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Great Automatic Grammatizator & Other
CAN a machine really do the job of a writer?
HOW would you take exact revenge on a cruel tabloid journalist?
WHY does no one emerge from the house of an eccentric landlady?
THIRTEEN UNEXPECTED TALES WITH SHOCKING AND UNSETTLING TWISTS AT EVERY TURN.
HOW would you take exact revenge on a cruel tabloid journalist?
WHY does no one emerge from the house of an eccentric landlady?
THIRTEEN UNEXPECTED TALES WITH SHOCKING AND UNSETTLING TWISTS AT EVERY TURN.
262 pages, Paperback
First published April 6, 1982
359 people are currently reading
3957 people want to read
About the author
Roald Dahl
1,500 books26.8k 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 484 reviews
January 18, 2022
A cute little story. I recommend this to all.
March 9, 2020
A classic read this one !! Hilarious and briskly paced.
"There's no art / To find the mind's construction in the face". This is what the umbrella man establishs with his well-brought-up exterior. He is an elderly man, ready to swindle anyone for liquor. This is what he unerringly does with the narrator's mother. Though at the outset she is distrustful about the claim of the old man -- that he is impecunious and thus, can't afford a taxi after a long evening walk, but in due course she gives in and is badly tricked.
She gives away ‘the umbrella man’ a pound no matter how she is benefited by him by acquiring a silk umbrella in exchange of her donation. Actually, however, it is the umbrella man who ends up hoodwinking her.
The lady realizes later that this canard is a customary chore of the old man. He nicks silk umbrellas from pubs and sells them off to hapless people in need of it, outside the pub.
The old man had already judged that the narrator's mother would be tempted to have a silk umbrella for a pound, predominantly when she and her daughter are standing amidst heavy downpour.
Hence, he not only offers the umbrella to "melt" the lady's heart, but also he tries to establish the fact that a pound is now worth a million dollar to him since his "silly old legs are too exhausted to take him back home by walking.
As such, he into selling a "twenty pound" umbrella just for a single pound. Thus the concept of the lady, "nicer the man seems to be, the more suspicious you must become" at the end of the day comes true.
"There's no art / To find the mind's construction in the face". This is what the umbrella man establishs with his well-brought-up exterior. He is an elderly man, ready to swindle anyone for liquor. This is what he unerringly does with the narrator's mother. Though at the outset she is distrustful about the claim of the old man -- that he is impecunious and thus, can't afford a taxi after a long evening walk, but in due course she gives in and is badly tricked.
She gives away ‘the umbrella man’ a pound no matter how she is benefited by him by acquiring a silk umbrella in exchange of her donation. Actually, however, it is the umbrella man who ends up hoodwinking her.
The lady realizes later that this canard is a customary chore of the old man. He nicks silk umbrellas from pubs and sells them off to hapless people in need of it, outside the pub.
The old man had already judged that the narrator's mother would be tempted to have a silk umbrella for a pound, predominantly when she and her daughter are standing amidst heavy downpour.
Hence, he not only offers the umbrella to "melt" the lady's heart, but also he tries to establish the fact that a pound is now worth a million dollar to him since his "silly old legs are too exhausted to take him back home by walking.
As such, he into selling a "twenty pound" umbrella just for a single pound. Thus the concept of the lady, "nicer the man seems to be, the more suspicious you must become" at the end of the day comes true.
December 4, 2016
I started reading this on Halloween with my 11 year old as a bed-time read aloud. I will review the stories here as we read them, not necessarily in the order of the book.
Vengeance is Mine, INC--this is cute, but more than a little dated (they are going to retire with $20K as if they are super rich). They also can simply disappear (which is much more difficult in modern society). He liked the story though as as concept and I think the evidence of a historic time period was interesting.
The Butler--this one was a bit over my 11 year old's head. He followed well enough, but the subtleties of classism and wine conosourism were lost. Kind of how they were for Mr. Cleaver. Short and cute; I also wondered about the relationship between Estragon and Tibbs.
Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's coat---so clearly these are not children's stories. On one hand, I wish I had realized that before we started, but on the other they are providing great talking points. We liked that Mrs. Bixby did not get the coat, certainly after 8 years cheating on her husband she doesn't deserve it. The secretary showing up with it was the coup de grace though...a surprise but then also overkill. After all, if he is cheating too then it kinda puts Mrs. off the hook.
The Automatic Grammatizator--this story so clearly epitomizes our fear of machines (and is rather prescient for the time it was written) as replacement for humans. We are still pursuing AI (and I don't imagine that the formulization of stories is so difficult), but in different and more interactive ways that Dahl envisioned here. I found it interesting that my boy (born in 2005 and very computer-literate) scoffed at this about halfway through; "There is no way that a machine can write stories that are good enough mom. Only people are truly creative."
The Way Up to Heaven--We starting reading this one together, but then my son finished it without me (he had run out of things to read on his kindle). After I finished, we discussed it. He understood that the husband died in the elevator, but had missed the wife's listening at the door and so had not realized that she KNEW and essentially murdered him. We went on to discuss the theme of revenge in all of these stories and he insisted that murdering him just for making her late for a flight was a bit extreme. He seems to think that the wife will get a come-uppance in her later life.
Royal Jelly--This was just odd. Neither one of us particularly liked it. The idea of a honey-based super food is intriguing (and not completely unbelievable), but the fact that the husband had turned himself into part-bee and was on the way of turning the baby was just a bit too much. It also didn't fit with the revenge theme of the rest of the book.
Katina--This was just a sad war story. It reminded me of "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong" by Tim O'Brien. As a woman, I have always been rather happy that I can't get sent off to war; I am rather intrigued by these stories of women (girls) who find themselves as part of the platoon.
The Umbrella Man--The title story is short and cute, but far from the best in the book. Ironically enough he did not get his comeuppance. We get to see the con man at his game, but there is no punishment. I wasn't quite sure this fit with the others and was surprised that it was the title story.
Parson's Pleasure--My husband came in while we were reading this one and he said he knew it, but he was rather surprised to hear it was Roald Dahl. I also thought this story was familiar, might be that it was in another collection somewhere? Anyway, again Dahl drives home the theme of just desserts; the swindler does not get swindled, but he is deprived of his treasure.
Man from the South--Again, this was good enough with the whole betting shenanigans until we got to the end and Dahl adds the layer of the woman and man having bet multiple times. It was just funny enough to be not creepy; if Dahl had taken a different tone, this could have been scary.
The Landlady-- I liked this one quite a bit. We knew right away that the old lady was gonna kill him, but the taxidermy at the end was a cute add on. So far, I am pretty sure it is my 11 year old's favorite in the book.
Taste--As I mentioned earlier, my son has snuck off with this book a few times and read some stories without me. This has been an interesting lesson in how much he enjoys short stories; we shall get him some more for his kindle. Anyway, He read this and Neck alone a few days ago, so I read Taste last night to play catch up. I had it figured out as soon as the host boasted that he keeps the wine breathing where the gourmet had suggested. I did not think the gourmet would be unveiled though until it was too late (maybe fast forward a bit and it was after the wedding or after the daughter is pregnant). Rather absurd story overall considering that the girl should have a stronger say in her marriage.
Neck--I am just not sure I got this one. I have yet to discuss with the little one (this is the other story he read on his own); clearly the husband would have killed the wife with the axe, but is the saw any better? Why not just unmask her adultery and divorce her? I was just not sure HOW Basil would get his revenge.
Vengeance is Mine, INC--this is cute, but more than a little dated (they are going to retire with $20K as if they are super rich). They also can simply disappear (which is much more difficult in modern society). He liked the story though as as concept and I think the evidence of a historic time period was interesting.
The Butler--this one was a bit over my 11 year old's head. He followed well enough, but the subtleties of classism and wine conosourism were lost. Kind of how they were for Mr. Cleaver. Short and cute; I also wondered about the relationship between Estragon and Tibbs.
Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's coat---so clearly these are not children's stories. On one hand, I wish I had realized that before we started, but on the other they are providing great talking points. We liked that Mrs. Bixby did not get the coat, certainly after 8 years cheating on her husband she doesn't deserve it. The secretary showing up with it was the coup de grace though...a surprise but then also overkill. After all, if he is cheating too then it kinda puts Mrs. off the hook.
The Automatic Grammatizator--this story so clearly epitomizes our fear of machines (and is rather prescient for the time it was written) as replacement for humans. We are still pursuing AI (and I don't imagine that the formulization of stories is so difficult), but in different and more interactive ways that Dahl envisioned here. I found it interesting that my boy (born in 2005 and very computer-literate) scoffed at this about halfway through; "There is no way that a machine can write stories that are good enough mom. Only people are truly creative."
The Way Up to Heaven--We starting reading this one together, but then my son finished it without me (he had run out of things to read on his kindle). After I finished, we discussed it. He understood that the husband died in the elevator, but had missed the wife's listening at the door and so had not realized that she KNEW and essentially murdered him. We went on to discuss the theme of revenge in all of these stories and he insisted that murdering him just for making her late for a flight was a bit extreme. He seems to think that the wife will get a come-uppance in her later life.
Royal Jelly--This was just odd. Neither one of us particularly liked it. The idea of a honey-based super food is intriguing (and not completely unbelievable), but the fact that the husband had turned himself into part-bee and was on the way of turning the baby was just a bit too much. It also didn't fit with the revenge theme of the rest of the book.
Katina--This was just a sad war story. It reminded me of "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong" by Tim O'Brien. As a woman, I have always been rather happy that I can't get sent off to war; I am rather intrigued by these stories of women (girls) who find themselves as part of the platoon.
The Umbrella Man--The title story is short and cute, but far from the best in the book. Ironically enough he did not get his comeuppance. We get to see the con man at his game, but there is no punishment. I wasn't quite sure this fit with the others and was surprised that it was the title story.
Parson's Pleasure--My husband came in while we were reading this one and he said he knew it, but he was rather surprised to hear it was Roald Dahl. I also thought this story was familiar, might be that it was in another collection somewhere? Anyway, again Dahl drives home the theme of just desserts; the swindler does not get swindled, but he is deprived of his treasure.
Man from the South--Again, this was good enough with the whole betting shenanigans until we got to the end and Dahl adds the layer of the woman and man having bet multiple times. It was just funny enough to be not creepy; if Dahl had taken a different tone, this could have been scary.
The Landlady-- I liked this one quite a bit. We knew right away that the old lady was gonna kill him, but the taxidermy at the end was a cute add on. So far, I am pretty sure it is my 11 year old's favorite in the book.
Taste--As I mentioned earlier, my son has snuck off with this book a few times and read some stories without me. This has been an interesting lesson in how much he enjoys short stories; we shall get him some more for his kindle. Anyway, He read this and Neck alone a few days ago, so I read Taste last night to play catch up. I had it figured out as soon as the host boasted that he keeps the wine breathing where the gourmet had suggested. I did not think the gourmet would be unveiled though until it was too late (maybe fast forward a bit and it was after the wedding or after the daughter is pregnant). Rather absurd story overall considering that the girl should have a stronger say in her marriage.
Neck--I am just not sure I got this one. I have yet to discuss with the little one (this is the other story he read on his own); clearly the husband would have killed the wife with the axe, but is the saw any better? Why not just unmask her adultery and divorce her? I was just not sure HOW Basil would get his revenge.
December 8, 2022
Although I have read some of the stories from other collections, it has always been a pleasure to read Mr. Dahl's works.
My favourite stories:
🔖 The Way Up to Heaven
🔖 The Great Automatic Grammatizator
🔖 Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat
🔖 Neck
🔖 The Umbrella Man
My favourite stories:
🔖 The Way Up to Heaven
🔖 The Great Automatic Grammatizator
🔖 Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat
🔖 Neck
🔖 The Umbrella Man
Read
November 2, 2021Apart from Skin, this anthology of short stories is another set of quirky tales from Roald Dahl. Easy reads and subtle plot twists make for a very enjoyable read.
I would like to think that his fascinating weirdness and lovely writing in his children stories manifests in queerer ways in these tales!
I would like to think that his fascinating weirdness and lovely writing in his children stories manifests in queerer ways in these tales!
October 11, 2018
Roald Dahl és ben conegut com a autor de llibres infantils, molts dels quals han esdevingut clàssics i han estat adaptats amb gran èxit a la gran pantalla; Charlie i la fàbrica de xocolata i Matilda en són dos clars exemples. La seva faceta d’escriptor per adults, però, no és tan visible per al gran públic. Gràcies a aquest recull editat per Sembra Llibres podem albirar les qualitats d’un autor que té molt a dir en narrativa (no només en contes per a nens), un escriptor que mostra en Els millors relats que domina a la perfecció l’estructura i el tempo del relat curt.
Podeu llegir completa la ressenya de Toni Herrero a: http://elbiblionauta.com/ca/2018/06/0...
Podeu llegir completa la ressenya de Toni Herrero a: http://elbiblionauta.com/ca/2018/06/0...
July 17, 2017
my first reading and rewiew in english 😊
it was a good short story about appearances
it was a good short story about appearances
June 29, 2010
”The Great Automatic Grammatizator” (from “Someone Like You”): A mechanically-minded man reasons that the rules of grammar are fixed by certain, almost mathematical principles. By exploiting this idea, he is able to create a mammoth machine that can write a prize-winning novel in roughly fifteen minutes. The story ends on a fearful note, as more and more of the world's writers are forced into licensing their names-and all hope of human creativity-to the machine.
”Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat” (from ”Kiss Kiss”): Mrs. Bixby cheats on her meek, dentist husband with a rich, dashing colonel. When their relationship breaks off, the colonel offers Mrs. Bixby a gorgeous and expensive mink coat. In an attempt to explain the coat away, Mrs. Bixby sets up an elaborate trick with the help of a pawn shop -- but her husband learns of the ruse and manages to turn the tables.
”The Butler” (from ”More Tales of the Unexpected”): An obnoxious and newly wealthy couple employs a butler and chef to impress dinner guests. The butler recommends that the husband buy expensive wines to please company, and the man slavishly follows the idea. The butler and the chef reap the rewards of this idea, while making the "fashionable" couple look like fools.
”Man from the South” (from ”Someone Like You”): At a seaside resort in Jamaica, a strange old man makes a bet with an American man in his late teens. If the young man's cigarette lighter can spark ten times without fail, the American will win a brand-new Cadillac car -- but failure means losing the little finger on his right hand. The high-tension wager ensues, and with only a few sparks left, a woman -- who knows only too well the cost of the old man's bets -- appears and stops the madness.
”The Landlady” (from ”Kiss Kiss”): A young man traveling to London on business stops at a bed and breakfast along the way, where a strange -- and slightly dotty -- landlady eagerly welcomes him. The offsetting nature of the house -- and the news that only two other young men have ever stayed there -- confuses and frightens the young man. In the end, the landlady -- who indulges in the odd hobby of taxidermy -- and the boy share a drink of tea that tastes of bitter almonds, and the landlady softly smiles, staring at what may be her latest stuffing project.
”Parson's Pleasure” (from “Kiss Kiss”): A man discovers an extremely rare piece of Chippendale furniture at the farm of some boorish ranchers. He desperately attempts to buy the piece cheap, in hopes of selling it an auction to earn a huge sum. He manages to buy the piece -- only for the ranchers to destroy it in an attempt to make it fit in his car.
”The Umbrella Man” (from ”More Tales of the Unexpected”): A mother and daughter meet a gentlemanly old man on a street corner, who offers them a beautiful silk umbrella in exchange for a pound note. They trade, and the daughter notices that the "feeble" old man suddenly seems much sprier. They follow, and discover that the gentleman is really a clever con artist, who visits various pubs, has a drink, and then steals another umbrella to continue the cycle!
”Katina” (from ”Over to You: Ten Stories of Flyers and Flying”): A group of RAF pilots stationed in Greece during World War II discover a hauntingly beautiful young girl, whose "family is beneath the rubble." She becomes their squadron's unofficial "mascot". In the end, her fragile life is taken as she stands defiantly against a rain of bullets from Nazi airplanes, shaking her fists into the heavens.
”The Way Up to Heaven” (from “Kiss Kiss”): Mrs. Foster suffers from a chronic phobia of being late for things. Her husband seems to enjoy the cruel sport of purposely delaying their actions, just to see his wife become riled. On the day when Mrs. Foster must fly to Paris to visit her grandchildren, her husband engages in his usual tricks. But as Mrs. Foster rushes to return to the house, she hears a strange noise -- and suddenly turns triumphantly toward her cab. It is only when she returns, and calls a man to "repair the lift" that was stuck between floors in the house, that readers can guess Mr. Foster's fate.
”Royal Jelly” (from “Kiss Kiss”): A new pair of parents fears for the life of their little girl, who is sickly underweight. The husband, a beekeeper, remembers hearing of the miraculous royal jelly used by bees to transform one particular larva into a queen. He adds the mixture to his daughter's bottles, and she puts on weight at an astonishing rate. The mother senses that something is amiss, and the husband confesses his actions -- along with the fact that he himself swallowed buckets of the jelly for months in an attempt to cure his impotence. The royal jelly did the trick -- but the strange side effects include a disturbing metamorphosis for both father and daughter.
”Vengeance is Mine Inc.” (from ”More Tales of the Unexpected”): Two brothers who are short on cash bemoan their fates over breakfast while reading the society column of a newspaper. Reading it, they hit upon a scheme to take revenge on cruel tabloid writers in exchange for money from wealthy patrons. The unconventional plan works, and the brothers line their pockets with the spoils of their plans.
”Taste” (from ”Someone Like You”): A rich man with a beautiful young daughter hosts a dinner party, inviting a famous partaker of fine wines. When the rich man boasts that he has a wine that the expert cannot identify, the stakes become frighteningly high -- if he can guess the make of the wine, he will win the daughter! After an elaborate show, the expert guesses everything right; however, the family's maid appears on the scene and manages to expose the guest as a cheat, saving the girl.
”Neck” (from ”Someone Like You”): A newspaper heir finds himself suddenly engaged to the voluptuous and controlling Lady Tutton. He loses all control of his life, and only his trusted butler and friends realize how broken he is by her control. A weekend trip to their estate, however, proves the perfect opportunity for Lord Tutton to engage in a bitter case of revenge against his wicked wife -- her head is trapped in a piece of sculpture, and he decides to use a sharp saw to "cut" her free.
Splendidly written, each story gives some insight into human nature. Dahl lays out his stories in a way to make you feel that you are reading a sort of twisted fairy tale, using surreal language and situations. It is really unlike anything I have ever read before and it is sure to spark your imagination whether you are young or old. (P.S.: If you're an avid Dahl lover like me, you might have seen some of these stories already. That's all right -- you're bound not to have seen all, or even most of them.)
More of Purplycookie’s Reviews @: http://www.goodreads.com/purplycookie
Book Details:
Title The Umbrella Man and Other Stories (also published as “The Great Automatic Grammatizator")
Author Roald Dahl
Reviewed By Purplycookie
”Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat” (from ”Kiss Kiss”): Mrs. Bixby cheats on her meek, dentist husband with a rich, dashing colonel. When their relationship breaks off, the colonel offers Mrs. Bixby a gorgeous and expensive mink coat. In an attempt to explain the coat away, Mrs. Bixby sets up an elaborate trick with the help of a pawn shop -- but her husband learns of the ruse and manages to turn the tables.
”The Butler” (from ”More Tales of the Unexpected”): An obnoxious and newly wealthy couple employs a butler and chef to impress dinner guests. The butler recommends that the husband buy expensive wines to please company, and the man slavishly follows the idea. The butler and the chef reap the rewards of this idea, while making the "fashionable" couple look like fools.
”Man from the South” (from ”Someone Like You”): At a seaside resort in Jamaica, a strange old man makes a bet with an American man in his late teens. If the young man's cigarette lighter can spark ten times without fail, the American will win a brand-new Cadillac car -- but failure means losing the little finger on his right hand. The high-tension wager ensues, and with only a few sparks left, a woman -- who knows only too well the cost of the old man's bets -- appears and stops the madness.
”The Landlady” (from ”Kiss Kiss”): A young man traveling to London on business stops at a bed and breakfast along the way, where a strange -- and slightly dotty -- landlady eagerly welcomes him. The offsetting nature of the house -- and the news that only two other young men have ever stayed there -- confuses and frightens the young man. In the end, the landlady -- who indulges in the odd hobby of taxidermy -- and the boy share a drink of tea that tastes of bitter almonds, and the landlady softly smiles, staring at what may be her latest stuffing project.
”Parson's Pleasure” (from “Kiss Kiss”): A man discovers an extremely rare piece of Chippendale furniture at the farm of some boorish ranchers. He desperately attempts to buy the piece cheap, in hopes of selling it an auction to earn a huge sum. He manages to buy the piece -- only for the ranchers to destroy it in an attempt to make it fit in his car.
”The Umbrella Man” (from ”More Tales of the Unexpected”): A mother and daughter meet a gentlemanly old man on a street corner, who offers them a beautiful silk umbrella in exchange for a pound note. They trade, and the daughter notices that the "feeble" old man suddenly seems much sprier. They follow, and discover that the gentleman is really a clever con artist, who visits various pubs, has a drink, and then steals another umbrella to continue the cycle!
”Katina” (from ”Over to You: Ten Stories of Flyers and Flying”): A group of RAF pilots stationed in Greece during World War II discover a hauntingly beautiful young girl, whose "family is beneath the rubble." She becomes their squadron's unofficial "mascot". In the end, her fragile life is taken as she stands defiantly against a rain of bullets from Nazi airplanes, shaking her fists into the heavens.
”The Way Up to Heaven” (from “Kiss Kiss”): Mrs. Foster suffers from a chronic phobia of being late for things. Her husband seems to enjoy the cruel sport of purposely delaying their actions, just to see his wife become riled. On the day when Mrs. Foster must fly to Paris to visit her grandchildren, her husband engages in his usual tricks. But as Mrs. Foster rushes to return to the house, she hears a strange noise -- and suddenly turns triumphantly toward her cab. It is only when she returns, and calls a man to "repair the lift" that was stuck between floors in the house, that readers can guess Mr. Foster's fate.
”Royal Jelly” (from “Kiss Kiss”): A new pair of parents fears for the life of their little girl, who is sickly underweight. The husband, a beekeeper, remembers hearing of the miraculous royal jelly used by bees to transform one particular larva into a queen. He adds the mixture to his daughter's bottles, and she puts on weight at an astonishing rate. The mother senses that something is amiss, and the husband confesses his actions -- along with the fact that he himself swallowed buckets of the jelly for months in an attempt to cure his impotence. The royal jelly did the trick -- but the strange side effects include a disturbing metamorphosis for both father and daughter.
”Vengeance is Mine Inc.” (from ”More Tales of the Unexpected”): Two brothers who are short on cash bemoan their fates over breakfast while reading the society column of a newspaper. Reading it, they hit upon a scheme to take revenge on cruel tabloid writers in exchange for money from wealthy patrons. The unconventional plan works, and the brothers line their pockets with the spoils of their plans.
”Taste” (from ”Someone Like You”): A rich man with a beautiful young daughter hosts a dinner party, inviting a famous partaker of fine wines. When the rich man boasts that he has a wine that the expert cannot identify, the stakes become frighteningly high -- if he can guess the make of the wine, he will win the daughter! After an elaborate show, the expert guesses everything right; however, the family's maid appears on the scene and manages to expose the guest as a cheat, saving the girl.
”Neck” (from ”Someone Like You”): A newspaper heir finds himself suddenly engaged to the voluptuous and controlling Lady Tutton. He loses all control of his life, and only his trusted butler and friends realize how broken he is by her control. A weekend trip to their estate, however, proves the perfect opportunity for Lord Tutton to engage in a bitter case of revenge against his wicked wife -- her head is trapped in a piece of sculpture, and he decides to use a sharp saw to "cut" her free.
Splendidly written, each story gives some insight into human nature. Dahl lays out his stories in a way to make you feel that you are reading a sort of twisted fairy tale, using surreal language and situations. It is really unlike anything I have ever read before and it is sure to spark your imagination whether you are young or old. (P.S.: If you're an avid Dahl lover like me, you might have seen some of these stories already. That's all right -- you're bound not to have seen all, or even most of them.)
More of Purplycookie’s Reviews @: http://www.goodreads.com/purplycookie
Book Details:
Title The Umbrella Man and Other Stories (also published as “The Great Automatic Grammatizator")
Author Roald Dahl
Reviewed By Purplycookie
May 21, 2025
4.5 stars
I'm a HUGE fan of Roald Dahl. I've been one since I was a kid and read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, George's Marvellous Medicine, etc. So, I was absolutely delighted when, a few years ago, I discovered a collection of short stories for adults written by him! And the collection was full of twisty, ironic, and unsettling stories—a genre I hadn't explored much otherwise. (In retrospect, I later realized how even his children's stories were quite dark in nature.)
Since then, I've always been on the lookout for more of his short story collections, and this one didn't disappoint. I had read a couple of them previously but still loved re-reading them all over again. And the new ones had just the right amount of satire and irony. I especially loved how a lot of the stories didn’t spell out the outcome in words but was cleverly implied.
I'm a HUGE fan of Roald Dahl. I've been one since I was a kid and read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, George's Marvellous Medicine, etc. So, I was absolutely delighted when, a few years ago, I discovered a collection of short stories for adults written by him! And the collection was full of twisty, ironic, and unsettling stories—a genre I hadn't explored much otherwise. (In retrospect, I later realized how even his children's stories were quite dark in nature.)
Since then, I've always been on the lookout for more of his short story collections, and this one didn't disappoint. I had read a couple of them previously but still loved re-reading them all over again. And the new ones had just the right amount of satire and irony. I especially loved how a lot of the stories didn’t spell out the outcome in words but was cleverly implied.
June 25, 2018
Bought this collection at Foyle's in London, because a) I was at Foyle's flagship store in LONDON, b) I was on a literary pilgrimage through the UK where I would be doing a presentation to the rest of my group about Dahl, and c) the only story I knew was the superb Royal Jelly. Loved these stories, so chilling and wonderful! Dahl's children's books are great, but his more adult short stories are DIVINE. This was shelved in the YA section at Foyle's, and I agree: I think the American practice of putting his younger books in the middle grade department, then making a huge leap over to adult for the short stories is a mistake, which denies teens the pleasure of reading things like Man From the South and Royal Jelly.
August 1, 2023
Fantàstic recull de relats de l’autor britànic, que van retratant una sèrie de personatges pintorescos travats en una sèrie de successos més pintorescos encara. Trobarem històries especiades amb ironia i humor, amb suspens i angoixa, amb un puntet de sarcasme i mala llet; però sempre amb un gir final sorprenent. Amb un estil que sap combinar tant el detallisme com una narració directa, que s’adeque convenientment al caràcter de cada relat. Primera lectura d’aquest autor que m’ha semblat magnífica, vaig a repetir. Imprescindible.
La gran gramatitzadora automàtica, 5*
Sobre l'escriptura, els escriptors i el món editorial.
L'home del sud, 5*
Sobre el perill de les apostes.
La senyora Bixby i l’abric del coronel, 5*
Sobre la fidelitat conjugal.
El majordom, 4,5*
Uns nous rics contracten un majordom anglès i un cuiner francès per millorar el seu estatus social.
La dispesera, 4,5*
Buscava una habitació per llogar. Una història en que la sensació de neguit i suspicàcia van en augment…
El plaer del capellà, 4*
Història d’un personatge que es dedica a la compra-venda de mobles antics amb mètodes poc ètics.
L’home del paraigua, 3,5*
Una mare i una filla coneixen a un amable ancià en una parada de bus. Pràcticament una anècdota, però amb la seua conya i gir final.
Katina, 5*
Història, amb tints autobiogràfics, sobre l’estada de Dahl a Grècia com a pilot de la RAF durant la II Guerra Mundial.
El camí que puja al cel, 4,5*
La senyora Foster té fòbia a arribar tard als llocs i el senyor Foster no hi contribueix a alleugerir la seua aflicció.
Gelea reial, 4*
Un matrimoni es desviu per criar la seua filla, un bebè que no s’alimenta adequadament.
La Venjança és Meva S.A. 4,5*
Un parell d'amics tarambanes ideen una manera peculiar de fer-se rics.
El tast, 5*
Un sopar de gourmets, un tast de vins, i una juguesca perversa.
El coll, 4*
Un periodista visita la rica mansió dels Turton, propietaris d’un imperi editorial i amants de l’esculptura moderna, i és testimoni dels fets que hi ocòrren.
La gran gramatitzadora automàtica, 5*
Sobre l'escriptura, els escriptors i el món editorial.
L'home del sud, 5*
Sobre el perill de les apostes.
La senyora Bixby i l’abric del coronel, 5*
Sobre la fidelitat conjugal.
El majordom, 4,5*
Uns nous rics contracten un majordom anglès i un cuiner francès per millorar el seu estatus social.
La dispesera, 4,5*
Buscava una habitació per llogar. Una història en que la sensació de neguit i suspicàcia van en augment…
El plaer del capellà, 4*
Història d’un personatge que es dedica a la compra-venda de mobles antics amb mètodes poc ètics.
L’home del paraigua, 3,5*
Una mare i una filla coneixen a un amable ancià en una parada de bus. Pràcticament una anècdota, però amb la seua conya i gir final.
Katina, 5*
Història, amb tints autobiogràfics, sobre l’estada de Dahl a Grècia com a pilot de la RAF durant la II Guerra Mundial.
El camí que puja al cel, 4,5*
La senyora Foster té fòbia a arribar tard als llocs i el senyor Foster no hi contribueix a alleugerir la seua aflicció.
Gelea reial, 4*
Un matrimoni es desviu per criar la seua filla, un bebè que no s’alimenta adequadament.
La Venjança és Meva S.A. 4,5*
Un parell d'amics tarambanes ideen una manera peculiar de fer-se rics.
El tast, 5*
Un sopar de gourmets, un tast de vins, i una juguesca perversa.
El coll, 4*
Un periodista visita la rica mansió dels Turton, propietaris d’un imperi editorial i amants de l’esculptura moderna, i és testimoni dels fets que hi ocòrren.
March 28, 2017
He is a smart character that knows what he is doing
February 10, 2021
Calificación: 4/5
Este libro en términos generales es bueno para conocer otras historias de Roald Dahl poco populares, además de las novelas que ya conocemos gracias a la media que marcaron nuestra generación millennial (Matilda, Charlie y la fábrica de chocolate, Jim y el durazno gigante, El fantástico Sr. Zorro, Las Brujas, Mi amigo el gigante, etc.), estos cuentos son breves y siguen manteniendo el mismo estilo raro, pero creativo y simpático del autor, aunque mi opinión subjetiva de cada uno varía, puesto que unos los disfruté más que otros; sin embargo, abajo les comparto mis calificaciones de cada uno.
En conclusión, es un buen libro para conocer algo igual, pero a la vez poco conocido del autor que quizás sí no puede llegar a gustar y sorprender.
Calificaciones de los cuentos:
-Katina: 4/5
-El gran gramatizador automático: 5/5
-La señora Bixby y el abrigo del coronel: 4'5/5
-El mayordomo: 4/5
-Hombre del sur: 4'5/5
-La patrona 4/5
-Placer de clérigo 4/5
-El hombre del paraguas: 5/5
-La subida al cielo: 4/5
-Jalea Real: 3/5
-La Venganza es mía, S.A.: 3'5/5
-Lady Turton: 3/5
-El sibarita: 4/5
Este libro en términos generales es bueno para conocer otras historias de Roald Dahl poco populares, además de las novelas que ya conocemos gracias a la media que marcaron nuestra generación millennial (Matilda, Charlie y la fábrica de chocolate, Jim y el durazno gigante, El fantástico Sr. Zorro, Las Brujas, Mi amigo el gigante, etc.), estos cuentos son breves y siguen manteniendo el mismo estilo raro, pero creativo y simpático del autor, aunque mi opinión subjetiva de cada uno varía, puesto que unos los disfruté más que otros; sin embargo, abajo les comparto mis calificaciones de cada uno.
En conclusión, es un buen libro para conocer algo igual, pero a la vez poco conocido del autor que quizás sí no puede llegar a gustar y sorprender.
Calificaciones de los cuentos:
-Katina: 4/5
-El gran gramatizador automático: 5/5
-La señora Bixby y el abrigo del coronel: 4'5/5
-El mayordomo: 4/5
-Hombre del sur: 4'5/5
-La patrona 4/5
-Placer de clérigo 4/5
-El hombre del paraguas: 5/5
-La subida al cielo: 4/5
-Jalea Real: 3/5
-La Venganza es mía, S.A.: 3'5/5
-Lady Turton: 3/5
-El sibarita: 4/5
March 11, 2020
For those of us who grew up reading Dahl, his adult stories (especially Switch Bitch) come off as a pleasant surprise.
I haven't got to Switch Bitch yet - which I hear is adored and criticised in equal measure - but The Umbrella Man and Other Stories were all grippingly written and maturely narrated. Each of them was a joy to read.
A few of them I somewhat remembered from Dahl's Kiss Kiss. But, as with all short story collections, I couldn't recall enough from them. And I doubt I'll sufficiently remember these either a year down the line. Short stories are their own tragedy. Quick to read and quicker to forget.
My favourite from this collection was Katina. Poignant, genuine and touching. I've, of course, read Dahl's Going Solo where he writes about his participation in the war, but this one reminded me just as much of Catch 22.
Dahl died five years before I was born. To think of the effect a dead man's writings have had one me, from childhood right into adulthood.
I haven't got to Switch Bitch yet - which I hear is adored and criticised in equal measure - but The Umbrella Man and Other Stories were all grippingly written and maturely narrated. Each of them was a joy to read.
A few of them I somewhat remembered from Dahl's Kiss Kiss. But, as with all short story collections, I couldn't recall enough from them. And I doubt I'll sufficiently remember these either a year down the line. Short stories are their own tragedy. Quick to read and quicker to forget.
My favourite from this collection was Katina. Poignant, genuine and touching. I've, of course, read Dahl's Going Solo where he writes about his participation in the war, but this one reminded me just as much of Catch 22.
Dahl died five years before I was born. To think of the effect a dead man's writings have had one me, from childhood right into adulthood.
October 25, 2021
Ronald Dahl is now on my list for every Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon. I read most of this book in the days before the readathon, keeping the last 100 pages for the day of the readathon.
All these stories were good. My least favorite was Katina, A gallows humor story about an Italian girl during WWII. I like gallows humor, laughing in the Face of Death. But this was war time and too sad for me. This is the worst war story I want to ever read.
My favorites include:
1. Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat.
2. The Way Up to Heaven.
3. Umbrella Man.
4. Royal Jelly.
Thirteen YA stories in total.
All these stories were good. My least favorite was Katina, A gallows humor story about an Italian girl during WWII. I like gallows humor, laughing in the Face of Death. But this was war time and too sad for me. This is the worst war story I want to ever read.
My favorites include:
1. Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat.
2. The Way Up to Heaven.
3. Umbrella Man.
4. Royal Jelly.
Thirteen YA stories in total.
July 15, 2019
Magnificently macabre comic confections. Devilish Dahl delivers hilariously Hitchcockian hits from the kinkily inky depths of his magically poisonous pen.
September 10, 2016
A Toronto, mentre miràvem una posta de sol espectacular, en Martí Sales vam recomanar-mefervorosament que llegís els relats de Roald Dahl d'una vegada per totes. Per una raó o per una altra, mai m'hi havia posat, tot i que en coneixia la fama del seu gust pels finals sorpresa (una de les meves debilitats) i de tenir un sentit de l'humor força negre i finíssim.
En coneixia, sobretot, aquell "L'Home del Sud" que també s'inclou en aquesta antologia, i que va tenir dos versions televisives en el serial d'Alfred Hitchcock (més una adaptació a càrrec de Quentin Tarantino a Four Rooms).
El primer que xoca d'aquest recull és que està fet (en la seva edició original) amb la voluntat d'apropar els contes de Dahl als lectors més joves, tot i que un cop llegit es fa palès que són per a totes les edats, i que la mala bava hi és present de forma molt sibilina en la majoria d'ells.
Potser es troba a faltar una mica d'introducció a cada conte, per a qui o per a on va ser escrit, l'any de publicació, etc, per posar-los en context. N'hi un que ha quedat tecnològicament desfasat ("La Gran Gramatitzadora Automàtica"), un altre que tot i mantenir el to inquietant té un mcguffin que ja no aguanta el tipus ("La gelea reial") i un tercer que, de tant innocent, provoca més tendresa que comèdia ("La venjança és meva SA"). Tantmateix, són contes excel·lents que segueixen funcionant un cop hom es treu seixanta o setanta anys d'història del damunt.
És curiós com Roald Dahl basa els contes tot sovint en juguesques que no surten bé (o que surten massa bé) o en malentesos que s'acaben resolen (de forma fins i tot extremadament ambigua) en el darrer paràgraf. N'hi ha que no deixen de ser acudits allargats o ocurrències divertides ("L'home del paraigua"), que el talent de l'autor converteix en petites peces delicioses.
La sensació un cop acabat el darrer conte és l'antologia és d'haver fet tard, molt tard, i la necessitat de buscar una obra integral per llegir-m'ho absolutament tot.
En coneixia, sobretot, aquell "L'Home del Sud" que també s'inclou en aquesta antologia, i que va tenir dos versions televisives en el serial d'Alfred Hitchcock (més una adaptació a càrrec de Quentin Tarantino a Four Rooms).
El primer que xoca d'aquest recull és que està fet (en la seva edició original) amb la voluntat d'apropar els contes de Dahl als lectors més joves, tot i que un cop llegit es fa palès que són per a totes les edats, i que la mala bava hi és present de forma molt sibilina en la majoria d'ells.
Potser es troba a faltar una mica d'introducció a cada conte, per a qui o per a on va ser escrit, l'any de publicació, etc, per posar-los en context. N'hi un que ha quedat tecnològicament desfasat ("La Gran Gramatitzadora Automàtica"), un altre que tot i mantenir el to inquietant té un mcguffin que ja no aguanta el tipus ("La gelea reial") i un tercer que, de tant innocent, provoca més tendresa que comèdia ("La venjança és meva SA"). Tantmateix, són contes excel·lents que segueixen funcionant un cop hom es treu seixanta o setanta anys d'història del damunt.
És curiós com Roald Dahl basa els contes tot sovint en juguesques que no surten bé (o que surten massa bé) o en malentesos que s'acaben resolen (de forma fins i tot extremadament ambigua) en el darrer paràgraf. N'hi ha que no deixen de ser acudits allargats o ocurrències divertides ("L'home del paraigua"), que el talent de l'autor converteix en petites peces delicioses.
La sensació un cop acabat el darrer conte és l'antologia és d'haver fet tard, molt tard, i la necessitat de buscar una obra integral per llegir-m'ho absolutament tot.
November 8, 2007
Matilda was captivating as read out loud by my fourth grade teacher. So I had high hopes for this collection but came up wanting more. Considerably more.
This collection starts off with the zingers of "The Great Automatic Grammatizator," an indictment of greedy publishers and lazy writers (the message will never be outdated) that doubles as a plain fun story.
Other shorties worth the look are "Parson's Pleasure" and "Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat" - karma, baby! - and the sickest of the lot, "Royal Jelly." (Don't read if you're pregnant or may become pregnant - but do.)
"Parson's Pleasure" and "Vengeance is Mine Inc." have stellar setups but precious little payoff. The latter's premise is quite amusing. It's a criticism of most of these stories actually, that they seem to tail off three to five 'graphs too soon. Maybe Dahl meant to leave much to the reader, for each to continue with the story in his head.
Elsewhere, "The Landlady" is way too obvious (that moron deserves it) and the titular story has perhaps the least payoff of the whole batch. Anyone seeking Dahl's seedier, more macabre humor and storytelling, or anything grotesque and patently adult, will be disappointed here. This is young-adult stuff, and not good young-adult stuff really.
"Katina" is set in wartime and intrigues in light of Dahl's own time in the Royal Air Force. The outcome's never in doubt there either, though, and the story seems out-of-place amidst the existential would-be thrillers.
"The Way Up To Heaven" provides a late-breaking thrill, but I can't recall now what two or three of these tales were about, and that's telling.
I still dig Dahl and will look to get back on terms with him by delving into a co-worker's tome that has just about all of his short stories. Oh, and Matilda's still my girl.
This collection starts off with the zingers of "The Great Automatic Grammatizator," an indictment of greedy publishers and lazy writers (the message will never be outdated) that doubles as a plain fun story.
Other shorties worth the look are "Parson's Pleasure" and "Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat" - karma, baby! - and the sickest of the lot, "Royal Jelly." (Don't read if you're pregnant or may become pregnant - but do.)
"Parson's Pleasure" and "Vengeance is Mine Inc." have stellar setups but precious little payoff. The latter's premise is quite amusing. It's a criticism of most of these stories actually, that they seem to tail off three to five 'graphs too soon. Maybe Dahl meant to leave much to the reader, for each to continue with the story in his head.
Elsewhere, "The Landlady" is way too obvious (that moron deserves it) and the titular story has perhaps the least payoff of the whole batch. Anyone seeking Dahl's seedier, more macabre humor and storytelling, or anything grotesque and patently adult, will be disappointed here. This is young-adult stuff, and not good young-adult stuff really.
"Katina" is set in wartime and intrigues in light of Dahl's own time in the Royal Air Force. The outcome's never in doubt there either, though, and the story seems out-of-place amidst the existential would-be thrillers.
"The Way Up To Heaven" provides a late-breaking thrill, but I can't recall now what two or three of these tales were about, and that's telling.
I still dig Dahl and will look to get back on terms with him by delving into a co-worker's tome that has just about all of his short stories. Oh, and Matilda's still my girl.
December 29, 2016
Roald Dahl always has a way of adding his own little twists in his short stories. Lesson from this story: don't let appearances fool you.
November 18, 2021
A collection of Dahl's short stories that read well for both children and adults. It was a treat to indulge in these stories. They are subtle and layered with simple prose, most of these stories also end with wicked cliffhangers. Dahl is a childhood favourite and remains to be so even in adult life.
Thank you for the recommendation, Anirud! :)
Thank you for the recommendation, Anirud! :)
April 27, 2020
Unos relatos bizarros, sarcásticos, irónicos y hasta transgresores. Me han encantado en su mayoría. Ya lo había pensado cuando leí Matilda, pero con esta recopilación de relatos he llegado a la misma conclusión: definitivamente debo seguir leyendo más libros de Roald Dahl.
June 1, 2023
Aquí acaba este libro
escrito, ilustrado, diseñado, editado, impreso
por personas que aman los libros.
Aquí acaba este libro que tú has leído,
el libro que ya eres.
escrito, ilustrado, diseñado, editado, impreso
por personas que aman los libros.
Aquí acaba este libro que tú has leído,
el libro que ya eres.
December 31, 2023
Some of them were 2 ⭐'s, some 3 ⭐'s, and some 4 ⭐'s, so I averaged it out to 3.
February 6, 2019
Specifying, this collection contains Roald Dahl's:
- Katina: Which is an overwhelmingly touching little war-tale that plays with the atrocities of war and its casualties turned into something almost celestial.
- The Great Automatic Grammatizator: An hybrid between sci-fi and classic-old-fashion dept into the writer's creativity with certain elements of satire.
- Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat: A particularly funny little tale that mocks over the adultery and loving affairs with a certain fashion context.
- The Butler: Another satire-comedy tale about the unawareness of the servitude and pretentiousness.
- Man from the South: An interesting take on chance and self-aware planning that mixes two different world and its cultures.
- The Landlady: One of the most intriguing and mysterious out of Dahl's tale vault, is a story about intrigue and loneliness with certain suspenseful elements that almost reaches the supernatural.
- The Parson's Pleasure: One of my personal favorites, here, an antique's collector searches continuously for antiques and the tricking of the owners to acquire them. Thing's doesn't turn as expected in the end, and for a simplistic theme, there's Dahl's addictive narrative to support the tale.
- The Umbrella Man: One of the weakest in the collection, but interesting to dig into nevertheless, this short tale explores men trickster needs to obtain what's needed, and it focuses on the trusting towards strangers and their true intentions.
- Way Up Heaven: Another weaker entry, having a woman obsessed by timing and order and a husband willing to correct that, probably one of Dahl's tales lacking a true purposes or genuine meaning.
- Royal Jelly: My personal favorite out of the entire collection, a father searches for a cure to his baby's lack of appetite, realizing that the answer to his wife's and his problems lays in the sacred substance created by bees.
- Vengeance is Mine inc: Another fine-comedic entry with the sole purpose of creating a funny-enough entertainment reading that provides a curious take on our need to hurt the people that hurt us first.
- Neck: An intriguing yet-stylized take on society and the mysterious surrounding Lady Turton, the foreign woman that married the famous Sir Basil Turton without anyone knowing why. It is basic but still effective at provoking with the mystery around it.
- Taste: Another one that I found interestingly enough and funny as hell, specially in the end. Two friends are having dinner time and one of them is claimed to known all wines and that he'll be able to tell every single one of them by tasting it which will lead to a peculiar kind of bet.
Yeah, I liked these tales pretty much okay, some more than others, and I really found myself admiring Dahl as a short-story teller as I have done in his novelist reputation. I recommend readers to give him a try in this format, since there is a reason in particular why he's considered one of the best story tellers of modern literature.
- Katina: Which is an overwhelmingly touching little war-tale that plays with the atrocities of war and its casualties turned into something almost celestial.
- The Great Automatic Grammatizator: An hybrid between sci-fi and classic-old-fashion dept into the writer's creativity with certain elements of satire.
- Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat: A particularly funny little tale that mocks over the adultery and loving affairs with a certain fashion context.
- The Butler: Another satire-comedy tale about the unawareness of the servitude and pretentiousness.
- Man from the South: An interesting take on chance and self-aware planning that mixes two different world and its cultures.
- The Landlady: One of the most intriguing and mysterious out of Dahl's tale vault, is a story about intrigue and loneliness with certain suspenseful elements that almost reaches the supernatural.
- The Parson's Pleasure: One of my personal favorites, here, an antique's collector searches continuously for antiques and the tricking of the owners to acquire them. Thing's doesn't turn as expected in the end, and for a simplistic theme, there's Dahl's addictive narrative to support the tale.
- The Umbrella Man: One of the weakest in the collection, but interesting to dig into nevertheless, this short tale explores men trickster needs to obtain what's needed, and it focuses on the trusting towards strangers and their true intentions.
- Way Up Heaven: Another weaker entry, having a woman obsessed by timing and order and a husband willing to correct that, probably one of Dahl's tales lacking a true purposes or genuine meaning.
- Royal Jelly: My personal favorite out of the entire collection, a father searches for a cure to his baby's lack of appetite, realizing that the answer to his wife's and his problems lays in the sacred substance created by bees.
- Vengeance is Mine inc: Another fine-comedic entry with the sole purpose of creating a funny-enough entertainment reading that provides a curious take on our need to hurt the people that hurt us first.
- Neck: An intriguing yet-stylized take on society and the mysterious surrounding Lady Turton, the foreign woman that married the famous Sir Basil Turton without anyone knowing why. It is basic but still effective at provoking with the mystery around it.
- Taste: Another one that I found interestingly enough and funny as hell, specially in the end. Two friends are having dinner time and one of them is claimed to known all wines and that he'll be able to tell every single one of them by tasting it which will lead to a peculiar kind of bet.
Yeah, I liked these tales pretty much okay, some more than others, and I really found myself admiring Dahl as a short-story teller as I have done in his novelist reputation. I recommend readers to give him a try in this format, since there is a reason in particular why he's considered one of the best story tellers of modern literature.
February 2, 2017
I love Roald Dahl's stories to bits, but gave this volume four stars simply because his children's books are the ceiling for me.
My top five in this collection were:
1.) The Landlady
This packs a hefty punch of eerie atmosphere into just over ten pages. The landlady in question is a special, schizoid brand of crazy and harbours only a select few guests for long-term stays... .
2.) Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's Coat
I love the title of this story as it fittingly describes how the much sought after coat never ends up belonging to Mrs Bixby at all. It ties in with the recurring theme of rotten characters being served their due, an idea which Dahl was quite preoccupied with in his writing.
3.) Katina
I'm not sure if this story is based on true events which occurred while Dahl was working in the RAF, nevertheless it's incredibly touching and heartbreaking in the end. It leaves you with the feeling of despair that can only be induced by the loss of innocent lives, especially during wartime.
4.) Vengeance Is Mine Inc.
Another delightful story about gaining revenge, except in this one the main characters use the desire for vengeance in others to turn a profit for themselves.
5.) The Way up to Heaven
A highly strung wife and a patronising husband make for a dynamic which can only tend to the survival of one. Perhaps this is what Dahl imagines women fantasise about when they begin to grow tired of their husbands.
My top five in this collection were:
1.) The Landlady
This packs a hefty punch of eerie atmosphere into just over ten pages. The landlady in question is a special, schizoid brand of crazy and harbours only a select few guests for long-term stays... .
2.) Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's Coat
I love the title of this story as it fittingly describes how the much sought after coat never ends up belonging to Mrs Bixby at all. It ties in with the recurring theme of rotten characters being served their due, an idea which Dahl was quite preoccupied with in his writing.
3.) Katina
I'm not sure if this story is based on true events which occurred while Dahl was working in the RAF, nevertheless it's incredibly touching and heartbreaking in the end. It leaves you with the feeling of despair that can only be induced by the loss of innocent lives, especially during wartime.
4.) Vengeance Is Mine Inc.
Another delightful story about gaining revenge, except in this one the main characters use the desire for vengeance in others to turn a profit for themselves.
5.) The Way up to Heaven
A highly strung wife and a patronising husband make for a dynamic which can only tend to the survival of one. Perhaps this is what Dahl imagines women fantasise about when they begin to grow tired of their husbands.
December 24, 2017
Recopilación de 13 relatos de Dahl dirigida a adolescentes. Hay verdaderas joyas dentro ('Katina' me encantó) en las que prima el ingenio y el humor del escritor británico, así como el magistral uso de la tensión.
March 28, 2017
This was a great story, I thorougly enjoyed it. It makes you infer alot and has a great ending/cliffhanger!
November 26, 2018
So so funny 😂😂😂
Winter is coming; be careful my friends 😂🌂☔☔☔
*Audiobook 🎧*
Winter is coming; be careful my friends 😂🌂☔☔☔
*Audiobook 🎧*
October 26, 2021
Suitable for beginners,
A lesson about not to judge ppl by appearances...
A lesson about not to judge ppl by appearances...
January 10, 2021
3.5 stars.
Roald Dahl’s “The Umbrella Man and Other Stories” has received a bit of a lower rating for me in comparison with his other books I’ve read so far. Many of these stories were darker, and were honestly quite frightening. However, I did appreciate most of them because underneath the surface, they dealt with trickery, vengeance, and what lies behind the typical human experience. Many times, Roald Dahl’s endings were the clincher and he left you in a state of awe, shock...or worst of all, ambiguity! Sometimes, the ending was left unresolved on purpose, and that was the scariest ending of all because then the reader has to decide what happened to the characters.
Anyway, my favorite stories out of this collection were The Great Automatic Grammatizator, Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat, The Way Up to Heaven, The Landlady, The Umbrella Man, Vengeance Is Mine Inc. and Taste. Honestly, all of them were fantastic, but these in particular blew me away. Here’s why:
The Great Automatic Grammatizator was a very fun story about two men who create a novel writing machine. This was my favorite story because I thought it was the perfect start to the book, and I also thought it was one of the scariest. I truly hope that a novel-writing machine never exists in reality.
Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat deals with a lady who visits her aunt once a month, and who ends up having an affair on these visits. Once a mink coat comes in the picture, things get complicated, and the ending is what gets you! You never know that the very thing you are trying to hide may be right before your eyes the whole time...
The Way Up to Heaven was extremely dark. It talks about a couple and how the wife in this relationship never likes to be late to things, and how her husband almost always makes her late, on purpose. The tension and buildup in this story is remarkable and the ending reveals just how sinister the sweetest wife can be sometimes.
The Landlady is a story I read in high school, and one in which I recently reread in this collection. It is about a man who goes to a Bed & Breakfast and when he speaks to a landlady, there is a stuffed parrot and a stuffed dog near her. He also sees the names of two men on the guest list who disappeared a few years ago. When the lady gives him some poisoned tea, this man will soon have a similar fate like the parrot and dog, similar to the two men who disappeared. This story was scary indeed!
The Umbrella Man was probably my second favorite story in the collection. It was about a clever con man who takes an umbrella from the coat rack of every bar he goes to, offers it to patrons on the street when it rains in exchange for money for a cab (he claims he can’t walk very well), but takes this money to another bar to get a drink instead. This was a very clever story, and makes the reader think, how does the man drink when it’s not raining?
Vengeance is Mine Inc. was also awesome. It was about two people who get tired of a columnist who always talks poorly about rich people in his newspaper articles. These people then offer the rich people to hurt this columnist in exchange for money. At the end of the story, these two people succeed in hurting the columnist, they get paid for it, and they become rich themselves. Guess who may be written about in the newspaper now, once a certain someone recovers?
Lastly, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Taste. This sorry was about two men making a bet. Mike bets that Richard can’t guess the name of a certain bottle of wine, but Richard is certain he can. Richard also wants to marry Mike’s daughter if he guesses correctly. This story’s ending, of course, is wonderful and reveals the power of deceit and what someone will do to accomplish whatever is necessary.
Roald Dahl’s “The Umbrella Man and Other Stories” has received a bit of a lower rating for me in comparison with his other books I’ve read so far. Many of these stories were darker, and were honestly quite frightening. However, I did appreciate most of them because underneath the surface, they dealt with trickery, vengeance, and what lies behind the typical human experience. Many times, Roald Dahl’s endings were the clincher and he left you in a state of awe, shock...or worst of all, ambiguity! Sometimes, the ending was left unresolved on purpose, and that was the scariest ending of all because then the reader has to decide what happened to the characters.
Anyway, my favorite stories out of this collection were The Great Automatic Grammatizator, Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat, The Way Up to Heaven, The Landlady, The Umbrella Man, Vengeance Is Mine Inc. and Taste. Honestly, all of them were fantastic, but these in particular blew me away. Here’s why:
The Great Automatic Grammatizator was a very fun story about two men who create a novel writing machine. This was my favorite story because I thought it was the perfect start to the book, and I also thought it was one of the scariest. I truly hope that a novel-writing machine never exists in reality.
Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat deals with a lady who visits her aunt once a month, and who ends up having an affair on these visits. Once a mink coat comes in the picture, things get complicated, and the ending is what gets you! You never know that the very thing you are trying to hide may be right before your eyes the whole time...
The Way Up to Heaven was extremely dark. It talks about a couple and how the wife in this relationship never likes to be late to things, and how her husband almost always makes her late, on purpose. The tension and buildup in this story is remarkable and the ending reveals just how sinister the sweetest wife can be sometimes.
The Landlady is a story I read in high school, and one in which I recently reread in this collection. It is about a man who goes to a Bed & Breakfast and when he speaks to a landlady, there is a stuffed parrot and a stuffed dog near her. He also sees the names of two men on the guest list who disappeared a few years ago. When the lady gives him some poisoned tea, this man will soon have a similar fate like the parrot and dog, similar to the two men who disappeared. This story was scary indeed!
The Umbrella Man was probably my second favorite story in the collection. It was about a clever con man who takes an umbrella from the coat rack of every bar he goes to, offers it to patrons on the street when it rains in exchange for money for a cab (he claims he can’t walk very well), but takes this money to another bar to get a drink instead. This was a very clever story, and makes the reader think, how does the man drink when it’s not raining?
Vengeance is Mine Inc. was also awesome. It was about two people who get tired of a columnist who always talks poorly about rich people in his newspaper articles. These people then offer the rich people to hurt this columnist in exchange for money. At the end of the story, these two people succeed in hurting the columnist, they get paid for it, and they become rich themselves. Guess who may be written about in the newspaper now, once a certain someone recovers?
Lastly, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Taste. This sorry was about two men making a bet. Mike bets that Richard can’t guess the name of a certain bottle of wine, but Richard is certain he can. Richard also wants to marry Mike’s daughter if he guesses correctly. This story’s ending, of course, is wonderful and reveals the power of deceit and what someone will do to accomplish whatever is necessary.
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