Lust

Tales Of

by Roald Dahl, Derek Jacobi (Narrator), Gillian Anderson (Narrator)

Two husbands secretly agree to a night of passion - with each other's wives; a slighted old man takes an elaborate and chilling revenge on his tormentor; a sculpture comes between a scheming wife and her put-upon husband....

Lust highlights a domestic familiarity always on the edge of something much, much darker. Collected together for the first time, stories include 'Madame Rosette', 'Neck', 'Georgy Porgy', 'The Visitor', 'The Last Act', 'The Great Switcheroo', 'Bitch', 'Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life', 'The Ratcatcher' and 'Nunc Dimittis'.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Literature, Audiobook, Literary Fiction, Adult

10 pages, Audible Audio

First published August 25, 2016

About the author

Roald 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.

Reviews

[Kez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh man.. I reaaaaally wanted to love this book..

So let's start with the positives. I love Roald Dahls writing style - the stories are accessible and concise, whilst still maintaining the authors' famous dark wit and provacativeness. They give us a glimpse into the mind of the writer, who I have no doubt was a VERY eccentric and interesting man. I loved the twists that came at the end of a few of the stories, all of which I didn't see coming, and left me feeling (semi) satisfied... 😉... (sorry)

My main fault with these stories is perhaps an unfair one ('sign of the times' and all that.. ), but nevertheless it posed issues for me pretty much from start to finish. The male voice dominates every single one of these stories, to the point where the female characters are simply used as tools to aid in Dahl's depiction of the far more interesting and complex male characters. This wouldn't necessarily be a deal breaker for me (as much as I always like to see diversity) however in this case, hearing the male characters constantly objectify the female characters became a little boring. Even more concerning was how the narrative voice talks about rape in such a blasé way, which was at best dissapointing, and at worst genuinely upsetting.

I can appreciate that these stories are very much of their time, and that the 21st century is far more conscious of gender equality, sexual assault, and the objectification of women than decades prior, but that doesn't mean that I should just glaze over these topics in literature predating the 21st century, simply because it was 'the norm back then'. I often found myself rolling my eyes at some of the descriptions of the women in these stories (they are either hideous, or objects of desire - there is no in between!) however, they also served as a reminder of how far we have come in integrating the female voice into mainstream literature. And, even more importantly... HOW GREAT IT IS THAT WE HAVE FINALLY REALISED THAT WOMEN ARE ALSO HUMANS WHO ARE CAPABLE OF COMPLEX FEELING AND THOUGHT... WHO KNEW!!??

So, you see my dilemma - I think Roald Dahl has a fascinating mind and an exceptionally engaging writing style... I just wish he had given his female characters the same respect and care as his male ones. And ultimately, as a female reader in the 21st century, this was a difficult failure to look past... 3 STARS!!!

[Amy | littledevonnook · Rating 4 out of 5]

To begin with I wasn't sure if I liked this but as I read more I found myself completely hooked. I've only ever read Dahl's books for children so this was a new and slightly bizarre experience.

This is a collection of short stories that loosely connect to the theme of lust. As I said I have only read stories from Dahl that are aimed at children so it definitely took me a little while to get used to the more adult topics. Whilst this collection is meant for adults I feel it reads like Dahl's children's books - it's a weird contrast. The two stories that stuck out to me were The Visitor and The Great Switcheroo, they were both really quirky and amusing.

If you've not delved into any of Roald Dahl's short stories before I would say this is a great place to start. I own the other editions in this collection; Madness, Cruelty and Deception so am hoping to pick them up soon.

[Nemo ☠️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

overall rating: 3.5 stars exactly, rounded up to 4 because i'm feeling generous (and the 5 star stories were really, really good)

madame rosette - 3.5 stars
neck - 4 stars
georgy porgy - 5 stars
the visitor - 5 stars
the last act - 2 stars
the great switcheroo - 3 stars
bitch - 3.5 stars
ah, sweet mystery of life - 1 star
claud's dog - 3 stars
nunc dimittis - 5 stars

[Tanya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lust is one of eight centenary editions of Dahl’s short stories for adults, grouped together by theme, and collects ten short stories published in the span of some thirty years (Madame Rosette is the oldest, dating back to August 1945, and Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life is the most recent, published in September 1974). The tales are allegedly about the lengths people are willing to go to achieve their heart’s desire, or so the blurb claims—in truth, they’re mostly about accomplishing rape by deception, so check your 21st century sensibilities at the door.

I couldn’t. This was my least favorite collection so far, no contest—there was hardly anything at all redeeming about it; the stories that actually fit the theme (some inclusions are baffling) are all cruel and exceptionally misogynistic. Consent? Never heard of it. Women are props, either hideous or beautiful objects of desire, there is no in between, and the stories are twisted, but there is none of Dahl’s signature whimsy to try and cover it up, or even much of what passes for wit or humor—crude and cynical at best, cruel sexual sadism at worst. Dahl comes across as a lecherous old man who wrote down his most deprived sexual fantasies, and the vast majority should never have seen the light of day, or at least stayed in 1950’s Playboys where they belong.

Madame Rosette · ★
Three young fighter pilots on leave from the desert go in search of female company, and end up raiding the house of famed Madame Rosette to free the fourteen beautiful girls she keeps there. A terrible way to start off this collection; I didn’t like the story because it was exactly what it proposed to be—none of Dahl’s signature twists to be found—and because it put a contempt towards sex workers on display. The girls were portrayed as innocent damsels in distress who had to be saved from a depraved life they had been tricked or black-mailed into… even though the pilots were going to make use of Madame Rosette’s services earlier that night, go figure.

Neck · ★½
Upon inheriting his father’s newspaper and magazine empire, Sir Turton suddenly finds himself the most sought-after bachelor in London society. Not interested in much beyond his art collection, he marries a scheming woman who soon assumes control of his business, but the day after a dinner party a couple of years down the line, he gets a little revenge on the wife who’s a pain in the titular neck. This was meant to be amusing, and it might have landed better, if the misogyny hadn’t been laid on quite so thick.

Georgy Porgy · ★★½
A young, sexually repressed curate feels perpetually flirted with and harassed by his female parishioners, and… I suppose his mind snaps? This one was so strange, surreal, and ludicrously over the top that it went from slight satire to full-on farce—as a result, the exaggerated 1950’s sexism is fully on-brand for the curate’s absurd character, and much easier to swallow… pun intended. You’ll get it.

The Visitor · ★★½
In the frame-narrative used to introduce us to a recurring character, a nephew receives twenty-eight volumes of handwritten diaries from his wealthy, middle-aged traveler and seducer uncle, Oswald Hendryks Cornelius. The story proper is an entry from one of them, in which Uncle Oswald meets a rich Syrian man who takes him back to his mansion when Oswald’s car breaks down in the desert, and to repay the kindness, he decides that he’ll sleep with either the man’s beautiful wife or daughter (ideally both). The character appears to be written to be a detestable misogynist, so this intention, coupled with the fact that he gets his comeuppance, made this one of the very few stories in the collection I didn't hate.

The Last Act · ½
This story was originally rejected by The New Yorker for being too disturbing, and later picked up by Playboy instead—Dahl himself described it as an attempt to write about “murder by fucking”. A middle-aged widow is contemplating suicide after the sudden death of her beloved husband, but seemingly makes it through the crisis by finding meaning in a new occupation. She decides to call up the high school sweetheart she left for her husband when she’s in his city on business, but unbeknownst to her, he still harbors a grudge. This was a cruel, uncomfortable story with the most callous ending imaginable.

The Great Switcheroo · ★½
Two men at a neighborhood party come up with a ruse to sleep with each other’s wives without the women realizing. Even though they carefully prepare by walking through each other’s houses blind-folded and comparing notes regarding their sexual techniques, the one who came up with the idea receives a rude awakening the next morning. A disturbingly lighthearted story about rape by deception, ever so slightly redeemed by its ending.

Bitch · ★★
In another one of his diary entries, Oswald Cornelius meets an eccentric chemist who is trying to distill a perfume that will cause any man who smells it to momentarily lose all conscious thought and ravage the first woman he can get his hands on, whether he (or she) wants to or not. The Oswald stories in this collection seem to be the ones I like best because things never quite work out the way he wants them to… this story predates Süskind’s Perfume by almost a decade, and I wonder if he was familiar with it, because there are definitely some parallels to be found.

Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life · ★★½
In the shortest story in the collection, an almost anecdotal, pastoral, and ribald tale, a cow is taken to be mated with a prime bull whose owner knows about a unique method for ensuring the gender of calves.

Claud’s Dog: The Ratcatcher · ★½
This is another part in a series of stories that share the same characters, collectively known as Claud’s Dog—the Cruelty collection included the first one I came across. This installment is about an unsavory rat catcher with some unorthodox methods, and I have no earthly clue why any editor thought it would fit a collection of short stories about lust and desire.

Nunc Dimittis · ★★½
Also known as The Devious Bachelor, this is the story of a wealthy middle-aged art collector who learns what his younger girlfriend really thinks of him from a gossipy widow. With a bruised ego, he immediately devises his elaborate revenge, and in usual Dahl fashion, there is a satisfying twist at the end.

—————

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

[Richard Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a time when Dahl was famous for his books for adults. They came long before his children's stories. They are short stories or novella's, mostly with a twist that is meant to amuse those with a slightly darker sense of humour. He is a masterful story teller as the stories do sweep you along, and whilst they are not all works of literary genius, they are all pieces that intrigue and keep you going to the end. Mostly the endings are not what you have predicted.

This is a collection based around a general theme of lust. There are various collections of his works, so choose carefully before you buy as you may find overlapping stories in different compilations. The stories in this collection are of variable standard, but all enjoyable enough. I found the first couple the weakest, and if you find this it is worth pushing on. Personally I liked The Vistor and The Great Switcheroo best.

Some authors works do not seem to age. I'm afraid this is not quite true for Dahl as they do feel like period pieces at times, and the ability of an author to shock is harder nowadays. Nevertheless if you are looking for something not too challenging to engage and amuse you could do far worse.

[Ian Dominic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giving this four stars for a few stories that I thought were really interesting and got me hooked right away. Dahl can really come up with some pretty crazy twists and bleak endings for his stories. Unfortunately, not all of the stories were page-turners and yes, the way Dahl writes his female characters were quite problematic at times in that they are treated solely as objects of desire without a character of their own.

[Abbie | ab_reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I didn’t enjoy this one as much as Deception - some of the stories were very much 1950s Playboy material, and the comments on women and sex were just too much. Some of them were funny, and most of them were enjoyable to read in terms of style, but I’m just not sure they’ve really aged well... For me anyway!

[gretah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roald Dahl is a genius and all ten stories in this book had the most original, intriguing concepts. It was so fun reading these dark and twisted short stories. I would have given this book 5 stars if it wasn't for the misogyny expressed in quite a few stories where the women are described as nothing other than sexual objects. In 'The Great Switcheroo' and 'Bitch', although the concept of both was incredibly clever, it was disappointing to see that rape was being treated rather as an accomplishment for the man. I understand that these stories were written in a different time but rape is still rape and I believe that the subject should have been treated with a bit more caution.

[Sean Goh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the twists, you'll never see coming. A mixed bag, but on average more worth reading than not. Just check your 21st century sensibilities at the door.

[Steve Ellerhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

It feels marvelous to circle back around on Roald Dahl's works as an adult. Having loved his books for children so much as a kid, falling for his stories for grown-ups as an adult is a treat few writers grant their readers. His penchant for moralizing and punishing bad behavior is alive and well in these stories -- the men gathered are a bunch of fools and worse. I remember being appalled as a boy when I caught my mom reading Switch Bitch -- just the knowledge Dahl had written a novel with that for a title expanded his dark, tantalizing hold. So now here I am, almost forty and rounding out the good fellow's works. He did a wondrous job writing about total bastards.

I really like the Penguin editions, which have split up his tales across a series of themes. Easier to tote around than the various omnibuses and anthologies out there. Does the one you read first say anything about who you are? Out of Cruelty, Deception, Trickery, Madness, Fear, Innocence, War, and Lust, I chose Lust.

It's nice how each story starts with where it was first published. Many here, unsurprisingly, appeared in Playboy. The context that provides is nice -- and you can go track down the magazines themselves if you so wish to see what ads and articles and pinups accompanied them.

Will definitely be returning to a few of these stories, too. The ones you remember weeks later are a sure sign of value worth returning to in the future.

[Esther · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't aware before starting to listen to this that these stories were written around the middle of the last century. But trust me, especially as a woman listener (and I hope as a male one too) you immediately tilt when Dahl describes women, their looks, their behaviour, their relation to men.
Story after story, Dahl forced stereotypes into my ears, that soon became quite intolerable to me.

Very few stories were amusing me (even trying to put them into their historical background), most were simply very annoying, some even repetitive, some simply foreseeable, one even disgusting to the point that I was about to stop listening.

I don't know whether 70 years ago, these stories deserved to be read and loved. These days, I find them quite inappropriate.

I also must admit that I didn't know Roald Dahl at all, neither from his works for adults nor for children. Maybe I just didn't know what to expect and should have never picked this up.
In any case, I guess it will be my first and last Dahl experience.

[Sevim Tezel Aydın · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ten entertaining stories explore male-female relationships, desire and craving...

Dahl has skillfully and playfully recounts the adventures of people from diverse backgrounds, as they are swept along by desire across a vast landscape spanning England, the US, Europe, and the Middle East. Reading these stories deepened my admiration for Dahl's capacity for keen observation and understanding of human nature…

Lust is part of a four-book series, and I look forward to reading the other books: Madness, Deception, and Cruelty...

[Karine · Rating 2 out of 5]

These short stories all have an unexpected twist (often mean-spirited) but are otherwise unremarkable.

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 4 out of 5]

312 - 2019

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a collection of some of Dahl’s adult stories.

Like most collections of short stories, some were better than others. Overall though the book didn’t wow me.

[Stewart Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, such a good storyteller and a hint of darkness.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the stories were real stinkers and I didn’t really care for the way Dahl wrote his female characters.

[Ameya Joshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

First things first, this is a book which is most definitely a bit 'out-of-date' to put it politely in terms of it's general approach to life. I would not say anything is majorly offensive, but similar to what I experienced when I re-read Doyle's Holmes & Watson canon earlier in the year - a self-aware 21st century reader would probably 'cringe' at multiple points. I suppose it is very a much a product of it's time in how a male white anglophone author looks at women, other communities & ethnicities and there is an undercurrent of entitlement which seeps through most stories, regardless of the narrators and characters. Dahl definitely wasn't 'ahead of his times' or contemporaries.

If you can keep that aside and not let it affect your enjoyment of the stories, then this is very much a delightful romp (pun intended) of a collection. Roald Dahl is a story-teller par-compere and a master at putting a short-story together. Individual story ratings and views below:

Madame Rosette - 3 stars
American soliders exploring the Cairo nightlife. Interesting characters for their eccentricities, not exactly a plot or twist to speak of

Neck - 3.5 stars
A very atmospheric setting and story about a rich cuckolded English nobleman and how to get even

Georgy Porgy - 2.5 stars
A bit of a mental-horror story (better term?) which Freud would like about a country vicar who doesn't quite know how to deal with the fairer sex. But it got a bit too weird for me.

The Visitor - 5 stars
The whole-set up of this story is just wonderful. From the introduction of Uncle Oswald, his 28 volumes worth of memoirs, his initial escape, scorpion hunting, the car breaking down in the middle of the Sinai desert. It is a tight but masterful prologue to the main story which honestly could have been reached in a couple of pages, but I thoroughly enjoyed the journey there. The core of the story seems a bit familiar - that of the two women under the same roof - but there is a solid twist at the end which I at least did not expect.

The Last Act - 4 stars
A grieving widow meets an old college sweetheart on a business trip. And all is well, until it isn't? A dark ending to a homely set-up.

The Great Switcheroo - 5 stars
A middle-aged man in American suburbia baits his friend to switch partners. I suppose this is one of the more adult-ish of stories and also the most offensive ones which wouldn't cut ice in 2022. I loved it for the set-up, the conceptualization and the twist.

B***h - 4 stars
An olfactory chemist tries to manufacture a scent which will give forth to the most primal of human needs, bankrolled of course by Uncle Oswald who we met before. A slapstick, caricaturish and hilarious tale which goes from chemistry to US politics.

Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life - 3.5 stars
Set in rural England about a farmer who wants his cow to mate towards a specific gender. Quaint, funny in a smile rather than laugh manner and shorter than most of the other stories in this collection.

The Ratcatcher - 2.5 stars
About a rural rat-catcher (which is exactly what it sounds like). A bit grisly and not for the squeamish- I have no idea why it is part of this collection. The narration and characters are exquisite as always but didn't quite appeal to my palette.

Nunc Dimittis - 4.5 stars
All points for the set-up for this story and the imagination behind it. An art-restorer (?) seeks revenge against a woman who thinks he's a bit of a bore. But he who laughs last... Nunc Dimittis means 'Now let depart'

[Jess Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as “lustful” as I thought it was going to be (or wanted it to be) but absolutely enjoyed all 10 stories within this book. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I first started reading this book, but the plot twist at the end of each story caught me off guard completely and left my jaw on the floor every single time. It’s also been years since I’ve sat down and read a book properly so the short story format of this book made it easy for me to pick up the book and read it in between the days. If you’re a fast reader, you can definitely finish it in one or two sittings. Roald Dahl (who was also the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and many more) is truly one of the greatest storytellers and I’ll definitely be picking up more of his books from this series.

[hawk]

well written stories, and well read for the audiobook so far (I'm about half way thru). kinda fall into being cautionary tales, and/or with similar (but very adult) threads to some darker fairy tales.

I think I've only gotten as far as I have cos they're well written and narrated... and cos I've been hoping they'll get better/have some redeeming qualities.
all so far have come across sexist, racist, fat-antagonistic, classist... and completely male-centred and male POV, at times to the extent of being misogynistic.

I think of the 4 I read, "Georgy Porgy" was the only one that had any redeeming qualities for me. it portrayed an interesting relationship between mother and son, and was an interesting exploration of a kind of childhood trauma.

stopped reading at 49%

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A side of Roald Dahl I never knew! Darkness, mischief, and wicked humor. The backdrop of the stories was atmospheric, on the level of Graham Greene. This was a fun collection of stories that felt complete no matter how brief.

[Niloy Mitra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good set of stories. A couple were stellar.

[Mikkel Tolnaes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Browsing through the books in the museum shop at the Barbican I was mildly startled when I saw “Roald Dahl” among the likes of Kafka et al. Growing up, Roald Dahl nearly had a monopoly on the shelf space in my little bookcase, but little did I know that Dahl also wrote literature with a slightly older and significantly more mature audience in mind. In fact, when I saw the name I immediately picked up “Lust,” one of four books in a series of short story collections exploring our deepest secrets, desires and fears. “In these ten tales of twisted love master storyteller Roald Dahl explores how our darkest impulses reveal who we really are,” the back of the book promises. I was intrigued.

I set out with restrained expectations. Admittedly, I was not convinced that the mastery of children’s fairy tales would lend itself to writing short stories on a topic in which the balance between passion and cheesiness is elusive. Even so, my expectations were so thoroughly exceeded that I struggle writing a review that isn’t a series of hyperboles. I’ll spare the reader and simply say it is fantastic.

Short stories is a format that I have started to appreciate increasingly the past few years, and these were just the kind I like. Relatively short, yet imparting such a strong impression that it can leave you contemplating it for several days, and I am certain that some of them will stay with me for a long time. What the modern reader should be aware of, however, is that this book was written in a time when equality among men and women, particularly with regards to lust and sexual relations, was not what it is to today. One of the stories features sex without consent portrayed comically, which is disturbing, regardless of the merits of the storytelling.

Nevertheless, Dahl’s short stories possess three elements that rarely co-exist, presumably because each of them is an art to master; humour, suspense, and intriguing themes. The humour is effortless, often a product of pure eloquence, and it had me chuckling throughout. Simultaneously, there is a lingering suspense that forces the reader mercilessly through the story, without any hope of putting the book down until the end of the chapter is reached. Perhaps it is the curiosity of the mind that has an insatiable desire for lust. Sometimes a short story is indeed a blessing. Although the theme lust seems primal, and therefore basic, Dahl explores aspects of it that are completely unforeseen. The difficult rediscovery of lust after a loved one suddenly expires, forbidden lust and its consequences, and the pain that can accompany undesired attention are some of the deeply intriguing topics explored.

What a pleasure it has been to rediscovery Roald Dahl in another stage of life and finding his literature equally spellbinding.

[lotte langs · Rating 3 out of 5]

“𝒲𝑒 𝒻𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝒾𝓃 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝓁𝓊𝓈𝓉...”
.
Slowly making my way through the whole collection of these as they’re such an addictive read. I read “Madness” and few months ago and managed to pick up second hand copies of “Deception” and “Innocence”.
.
3.5 stars as I didn’t enjoy this collection as much as I did “Madness”. They’re still all really twisted tales, all with such a climax, but a lot of these were quite perverse, which given the theme was expectant anyway, but just not for me. Unsurprisingly the more perverse stories were originally posted in Playboy magazine
.
My favourites of the stories are: The Visitor, The Last Act, The Great Switcheroo and Bitch and Nunc Dimittis.

[Gizem Ozbicer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Dahl's books for children and he is the best storyteller! But his adult books/short stories were new to me, so I gave it a try.

Entertaining, amusing and absurd enough to reveal bizarre stories and the storytelling skills of Dahl definitely makes you hooked after couple of stories. Don't be surprised if you start to this book and nit sure if you liked ut but keep reading to discover Dahl's world.

[Pam Tickner · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. I had no idea Dahl wrote adult stories so picked this up. 10 short stories - a real mixed bag with sex as the common theme. Some of the stories were excellent, I particularly liked Neck, some were not to my liking, and others were tragic and have haunted me.

[Lorena Ramli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a compilation of Dahl’s stories that were first published in Playboy and The New York Times, and again in his books Someone Like You, and Kiss Kiss, which I had read as a teenager. For readers who found this wow is this really Dahl?, I recommend you to read My Uncle Oswald ;)

[Zac · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I was more amused with the short stories in this book compared to the Madness collection. It definitely hyped me up to read the other Tales of books.

[Medhini Pathirana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perverted and submissive account of men

[Tracy Smyth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was quite good