Skin and Other Stories (Now in Speak!)

I read this book a long, long time ago and finally made the decision to nab my own copy. It holds more of a nostalgic meaning for me, but the variety of short stories means there's something for everyone. Roald Dahl is a classic; I grew up reading his kids' stories (Matilda, etc.), but enjoy this "darker" more mature side as well. This book is suitable for young adults, and even a little younger.

This collection of stories reveals the diversity of Dahl’s thoughts and interests. It is interesting to see if there are any unifying themes in any of the stories. Although I did not find any such theme, each of the stories presents a nice surprise twist at the conclusion, nothing earth shattering and heavy handed, just satisfying. The Sound Machine: A story asserting that all life is played out in a noisy way for all living creatures An African Story: Man and nature acting together to exact revenge. Galloping Foxley: William is a creature of habit, routine is everything. When the routine is suddenly broken, William resorts to reflection of previous times in his life that might explain the presence of a mysterious stranger causing the interruption. Surprise!! Lamb to the Slaughter: Mary had a little (frozen) lamb. The Wish: Dahl enters the mind of a child to relate an adventure familiar to many children where fantasy becomes reality. The Surgeon: There is really more than one surgeon involved here, but the title still works. Dip In the Pool: There are different meanings to the phrase “Your number is up.” The Champion of the World: A story of poachers and keepers and pheasants. Beware of the Dog: A WWII story with the unusual question; exactly which side am I on? My Lady Love, My Dove: Some people pay a lot of attention to social class, but in this story a seemingly intractable class conscious person seems to be very flexible with crossing self-imposed class boundaries.

I read these shorts years ago, and they are still just as enjoyable to read through again now. Great collection. I love Roald Dahl. For those of you out there who only know him for his children's books, I recommend you give his adult oriented works a shot. His ideas are equally creative, and his character as idiosyncratic as ever. However, now Dahl is unleashed, and no longer restricted by any sort of decency standards appropriate for younger readers. It's a fun, and crazy ride.

It felt like I was reading something by Alfred Hitchcock with the subtle twists in the stories. Each one had an unpredictable ending.

these are not children stories. my favorites were Lamb to the Slaughter and A Dip in the Pool. so entertaining. pretty cool anthology.

From the author of children's classics and the autobiographical "Going Solo" comes great short stories.

He seems rather overrated though. I’ve been dismissing him for years & years now without specifically knowing why, but i recently found some clips from his rendering of The Henry Sugar book, so I got that book & this one, and well, The film still holds promise, but his stories are C+ at best ?

Roald Dahl is not just for children. I always delighted in his wicked wit in Lamb to the Slaughter and the ambiguity in Beware of Dog, so to find a collection of his short stories was a godsend. His stories rate up there with Flannery O'Connor, William Faulkner and Charlotte Perkins Gilman for disturbing twists.