adaptation of Ian Fleming's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Despite his literary success, Dahl was a complex and sometimes controversial figure, known for his strong opinions and difficult personality. Nonetheless, his books continue to be treasured for their wit, originality, and the sense of wonder they inspire. Many of his stories have been adapted into successful films, stage plays, and television specials, further cementing his legacy.
Dahl's impact on children's literature is immeasurable. His ability to connect with young readers through a mix of irreverence, heart, and imagination has made his stories timeless. Even after his death, his books remain in print and continue to be read by millions of children worldwide. His writing not only entertains but also encourages curiosity, courage, and compassion.
Roald Dahl's work lives on as a testament to the power of storytelling and the magic of a truly original voice. He remains a towering figure in literature whose creations continue to spark joy, mischief, and inspiration across generations.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
March 3, 2024
Cruelty is one of eight centenary editions of Dahl’s short stories for adults, grouped together by theme, and collects ten short stories published between the early 50’s (Poison, 1950) and the mid-80’s (The Princess and the Poacher, 1986) that explore how and why we make others suffer, whether intentionally or not.
It’s rare for a shorty story collection to not be a mixed bag, and this was no exception, but I found something to like in most of them—Skin and The Great Automatic Grammatizator were my favorites, while The Princess and the Poacher should’ve never seen the light of day. All the others were enjoyable and, most remarkably, also memorable, and although they all deal with the darker side of human nature, some were truly sinister, while others even bordered on the humorous. Dahl is a skilled storyteller and his writing mostly direct and no-nonsense, but still descriptive enough to really make the stories come alive—and he’s also known for his twists and turns, which made many of these unexpectedly disturbing or poignant in all kinds of different ways. I didn’t grow up with Dahl’s children’s stories, and these were my first significant touching point with his tales for adults; I really enjoyed my time with this themed collection and look forward to reading the other ones.
The Butler · ★★★
An amusing albeit predictable tale about a newly wealthy and obnoxious couple who wants to improve their boring dinner parties and impress their guests, and attempts to do so by serving expensive wines on their butler’s advice. They end up outwitted and humiliated by their servants (no one can convince me that they aren’t in a gay relationship), which just goes to show that good taste, style, and manners cannot be bought.
The Great Automatic Grammatizator · ★★★★
Realizing that the rules of grammar are similarly fixed as those of mathematics, a gifted inventor but unsuccessful writer builds a machine that can mass-produce stories of all sorts, finally fulfilling his aspirations to be a renowned novelist. This story may be written in a witty, almost comical tone, but it’s a chilling prospect to consider—I loved the ending, with all its implications.
Royal Jelly · ★★★½
A horror tale with—pardon the pun—a sting in the tail, even if you see it coming from miles away. Two parents can’t get their newborn baby girl to feed: After six weeks, she weighs less than she did at birth. The father, a beekeeper, comes up with a plan to get his daughter to take the milk… this is the only proper horror/sci-fi story in this collection, and admittedly disturbing; bees are just about the only insect that I am not irrationally disgusted or scared of, but the ending still made my skin crawl. A story that shows how obsessions will eventually be detrimental to a person’s life.
Mrs Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat · ★★★
A cheating woman needs to find a way to explain her lover’s expensive parting gift to her husband, and comes up with an elaborate plan involving a pawn shop. It felt incredibly familiar, almost archetypal—indeed, it turns out that it was Dahl’s take on a popular anecdote, so I’m sure I’ve come across it elsewhere. Although openly misogynistic in many ways, it was an amusing story about the inevitable consequences of duplicitous actions.
The Swan · ★★
A violent, sadistic boy receives a rifle for his birthday, and goes off to shoot rabbits with his equally cruel best friend, but decides it’s more fun to shoot at the birds in a waterfowl sanctuary, as well as torture a geeky boy who was bird-watching. The expected Dahl-twist at the end consists in the story veering off into the fantastical, and felt a bit anti-climatic to me. The portrayal of the bullies felt very familiar; I’m positive that Stephen King took some pointers from Dahl when writing his own hooligans in stories such as It and The Body.
Poison · ★★★
Set in India during the British rule, the narrator comes home to find his sweating, panicked friend unable to move because a lethally venomous snake has crawled under his bed sheets, and a local doctor is called for help. The tension was palpable and almost unbearable in this story, and while the ending initially seemed anticlimactic, especially for what I’ve come to expect from Dahl, upon reflection it is perfectly fitting; the titular poison was never the snake’s, but the true colors that leak out in times of stress.
Skin · ★★★★
An old man, unemployed and reduced to panhandling after the war, is walking the streets of Paris, when he passes an art gallery and sees a painting by Chaïm Soutine. He realizes that this is a young man he knew thirty years before, now in high demand; he happens to own an early work by the artist, and several people make bids and some unusual proposals for it—could this be the end of his financial worries? Eerie, macabre, and all but missing Dahl’s usual touch of humor, this was a chilling favorite in the collection.
The Princess and the Poacher · ★
In this adult fable, a poor, physically strong, but incredibly ugly man saves a beautiful princess from being gutted by a boar, and as a reward, the king grants him the right to have his way with any and all women in the kingdom. This was probably conceived as a take on the beauty and the beast trope, but it was abysmal and distasteful for many reasons, the sexism definitely being the worst offender. This was apparently a rather hard story to track down prior to this collection, and it should have stayed that way.
Genesis and Catastrophe: A True Story · ★★★
In what’s also known as A Fine Son, a woman in labor is worried her newborn child will die, just like the three she has given birth to before. It is indeed a fictionalized account of real history—but giving any context would take the bite out of the story (if, unlike me, you don’t figure it out before the actual reveal). Certainly one to make the reader uncomfortable and thoughtful—especially when you factor in that Dahl made no attempt to hide his own anti-semitism throughout his life.
Claud’s Dog: Mr Feasey · ★★★
This is one part of a series of stories that share the same characters, collectively known as Claud’s Dog. In the longest and most well-developed story included in this collection, the narrator and his friend Claud are on their way to the greyhound racing track, about to pull off the biggest scam of their lives… and I promise that you’ll end up rooting for the dastardly pair.
—————
My other reviews of Dahl's centenary editions of tales for adults (work in progress):
Cruelty: Tales of Malice and Greed · ★★★ [2.95]
Deception: Tales of Intrigue and Lies · ★★★ [3.4]
Fear: Tales of Terror and Suspense · ★★★ [2.89]
Innocence: Tales of Youth and Guile · ★★★★ [3.6]
Lust: Tales of Craving and Desire · ★★ [1.8]
Madness: Tales of Fear and Unreason · ★★★★ [3.6]
Trickery: Tales of Deceit and Cunning
War: Tales of Conflict and Strife
It’s rare for a shorty story collection to not be a mixed bag, and this was no exception, but I found something to like in most of them—Skin and The Great Automatic Grammatizator were my favorites, while The Princess and the Poacher should’ve never seen the light of day. All the others were enjoyable and, most remarkably, also memorable, and although they all deal with the darker side of human nature, some were truly sinister, while others even bordered on the humorous. Dahl is a skilled storyteller and his writing mostly direct and no-nonsense, but still descriptive enough to really make the stories come alive—and he’s also known for his twists and turns, which made many of these unexpectedly disturbing or poignant in all kinds of different ways. I didn’t grow up with Dahl’s children’s stories, and these were my first significant touching point with his tales for adults; I really enjoyed my time with this themed collection and look forward to reading the other ones.
The Butler · ★★★
An amusing albeit predictable tale about a newly wealthy and obnoxious couple who wants to improve their boring dinner parties and impress their guests, and attempts to do so by serving expensive wines on their butler’s advice. They end up outwitted and humiliated by their servants (no one can convince me that they aren’t in a gay relationship), which just goes to show that good taste, style, and manners cannot be bought.
The Great Automatic Grammatizator · ★★★★
Realizing that the rules of grammar are similarly fixed as those of mathematics, a gifted inventor but unsuccessful writer builds a machine that can mass-produce stories of all sorts, finally fulfilling his aspirations to be a renowned novelist. This story may be written in a witty, almost comical tone, but it’s a chilling prospect to consider—I loved the ending, with all its implications.
Royal Jelly · ★★★½
A horror tale with—pardon the pun—a sting in the tail, even if you see it coming from miles away. Two parents can’t get their newborn baby girl to feed: After six weeks, she weighs less than she did at birth. The father, a beekeeper, comes up with a plan to get his daughter to take the milk… this is the only proper horror/sci-fi story in this collection, and admittedly disturbing; bees are just about the only insect that I am not irrationally disgusted or scared of, but the ending still made my skin crawl. A story that shows how obsessions will eventually be detrimental to a person’s life.
Mrs Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat · ★★★
A cheating woman needs to find a way to explain her lover’s expensive parting gift to her husband, and comes up with an elaborate plan involving a pawn shop. It felt incredibly familiar, almost archetypal—indeed, it turns out that it was Dahl’s take on a popular anecdote, so I’m sure I’ve come across it elsewhere. Although openly misogynistic in many ways, it was an amusing story about the inevitable consequences of duplicitous actions.
The Swan · ★★
A violent, sadistic boy receives a rifle for his birthday, and goes off to shoot rabbits with his equally cruel best friend, but decides it’s more fun to shoot at the birds in a waterfowl sanctuary, as well as torture a geeky boy who was bird-watching. The expected Dahl-twist at the end consists in the story veering off into the fantastical, and felt a bit anti-climatic to me. The portrayal of the bullies felt very familiar; I’m positive that Stephen King took some pointers from Dahl when writing his own hooligans in stories such as It and The Body.
Poison · ★★★
Set in India during the British rule, the narrator comes home to find his sweating, panicked friend unable to move because a lethally venomous snake has crawled under his bed sheets, and a local doctor is called for help. The tension was palpable and almost unbearable in this story, and while the ending initially seemed anticlimactic, especially for what I’ve come to expect from Dahl, upon reflection it is perfectly fitting; the titular poison was never the snake’s, but the true colors that leak out in times of stress.
Skin · ★★★★
An old man, unemployed and reduced to panhandling after the war, is walking the streets of Paris, when he passes an art gallery and sees a painting by Chaïm Soutine. He realizes that this is a young man he knew thirty years before, now in high demand; he happens to own an early work by the artist, and several people make bids and some unusual proposals for it—could this be the end of his financial worries? Eerie, macabre, and all but missing Dahl’s usual touch of humor, this was a chilling favorite in the collection.
The Princess and the Poacher · ★
In this adult fable, a poor, physically strong, but incredibly ugly man saves a beautiful princess from being gutted by a boar, and as a reward, the king grants him the right to have his way with any and all women in the kingdom. This was probably conceived as a take on the beauty and the beast trope, but it was abysmal and distasteful for many reasons, the sexism definitely being the worst offender. This was apparently a rather hard story to track down prior to this collection, and it should have stayed that way.
Genesis and Catastrophe: A True Story · ★★★
In what’s also known as A Fine Son, a woman in labor is worried her newborn child will die, just like the three she has given birth to before. It is indeed a fictionalized account of real history—but giving any context would take the bite out of the story (if, unlike me, you don’t figure it out before the actual reveal). Certainly one to make the reader uncomfortable and thoughtful—especially when you factor in that Dahl made no attempt to hide his own anti-semitism throughout his life.
Claud’s Dog: Mr Feasey · ★★★
This is one part of a series of stories that share the same characters, collectively known as Claud’s Dog. In the longest and most well-developed story included in this collection, the narrator and his friend Claud are on their way to the greyhound racing track, about to pull off the biggest scam of their lives… and I promise that you’ll end up rooting for the dastardly pair.
—————
My other reviews of Dahl's centenary editions of tales for adults (work in progress):
Cruelty: Tales of Malice and Greed · ★★★ [2.95]
Deception: Tales of Intrigue and Lies · ★★★ [3.4]
Fear: Tales of Terror and Suspense · ★★★ [2.89]
Innocence: Tales of Youth and Guile · ★★★★ [3.6]
Lust: Tales of Craving and Desire · ★★ [1.8]
Madness: Tales of Fear and Unreason · ★★★★ [3.6]
Trickery: Tales of Deceit and Cunning
War: Tales of Conflict and Strife
March 27, 2017
3.5 stars.
This was the first time I had ever read a collection of Roald Dahl's adult short stories, and I definitely wasn't disappointed! This particular volume features stories that of course deal with the theme of cruelty, both from the point of view of adults and children, and Dahl seemed to know and understand this theme well. I mean, we know this from his children's books already!
There was a real mix of stories here, some longer than others, some more interesting than others. I wouldn't say every story in this volume was a hit, but there were a lot that I really enjoyed. Some of the highlights for me were Royal Jelly (which started out fairly normal but ended up becoming incredibly sinister), The Swan (which portrays the cruelty of kids, in a truly horrific way), and Claud's Dog (Mr Feasey), which although the longest story in the collection, was definitely the one that I felt had the most development, and where I actually mourned for the dastardly main characters!
Dahl's writing is intensely readable, and it was very easy to get through these stories, so if you're looking for a quick and entertaining read with lots of twists and turns, this one might be for you. I'm interested to pick up the other three collections that have recently been published in this series, hopefully soon!
This was the first time I had ever read a collection of Roald Dahl's adult short stories, and I definitely wasn't disappointed! This particular volume features stories that of course deal with the theme of cruelty, both from the point of view of adults and children, and Dahl seemed to know and understand this theme well. I mean, we know this from his children's books already!
There was a real mix of stories here, some longer than others, some more interesting than others. I wouldn't say every story in this volume was a hit, but there were a lot that I really enjoyed. Some of the highlights for me were Royal Jelly (which started out fairly normal but ended up becoming incredibly sinister), The Swan (which portrays the cruelty of kids, in a truly horrific way), and Claud's Dog (Mr Feasey), which although the longest story in the collection, was definitely the one that I felt had the most development, and where I actually mourned for the dastardly main characters!
Dahl's writing is intensely readable, and it was very easy to get through these stories, so if you're looking for a quick and entertaining read with lots of twists and turns, this one might be for you. I'm interested to pick up the other three collections that have recently been published in this series, hopefully soon!
September 23, 2019
This book was an impulsive read. And I am impressed with this book. This book is a collection of short stories by Roald Dahl that mainly focuses on the nastiness of people. Every story describes how people can be selfish for their own reasons. Some stories started out surprisingly normal but ended up being unbelievably sinister. The last story in the book is the most developed and lengthy of the lot. Every story is a tale of greed and malice. The title of each short stories are also aptly named. The short story Poison is my favorite of the lot. This book is one of the centenary editions of the works by Roald Dahl. A great writer. His books always entertained me as a kid. Glad I didn't come across this book when I was a kid!
August 22, 2019
Loved the slightly macabre style in the seemingly normal of everyday occurences in this collection. His ability in storytelling was just a sheer perfection. Simple and direct yet very poignant in its description of events.
1. The Butler: An amusing and comical short story of Mr Cleaver who wants to climb the social ladder after he had made his first million. He then subsequently proceeded to polish his social asset by pleasing his guests with expensive wines, as advised by Mr Tibbs, his butler. Shows that excellent taste and style do not depend on the amount of money one has. 3/5 stars.
2. The Great Automatic Grammatizator: One of my favourites. It tells us a story about Knipe who loved to write and invented a machine that can write stories in any style in a short time. Witty and delightful albeit punctured with depressing tone. 5/5 stars.
3. Royal Jelly: One of Dahl’s scariest stories yet. It centres around the lives of a married couple with their newborn baby who refused to drink milk and has been losing weight since then. The husband, who’s always had a way with bees, finally found a solution to the problem. This story creeped me out on so many levels. 5/5 stars.
Why don’t you cover her up, Mabel? We don’t want our little queen to catch a cold.”
4. Mrs Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat: A classic story of a biter get bitten. A married woman received a glamorous coat from her secret lover. She then planned to sneak the coat into her home without arousing her huband’s suspicions. Steady buildup with quirky ending. 4/5 stars.
5. The Swan: Oh my god. What an intense and a gruesome story about bullying and violence. It literally made my heart beat faster and hoped earnestly that our little Peter would get a happy ending. A perfect and disturbing portrayal of the differences between educated and well-cared kids and abused and uneducated kids. An easy 5 star read from me.
6. Poison: Poison narrates an incident where a man named Harry claimed that a snake was laying on his stomach. Another nicely written short story although the ending was perhaps a little anti-climatic. A suspenseful masterpiece with a hint of subtle sociopolitical climate and racism towards the end. 4.5/5.
7. Skin: Skin tells us a story of an old man with a full back tattoo that was done by a famous artist. He was then propositioned with a few ridiculous offers by the people who wanted the painting on his back; one of the offers was to buy his skin. The ending left me with a bad taste in my mouth. 4/5 stars.
8. The Princess and the Poacher: This tale centres around the life of Hengist, an excedingly unattractive youth that no woman could tolerate in a man. Despite his unattractiveness, he was mighty strong and he loved poaching. A typical beauty and the beast trope but Dahl’s sheer brilliance in writing made this one a worth read. 3.5/5 stars.
9. Genesis and Catastrophe: Wow, I really didn’t expect the shoking revelation at the end. A brilliant, ironic writing in the sense that the mother who was portrayed as an incredibly compassionate mother gave birth to the Fuhr — I’m not gonna spoil this one, you gotta read it. 3.5/5 stars.
10. Claud’s Dog: A story detailing about the senseless and cruel practice of greyhound racing. The technical part about the practice was quite tedious but there is no denying that Roald Dahl is a good storyteller. I will give him that. 3.5/5 stars.
All in all, I enjoyed this one tremendously. It was definitely right up my street and looking forward to reading his other works. Actual rating: 4.5/5 stars.
1. The Butler: An amusing and comical short story of Mr Cleaver who wants to climb the social ladder after he had made his first million. He then subsequently proceeded to polish his social asset by pleasing his guests with expensive wines, as advised by Mr Tibbs, his butler. Shows that excellent taste and style do not depend on the amount of money one has. 3/5 stars.
2. The Great Automatic Grammatizator: One of my favourites. It tells us a story about Knipe who loved to write and invented a machine that can write stories in any style in a short time. Witty and delightful albeit punctured with depressing tone. 5/5 stars.
3. Royal Jelly: One of Dahl’s scariest stories yet. It centres around the lives of a married couple with their newborn baby who refused to drink milk and has been losing weight since then. The husband, who’s always had a way with bees, finally found a solution to the problem. This story creeped me out on so many levels. 5/5 stars.
Why don’t you cover her up, Mabel? We don’t want our little queen to catch a cold.”
4. Mrs Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat: A classic story of a biter get bitten. A married woman received a glamorous coat from her secret lover. She then planned to sneak the coat into her home without arousing her huband’s suspicions. Steady buildup with quirky ending. 4/5 stars.
5. The Swan: Oh my god. What an intense and a gruesome story about bullying and violence. It literally made my heart beat faster and hoped earnestly that our little Peter would get a happy ending. A perfect and disturbing portrayal of the differences between educated and well-cared kids and abused and uneducated kids. An easy 5 star read from me.
6. Poison: Poison narrates an incident where a man named Harry claimed that a snake was laying on his stomach. Another nicely written short story although the ending was perhaps a little anti-climatic. A suspenseful masterpiece with a hint of subtle sociopolitical climate and racism towards the end. 4.5/5.
7. Skin: Skin tells us a story of an old man with a full back tattoo that was done by a famous artist. He was then propositioned with a few ridiculous offers by the people who wanted the painting on his back; one of the offers was to buy his skin. The ending left me with a bad taste in my mouth. 4/5 stars.
8. The Princess and the Poacher: This tale centres around the life of Hengist, an excedingly unattractive youth that no woman could tolerate in a man. Despite his unattractiveness, he was mighty strong and he loved poaching. A typical beauty and the beast trope but Dahl’s sheer brilliance in writing made this one a worth read. 3.5/5 stars.
9. Genesis and Catastrophe: Wow, I really didn’t expect the shoking revelation at the end. A brilliant, ironic writing in the sense that the mother who was portrayed as an incredibly compassionate mother gave birth to the Fuhr — I’m not gonna spoil this one, you gotta read it. 3.5/5 stars.
10. Claud’s Dog: A story detailing about the senseless and cruel practice of greyhound racing. The technical part about the practice was quite tedious but there is no denying that Roald Dahl is a good storyteller. I will give him that. 3.5/5 stars.
All in all, I enjoyed this one tremendously. It was definitely right up my street and looking forward to reading his other works. Actual rating: 4.5/5 stars.
July 15, 2017
The Butler ➡ 4/5
(First published in Travel and Leisure with the title ‘The Butler Did It’-May 1974)
The Great Automatic Grammatizator ➡ 3/5
(First published in Someone Like You-1953)
Royal Jelly ➡ 4/5
(First published in Kiss Kiss-1960)
Mrs Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat ➡ 5/5
(First published in Nugget-1959)
The Swan ➡ 5/5
(First published in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar-1977)
Poison ➡ 5/5
(First published in Collier’s-June 1950)
Skin ➡ 5/5
(First published in The New Yorker-17 May 1952)
The Princess and the Poacher ➡ 5/5
(First published in Two Fables-1986)
Genesis and Catastrophe ➡ 5/5
A True Story
(First published as ‘A Fine Son’ in Playboy-December 1959)
Claud’s Dog, Mr Feasey ➡ 2/5
(First published in Someone Like You-1953)
(First published in Travel and Leisure with the title ‘The Butler Did It’-May 1974)
The Great Automatic Grammatizator ➡ 3/5
(First published in Someone Like You-1953)
Royal Jelly ➡ 4/5
(First published in Kiss Kiss-1960)
Mrs Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat ➡ 5/5
(First published in Nugget-1959)
The Swan ➡ 5/5
(First published in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar-1977)
Poison ➡ 5/5
(First published in Collier’s-June 1950)
Skin ➡ 5/5
(First published in The New Yorker-17 May 1952)
The Princess and the Poacher ➡ 5/5
(First published in Two Fables-1986)
Genesis and Catastrophe ➡ 5/5
A True Story
(First published as ‘A Fine Son’ in Playboy-December 1959)
Claud’s Dog, Mr Feasey ➡ 2/5
(First published in Someone Like You-1953)
January 2, 2023
Eh, overall pretty fun read but kinda boring at times. My favourites were:
“Mrs Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat”, this story was so clever. The reveal that the Mrs wasn’t the only slick one, that the husband was cheating on her as well with the secretary caught me off guard.
“The princess and the poacher”, cute story!
“Claud’s Dog”, overall boring but that end was CHILLING dam! When the guy says ‘look who’s talking!’ afrer the guy accuses him of theiving, wow! He knows he cheated somehow!!! With the crowd laughing, it was such a nightmarish scene after you think the mc outsmarts everyone.
“Mrs Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat”, this story was so clever. The reveal that the Mrs wasn’t the only slick one, that the husband was cheating on her as well with the secretary caught me off guard.
“The princess and the poacher”, cute story!
“Claud’s Dog”, overall boring but that end was CHILLING dam! When the guy says ‘look who’s talking!’ afrer the guy accuses him of theiving, wow! He knows he cheated somehow!!! With the crowd laughing, it was such a nightmarish scene after you think the mc outsmarts everyone.
November 29, 2016
These stories are so incredible and dark. I listen to them incessantly while working in the lab -sometimes I have to rewind them because I get distracted but in general they are so well done. Short story audiobooks really work for me in the lab because I can maintain enough concentration while still working.
My favourite was the very first one, the writing machine and the very dark Swan.
My favourite was the very first one, the writing machine and the very dark Swan.
February 26, 2022
Oh these were good.
Stories, not just about outright acts of cruelty, but also subtle, well-imbedded studies on the most savage parts of human nature.
Very rich potential for discussion, all of them.
“Skin” is a personal fave, followed by “Claud’s Dog” and “The Great Automatic Grammatizator”
(Although I must say, Dahl’s sexism and racism jumped out in some of these)
Stories, not just about outright acts of cruelty, but also subtle, well-imbedded studies on the most savage parts of human nature.
Very rich potential for discussion, all of them.
“Skin” is a personal fave, followed by “Claud’s Dog” and “The Great Automatic Grammatizator”
(Although I must say, Dahl’s sexism and racism jumped out in some of these)
January 9, 2022
Overall a good read. Some stories were WAYYYY better than others. This made me realize i like to read creepier-esk books, so i’ll definitely want to read more into this genre of story, but some of the stories felt so long and kept going that it took away from the overall piece
March 20, 2023
This is a collection of some of Roald Dahl's short stories for adults which are connected by the theme of cruelty. I remember reading my older sister's copy of The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and six more when I was around 7 or 8 and being really disturbed by them, not realising they were meant for older audiences. The stories in Cruelty did not disappoint, they were indeed sinister and creepy.
The stories collected in this volume and my ratings of each were as follows:
'The Butler' - 3 stars.
'The Great Automatic Grammatizator' - 2 stars.
'Royal Jelly' - 4 stars.
'Mrs Bixby and the Colonels Coat' - 4 stars.
'The Swan' - 4 stars.
'Poison' - 2 stars.
'Skin' - 3 stars.
'The Princess and the Paocher' - 3 stars.
'Genesis and Catastrophe' - 4 stars.
'Claud's Dog, Mr Feasey' - 3 stars.
'Royal Jelly' and 'The Swan' were my favourites in this collection, both of which disturbing but in different ways. 'Royal Jelly' is about a beekeepers solution to his ailing baby whereas 'The Swan' showcases the terrible cruelty of two boys with a gun. These two stories in particular sent chills running down my spine. Just under half of the stories in this collection are good reads, the rest were merely average or worse.
Cruelty is one of four similar centenary editions, each one displaying different short stories all connected with a theme, the other three are Madness, Lust and Deception. I am really looking forward to reading the others and getting reacquainted with the stories that freaked me out as a child. I think Roald Dahl is a brilliant writer and I would urge everyone to try some of his short stories for adults, especially people who like unsettling and disturbing reads.
September 30, 2018
First time reading Dahl's adult fiction for me. The style is entertaining so I've enjoyed sitting down to read a story every day or so, but they retain a fairy tale-ish type of narration that it's not quite my cup of it. I really liked two stories in particular, Poison (for its well-crafted tension) and The Great Automatic Grammatizator (for its brilliant concept and the phenomenal last line).
January 24, 2025
I do like his short stories - they’re very easy to binge
November 18, 2016
Reading this I couldn't get out of my head the cruelty and horribleness of Dahl himself. He discarded his wife the film star Arlene Dahl because she was no use to him and was racist against Blacks and Jews.
August 9, 2017
I decided not to rate the 10 individual stories this time around and just decided to note down my brief thoughts.
The Butler - This was only a few pages short but I enjoyed how calm and collected the butler was in reacting to his obnoxious boss. The way he got him back was so sophisticated. It was a decent read but had no morals to redeem Mr Cleaver for his cruelty and unkindness.
The great automatic grammatizator - This story had a really unique premise and makes me think this is what those authors that are always pumping out books use haha! Mr Bohlen was quite cruel and manipulative in the sense that he was using an employee of his just for his brain and wouldn't take any new creations very seriously. As soon as money was mentioned his attention was on full alert. Mr Bohlen seemed to blame Knipe at every opportunity. But soon it was Knipe that turned to bad ways as money got to his mind. The end saddened me a bit. I really enjoyed this.
Royal jelly - I liked the premises of this one but was always waiting for a tragedy to arrive. I liked the description we got of Albert and I liked that we got it a little later in the story. It turned rather sinister, which I wasn't expecting but enjoyed. Still, I can't see the immediate "cruel" aspect of this short story. A definite FAVOURITE.
Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's coat - This comes across as satire in humour and at first I wasn't too keen in the abrupt, what I thought to be sexist, story. I don't know exactly where it is on that line of satire and offence, but I felt like I got the funny side to it a little more as I read on. This was full of spite and I really enjoyed it.
The swan - Another FAVOURITE! This was a terrible, beautiful story of two hooligan boys, hell bent on causing havoc with their new gun. They are mad with their power of fear that they use to terrorize the local wildlife and children. I had to keep putting it down because the boys, Ernie and Raymond were so disturbing in their actions. I'm shocked it didn't get any darker as it well could have done, but I kept bracing myself for it. The spiteful and cruel crimes they did in this was diabolical, but the story was amazing.
Poison - This one seemed to be about helping, as opposed to being spiteful but just as we got to the end, that's where the explosion of malice came to play. It was so shocking and unexpected and the way the victim took the abuse just made me want to cry and hug him. This was a steady story with everyone at a standstill. Basically they were trying to gas a snake that had somehow crawled onto Harry's stomach, as he lay in bed sleeping. I quite enjoyed this.
Skin - Another well enjoyed story. This one was quite sad. A tattoo artist and his wife become very good friends with a painter and after one drunken night the tattoo artist convinces the painter to paint and tattoo the image of his wife upon his back. The story is reflected upon by the now poor, old, and homeless tattoo artist and it becomes quite a sorrowful tragedy inflicted by no other than the rich. I'm left wondering how he is.
The princess and the poacher - Not sure how this made the collection because it seemed nice enough, except for one part, which in itself was intended in the reverse effect. I mean I guess the main character had greed to express his poaching skills, but other than that it was a really nice, simple, fairytale-esque short story.
Genesis and catastrophe - I didn't really understand this one. I could comprehend the sad tones but I was confused and didn't get what was going on between this husband and wife. It says it's a true story, so perhaps I should look it up more... Is it supposed to be the birth of the notorious Adolf Hitler? I looked up the names and that sounds likely. It makes more sense now that the one to survive was one of the most evilest human beings to walk this earth.
Claude's dog - Because I don't like dog races or have an interest in them, this one was hard going, but you could strongly see the themes in both the two dog racing friends and the establishment. It demonstrated cruelty and greed very well and it left me feeling a little sorry for the two dog racers.
Overall, I am really glad to have finally read some of Dahl's adult fiction, and having it split up into themes has given me a wider perspective on literature and people.
I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys adult short stories and tales of why people are cruel.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
The Butler - This was only a few pages short but I enjoyed how calm and collected the butler was in reacting to his obnoxious boss. The way he got him back was so sophisticated. It was a decent read but had no morals to redeem Mr Cleaver for his cruelty and unkindness.
The great automatic grammatizator - This story had a really unique premise and makes me think this is what those authors that are always pumping out books use haha! Mr Bohlen was quite cruel and manipulative in the sense that he was using an employee of his just for his brain and wouldn't take any new creations very seriously. As soon as money was mentioned his attention was on full alert. Mr Bohlen seemed to blame Knipe at every opportunity. But soon it was Knipe that turned to bad ways as money got to his mind. The end saddened me a bit. I really enjoyed this.
Royal jelly - I liked the premises of this one but was always waiting for a tragedy to arrive. I liked the description we got of Albert and I liked that we got it a little later in the story. It turned rather sinister, which I wasn't expecting but enjoyed. Still, I can't see the immediate "cruel" aspect of this short story. A definite FAVOURITE.
Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's coat - This comes across as satire in humour and at first I wasn't too keen in the abrupt, what I thought to be sexist, story. I don't know exactly where it is on that line of satire and offence, but I felt like I got the funny side to it a little more as I read on. This was full of spite and I really enjoyed it.
The swan - Another FAVOURITE! This was a terrible, beautiful story of two hooligan boys, hell bent on causing havoc with their new gun. They are mad with their power of fear that they use to terrorize the local wildlife and children. I had to keep putting it down because the boys, Ernie and Raymond were so disturbing in their actions. I'm shocked it didn't get any darker as it well could have done, but I kept bracing myself for it. The spiteful and cruel crimes they did in this was diabolical, but the story was amazing.
Poison - This one seemed to be about helping, as opposed to being spiteful but just as we got to the end, that's where the explosion of malice came to play. It was so shocking and unexpected and the way the victim took the abuse just made me want to cry and hug him. This was a steady story with everyone at a standstill. Basically they were trying to gas a snake that had somehow crawled onto Harry's stomach, as he lay in bed sleeping. I quite enjoyed this.
Skin - Another well enjoyed story. This one was quite sad. A tattoo artist and his wife become very good friends with a painter and after one drunken night the tattoo artist convinces the painter to paint and tattoo the image of his wife upon his back. The story is reflected upon by the now poor, old, and homeless tattoo artist and it becomes quite a sorrowful tragedy inflicted by no other than the rich. I'm left wondering how he is.
The princess and the poacher - Not sure how this made the collection because it seemed nice enough, except for one part, which in itself was intended in the reverse effect. I mean I guess the main character had greed to express his poaching skills, but other than that it was a really nice, simple, fairytale-esque short story.
Genesis and catastrophe - I didn't really understand this one. I could comprehend the sad tones but I was confused and didn't get what was going on between this husband and wife. It says it's a true story, so perhaps I should look it up more... Is it supposed to be the birth of the notorious Adolf Hitler? I looked up the names and that sounds likely. It makes more sense now that the one to survive was one of the most evilest human beings to walk this earth.
Claude's dog - Because I don't like dog races or have an interest in them, this one was hard going, but you could strongly see the themes in both the two dog racing friends and the establishment. It demonstrated cruelty and greed very well and it left me feeling a little sorry for the two dog racers.
Overall, I am really glad to have finally read some of Dahl's adult fiction, and having it split up into themes has given me a wider perspective on literature and people.
I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys adult short stories and tales of why people are cruel.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
August 10, 2021
Seneng banget bisa kelarin 10 cerita orang dewasa dari Roald Dahl (karena sebelumnya cuma akrab dengan cerita-cerita anaknya). Terkadang (sering malah!), kalau baca buku yang fully English tuh suka agak clueless. Maklum, bahasa Inggris daku payah banget. Tapi ini daku baca tanpa lirak-lirik translator engine saking nggak flowery-nya dan mungkin ya... Dahl emang segitu nggak basa-basinya sih kalo nulis cerita (anak). Kayak tek-tek-tek, tapi juga nggak mengurangi deskripsi yang dia bangun untuk bikin pembacanya masuk dalam alur cerita, bahkan menjadi bagian dari cerita itu sendiri. Konfliknya dapat, karakter tokohnya juga melekat.
Kalo boleh kasih penilaian ke masing-masing cerita, mungkin penilaian daku bakal begini: The Butler (4/5), The Great Automatic Grammatizator (4/5), Royal Jelly (4/5), The Swan (2/5), Poison (3/5), Skin (3/5), The Princess and The Poacher (2/5), Genesis and Catastrophe (4/5), Claud's Dog (3/5).
Beberapa cerita menurutku buruk karena "terlalu kejam" jadi daku g kuat bacanya (di The Swan). Atau, di Princess and The Poacher daku melihat bau-bau seksisme yang kuat (ceritanya berkisar tentang seorang laki-laki miskin dan buruk rupa yg berhasil menyelamatkan seorang putri raja dari babi hutan yang kemudian diberi imbalan untuk sepuas-puasnya menggauli perempuan di kerajaan itu. Intinya, cerita tsb berhasil bikin daku jijik aja sih).
Beberapa khas Dahl banget yang imajinatif (jadi pengen punya mesin di cerita The Great Automatic Grammatizator yg bisa bikin semua jenis cerita secara massal, wkwk), atau sederhana--hampir klise, tapi penuh kejutan di akhir (baca: plot twist menyesakkan dada). Kayak daku tuh udah ya kasian sama si Ibu di cerita Genesis and Catastrophe, kesedihan karena kehilangan ketiga anaknya kayak bisa daku rasain. Dahl udah sukses ngajak daku ke pusaran konflik batin yang dialami ibunya, sampe sepanjang baca cerita itu daku ikutan merapal harap: semoga anak keempatnya selamat sampe gede. Ealah, di akhir ketahuan kl anak keempatnya adalah Adolf Hitler. Eh, sorry spoiler. Kesel soalnya.
Kalo boleh kasih penilaian ke masing-masing cerita, mungkin penilaian daku bakal begini: The Butler (4/5), The Great Automatic Grammatizator (4/5), Royal Jelly (4/5), The Swan (2/5), Poison (3/5), Skin (3/5), The Princess and The Poacher (2/5), Genesis and Catastrophe (4/5), Claud's Dog (3/5).
Beberapa cerita menurutku buruk karena "terlalu kejam" jadi daku g kuat bacanya (di The Swan). Atau, di Princess and The Poacher daku melihat bau-bau seksisme yang kuat (ceritanya berkisar tentang seorang laki-laki miskin dan buruk rupa yg berhasil menyelamatkan seorang putri raja dari babi hutan yang kemudian diberi imbalan untuk sepuas-puasnya menggauli perempuan di kerajaan itu. Intinya, cerita tsb berhasil bikin daku jijik aja sih).
Beberapa khas Dahl banget yang imajinatif (jadi pengen punya mesin di cerita The Great Automatic Grammatizator yg bisa bikin semua jenis cerita secara massal, wkwk), atau sederhana--hampir klise, tapi penuh kejutan di akhir (baca: plot twist menyesakkan dada). Kayak daku tuh udah ya kasian sama si Ibu di cerita Genesis and Catastrophe, kesedihan karena kehilangan ketiga anaknya kayak bisa daku rasain. Dahl udah sukses ngajak daku ke pusaran konflik batin yang dialami ibunya, sampe sepanjang baca cerita itu daku ikutan merapal harap: semoga anak keempatnya selamat sampe gede. Ealah, di akhir ketahuan kl anak keempatnya adalah Adolf Hitler. Eh, sorry spoiler. Kesel soalnya.
January 16, 2025
Roald Dahl is a polymath. RAF WWII pilot/spy/inventor/Shell Petroleum manager (Africa)/writer par excellence. Best known, and for most of us, first known as one of the world's most successful writer of children's stories, I think he is an even better writer of stories for adults.
Cruelty is my seventh book from his centenary edition of eight books, the others being Deception, Lust, War, Madness, Innocence, Fear, and Trickery. I have yet to read Trickery. Cruelty is composed of ten short stories, ranging from the absurd, comical, and the wickedly cruel:
1) The Butler - Absurd and funny, yes. But this jibe at one-upmanship and nouveau riche pretensions will strike a chord with readers who actually know this kind of people--folks with more money than good sense.
2) The Great Automatic Grammatizator - "A machine, however ingenious, is incapable of original though." - Adolph Knipe in The Great Automatic Grammatizator. Add seer (or perhaps time traveler?) to Dahl's polymathic career, because while this tale of a machine that churns out stories on demand may have seemed absurd barely a decade ago is now a reality, thanks to AI and ChatGPT.
3) Royal Jelly - Once again Dahl was ahead of the commercial curve, with the royal jelly industry now in the billions. His yesterday's soft-core science fiction is today's humdrum reality.
4) Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's Coat. - A hilarious comeuppance you can predict from the get-go. And yet still makes you go, "how cruel..."
5) The Swan - The cruellest story here, with a conclusion that doesn't quite make it.
6) Poison - An unfunny tale that seems the most plausible, and makes me suspect Dahl based it on a real incident while on his migrations with Shell Petroleum.
7) Skin - One of the most visual and engaging tales in the collection, and one where I have to withhold judgment lest I spoil it for the reader.
8) The Princess and the Poacher - A fairy tale from The Far Side.
9) Genesis and Catastrophe - Combine equal parts history and speculation of the what-if variety, add inspired dashes of imagination and panache, and you've got your recipe for Genesis and Catastrophe. Dahl makes story-telling seem so darn easy!
10) Claud's Dog - A nifty story of scamps and scalawags, Claud's Dog being the exception.
Three and a half stars.
Cruelty is my seventh book from his centenary edition of eight books, the others being Deception, Lust, War, Madness, Innocence, Fear, and Trickery. I have yet to read Trickery. Cruelty is composed of ten short stories, ranging from the absurd, comical, and the wickedly cruel:
1) The Butler - Absurd and funny, yes. But this jibe at one-upmanship and nouveau riche pretensions will strike a chord with readers who actually know this kind of people--folks with more money than good sense.
2) The Great Automatic Grammatizator - "A machine, however ingenious, is incapable of original though." - Adolph Knipe in The Great Automatic Grammatizator. Add seer (or perhaps time traveler?) to Dahl's polymathic career, because while this tale of a machine that churns out stories on demand may have seemed absurd barely a decade ago is now a reality, thanks to AI and ChatGPT.
3) Royal Jelly - Once again Dahl was ahead of the commercial curve, with the royal jelly industry now in the billions. His yesterday's soft-core science fiction is today's humdrum reality.
4) Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's Coat. - A hilarious comeuppance you can predict from the get-go. And yet still makes you go, "how cruel..."
5) The Swan - The cruellest story here, with a conclusion that doesn't quite make it.
6) Poison - An unfunny tale that seems the most plausible, and makes me suspect Dahl based it on a real incident while on his migrations with Shell Petroleum.
7) Skin - One of the most visual and engaging tales in the collection, and one where I have to withhold judgment lest I spoil it for the reader.
8) The Princess and the Poacher - A fairy tale from The Far Side.
9) Genesis and Catastrophe - Combine equal parts history and speculation of the what-if variety, add inspired dashes of imagination and panache, and you've got your recipe for Genesis and Catastrophe. Dahl makes story-telling seem so darn easy!
10) Claud's Dog - A nifty story of scamps and scalawags, Claud's Dog being the exception.
Three and a half stars.
November 7, 2019
I've always loved Roald Dahl's children's books as a child. So it was a matter of time for me to pick up his darker, more sinister collection of adult stories. To my (un)surprise, I have actually already read a few of these short stories, particularly Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's Coat. My memory of that one came back full force as I read it, and this time, I understood it on a whole other level.
A really interesting collection. I didn't think too much about the Butler not that it's a bad story. The same with The Great Automatic Grammatizator (though this was interesting from a greedy capitalist kind of perspective I guess).
I found The Swan really sad, and both Royal Jelly and Skin to be the creepiest. Royal Jelly was weird, a sketch of an obsessive kind of person. While Skin, now Skin really got to me. It reminded me of all those horror stories about being kidnapped and losing a kidney.
The Princess and the Poacher didn't feel very dark or sinister. It ends a little more HEA, despite the twistedness that does occur in the story.
Overall an interesting collection.
A really interesting collection. I didn't think too much about the Butler not that it's a bad story. The same with The Great Automatic Grammatizator (though this was interesting from a greedy capitalist kind of perspective I guess).
I found The Swan really sad, and both Royal Jelly and Skin to be the creepiest. Royal Jelly was weird, a sketch of an obsessive kind of person. While Skin, now Skin really got to me. It reminded me of all those horror stories about being kidnapped and losing a kidney.
The Princess and the Poacher didn't feel very dark or sinister. It ends a little more HEA, despite the twistedness that does occur in the story.
Overall an interesting collection.
March 25, 2017
3.5
A nice collection of short stories with 'Cruelty' as a central theme.
I particularly like The Great Automatic Grammarizator & Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's Coat.
However, I do not have the might to read the last short story, Claud's Dog as it is too dull.
A nice collection of short stories with 'Cruelty' as a central theme.
I particularly like The Great Automatic Grammarizator & Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's Coat.
However, I do not have the might to read the last short story, Claud's Dog as it is too dull.
Read
February 17, 2021Not my vibe but won't star rate it low as there aren't bad stories in here. The overall feeling is this would suit an older gentleman better than a young sprite like meh. Took me half a year to read it.
April 20, 2025
4 / 5 stars
As a big Roald Dahl fan I had already read almost all of the stories in this collection but I, of course, enjoyed them nonetheless even a second or third time around. If Stephen King is the master of the unsettling novel, then Dahl, surely, is the master of the unsettling short-story.
As a big Roald Dahl fan I had already read almost all of the stories in this collection but I, of course, enjoyed them nonetheless even a second or third time around. If Stephen King is the master of the unsettling novel, then Dahl, surely, is the master of the unsettling short-story.
September 7, 2018
*3.75
Definitely a lot better than I was expecting, but definitely weird
Definitely a lot better than I was expecting, but definitely weird
September 4, 2022
extremely unhinged story where a woman is talking to a doctor and keeps going “my babies keep dying — i hope that my newborn survives” and then towards the end the doctor goes “frau hitler, i’m sure baby adolf will be just fine”
July 10, 2024
Fantastically twisted, love the Wes Anderson remakes too, just fantastic. From this collection it was the poison and the swan story
Read
January 28, 20257.1/10
idk cool collection of short stories love the lil cliffhangers.
Always fun to see where the cruelty part would come from. dont think il read anything else like this tho once u start connecting to the characters the story just kinda ends😭
idk cool collection of short stories love the lil cliffhangers.
Always fun to see where the cruelty part would come from. dont think il read anything else like this tho once u start connecting to the characters the story just kinda ends😭
June 29, 2023
Roald Dahl is a master storyteller, I’ve always loved his short stories. This is a collection of tales about cruelty, and the pain people inflict on other people and also animals. I didn’t enjoy the theme, I generally left the stories feeling sad, so despite the excellent craftsmanship, this wasn’t especially enjoyable for me.
March 7, 2022
4.0 Stars.
All of the stories in this collection are remarkable, in that I can still recall every single one of them perfectly and am also sure that some will stick with me for a while yet. Extremely well written and very evocative (maybe too much so when it came to the stories featuring animal cruelty, which I find almost impossible to stomach). I'm certainly looking forward to reading more of Dahl's work.
All of the stories in this collection are remarkable, in that I can still recall every single one of them perfectly and am also sure that some will stick with me for a while yet. Extremely well written and very evocative (maybe too much so when it came to the stories featuring animal cruelty, which I find almost impossible to stomach). I'm certainly looking forward to reading more of Dahl's work.
April 22, 2022
A collection of short stories all with a twist. If you have enjoyed other pieces of his works then this is a must read.
February 6, 2017
A nice, tense collection of short stories. I especially enjoyed The Poacher and the Princess, which was probably the only story in the entire book with a happy ending. Roald Dahl's characters have such capacity for cruelty, and this is especially evident in The Swan.
The Great Automatic Grammatizator was also highly disturbing, and is a good example of the best that Roald Dahl can achieve.
Overall, not bad. Again, as with all short story collections it was rather hit and miss, but I did read it to the very end. Roald Dahl's writing has a way of drawing you in, and he's quite mastered the art of tension.
The Great Automatic Grammatizator was also highly disturbing, and is a good example of the best that Roald Dahl can achieve.
Overall, not bad. Again, as with all short story collections it was rather hit and miss, but I did read it to the very end. Roald Dahl's writing has a way of drawing you in, and he's quite mastered the art of tension.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2020
A collection of 10 short stories on cruelty. These stories cover various degrees of cruelty. Bullying, affair, disgraceful treatment due to one’s looks and so on. Some end well, some end badly.
1. The Butler
Tells the tale of the Cleavers, a couple looking to establish their place in the upper echelon of society. They moved into a small, elegant house in London and hired a butler, Tibbs, and a chef, Monsieur Estragon. They held dinner parties lavishly every single week, but something seemed to be lacking in these parties. The desire for prestige and their arrogance ultimately made Mr Cleaver look the fool in front of guests. The butler and the chef had drank all the superb wine bought as Mr Cleaver treated it with disrespect by continuing to serve incompatible food. Fair play!
2. The Great Automatic Grammatizator
Adolph Knipe returned from holiday filled with enthusiasm. He discussed with his boss, Mr Bohlen, about building a machine to write stories. It sounded unconvincing to Mr Bohlen at first but he eventually agreed with the idea. They built a publishing empire.
Having let the machine ghostwrite for him numerous stories, Mr Bohlen wanted to take it to the next level and requested Adolph to make it write novels.
Eventually, most authors start to struggle getting their books published after the arrival of such machine and gave their names to the publisher in order to survive. One author, in particular, prayed to God to grant them strength to let their children starve instead of giving the publisher their name. Grim.
3. Royal Jelly
After almost a decade of trying, the Taylors finally have a baby, but the baby seemed to be losing weight the longer she lives. Albert Taylor, a beekeeper with an humongous bee farm, decided to take matters into his own hands and included some amount royal jelly into the baby’s bottle of milk. Things started to look better for the baby, but Mabel Taylor found the idea of giving royal jelly to a newborn-baby to be insane but Albert wouldn’t budge on it. Albert later admitted that he consumed lots of royal jelly throughout the past year in order to improve his fertility, to the surprise of Mabel who noticed his increasingly bee-looking appearance. The baby’s health continued to improve yet it’s looking more like a bee, much to the horror of Mabel.
4. Mrs Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat
Mrs Bixby would travel to Baltimore once a month to visit her aunt. Or rather, to visit a colonel. She felt unhappy with her marriage due to Mr Bixby’s personality and him prioritising his work as a doctor. Her affair with the colonel continued for 8 years, until the colonel suddenly bade her goodbye with a coat. A coat made from mink’s fur. She paid a pawnbroker to keep the coat for the Bixbys to collect later. Mr Bixby collected the item himself and was ecstatic with it, and persuaded Mrs Bixby to come to his office. To her surprise, the item was a necklace with mink’s fur.
5. The Swan
This is one of my favourite stories of this collection.
Ernie grew up in a violent household. He was best described as a hooligan. One day, him and his mate Raymond went to hunt for animals and from afar, they noticed Peter. Peter goes to the same school as them. Ernie and Raymond despised Peter as he is everything they are not. Now, what’s Peter doing? Scouting for birds through binoculars as he’s just a lad that loves nature.
Ernie and Raymond plotted a plan to bully Peter, only for Peter to outdo them with the “great escape of the world”. 🦢
6. Poison
Another favourite of mine!
Timber was heading back to his bungalow. His mate, Harry, was still wide awake at midnight. After arriving at the bungalow, Harry told Timber to be quiet. To their horror, there is a krait on Harry’s stomach! Timber fetched for Dr Ganderbai to treat Harry AND catch the trait. When they tried to catch it, it wasn’t there. The krait may well have been Harry’s imagination, said the doctor. Out goes the racist insults from Harry’s mouth.
7. Skin
The number 1 story of this collection.
It’s 1946, Drioli is in Paris. He went past a picture gallery and read the name on one of the pictured. ‘Chaïm Soutine’, it says. He remembered the man, someone he knew 33 years ago. The very same man who drew on his back a portrait of his wife! Soutine had passed away back in 1943. His works are highly-sought after. Drioli went inside the gallery and was approached by a man and then another. A false promise resulted in a similar portrait being found in Buenos Aires.
8. The Princess and the Poacher
Hengist was the hideous lad in the kingdom he lived in. One day, he was out in the wild, wanting to poach. Out of nowhere, the princess appeared not far away. He was petrified by her beauty but knew he had no chance, especially with a princess. She would turn him away due to his ugliness. Suddenly, horns were heard in the distance. A boar was charging through the woods and was heading towards the princess. Hengist gathered enough bravery to save her and save her he did. The king saw the moment of bravery and awarded Hengist by making him a Count and freedom to ravish any woman within the kingdom. All the dukes went ballistic, people in society turned away from him.
But there’s always a reason behind every event. This, I must say, is a greater story than the princess and the frog. 🤣
9. Genesis and Catastrophe
Another favourite of mine.
Klara has just given birth to a baby boy but she won’t believe that the baby is alive. Klara and Alois had lost all their 3 children in recent years, the cause being unknown other than them being weak and fragile. This new born baby was also small, much to the dismay of Alois. Klara persuaded Alois to care for the baby. The baby was named Adolf, the son of Klara and Alois Hitler.
10. Claud’s Dog
This was a bore, so not leaving anything. 😁
1. The Butler
Tells the tale of the Cleavers, a couple looking to establish their place in the upper echelon of society. They moved into a small, elegant house in London and hired a butler, Tibbs, and a chef, Monsieur Estragon. They held dinner parties lavishly every single week, but something seemed to be lacking in these parties. The desire for prestige and their arrogance ultimately made Mr Cleaver look the fool in front of guests. The butler and the chef had drank all the superb wine bought as Mr Cleaver treated it with disrespect by continuing to serve incompatible food. Fair play!
2. The Great Automatic Grammatizator
Adolph Knipe returned from holiday filled with enthusiasm. He discussed with his boss, Mr Bohlen, about building a machine to write stories. It sounded unconvincing to Mr Bohlen at first but he eventually agreed with the idea. They built a publishing empire.
Having let the machine ghostwrite for him numerous stories, Mr Bohlen wanted to take it to the next level and requested Adolph to make it write novels.
Eventually, most authors start to struggle getting their books published after the arrival of such machine and gave their names to the publisher in order to survive. One author, in particular, prayed to God to grant them strength to let their children starve instead of giving the publisher their name. Grim.
3. Royal Jelly
After almost a decade of trying, the Taylors finally have a baby, but the baby seemed to be losing weight the longer she lives. Albert Taylor, a beekeeper with an humongous bee farm, decided to take matters into his own hands and included some amount royal jelly into the baby’s bottle of milk. Things started to look better for the baby, but Mabel Taylor found the idea of giving royal jelly to a newborn-baby to be insane but Albert wouldn’t budge on it. Albert later admitted that he consumed lots of royal jelly throughout the past year in order to improve his fertility, to the surprise of Mabel who noticed his increasingly bee-looking appearance. The baby’s health continued to improve yet it’s looking more like a bee, much to the horror of Mabel.
4. Mrs Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat
Mrs Bixby would travel to Baltimore once a month to visit her aunt. Or rather, to visit a colonel. She felt unhappy with her marriage due to Mr Bixby’s personality and him prioritising his work as a doctor. Her affair with the colonel continued for 8 years, until the colonel suddenly bade her goodbye with a coat. A coat made from mink’s fur. She paid a pawnbroker to keep the coat for the Bixbys to collect later. Mr Bixby collected the item himself and was ecstatic with it, and persuaded Mrs Bixby to come to his office. To her surprise, the item was a necklace with mink’s fur.
5. The Swan
This is one of my favourite stories of this collection.
Ernie grew up in a violent household. He was best described as a hooligan. One day, him and his mate Raymond went to hunt for animals and from afar, they noticed Peter. Peter goes to the same school as them. Ernie and Raymond despised Peter as he is everything they are not. Now, what’s Peter doing? Scouting for birds through binoculars as he’s just a lad that loves nature.
Ernie and Raymond plotted a plan to bully Peter, only for Peter to outdo them with the “great escape of the world”. 🦢
6. Poison
Another favourite of mine!
Timber was heading back to his bungalow. His mate, Harry, was still wide awake at midnight. After arriving at the bungalow, Harry told Timber to be quiet. To their horror, there is a krait on Harry’s stomach! Timber fetched for Dr Ganderbai to treat Harry AND catch the trait. When they tried to catch it, it wasn’t there. The krait may well have been Harry’s imagination, said the doctor. Out goes the racist insults from Harry’s mouth.
7. Skin
The number 1 story of this collection.
It’s 1946, Drioli is in Paris. He went past a picture gallery and read the name on one of the pictured. ‘Chaïm Soutine’, it says. He remembered the man, someone he knew 33 years ago. The very same man who drew on his back a portrait of his wife! Soutine had passed away back in 1943. His works are highly-sought after. Drioli went inside the gallery and was approached by a man and then another. A false promise resulted in a similar portrait being found in Buenos Aires.
8. The Princess and the Poacher
Hengist was the hideous lad in the kingdom he lived in. One day, he was out in the wild, wanting to poach. Out of nowhere, the princess appeared not far away. He was petrified by her beauty but knew he had no chance, especially with a princess. She would turn him away due to his ugliness. Suddenly, horns were heard in the distance. A boar was charging through the woods and was heading towards the princess. Hengist gathered enough bravery to save her and save her he did. The king saw the moment of bravery and awarded Hengist by making him a Count and freedom to ravish any woman within the kingdom. All the dukes went ballistic, people in society turned away from him.
But there’s always a reason behind every event. This, I must say, is a greater story than the princess and the frog. 🤣
9. Genesis and Catastrophe
Another favourite of mine.
Klara has just given birth to a baby boy but she won’t believe that the baby is alive. Klara and Alois had lost all their 3 children in recent years, the cause being unknown other than them being weak and fragile. This new born baby was also small, much to the dismay of Alois. Klara persuaded Alois to care for the baby. The baby was named Adolf, the son of Klara and Alois Hitler.
10. Claud’s Dog
This was a bore, so not leaving anything. 😁
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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