This is a collection of Roald Dahl's early stories. They are adult stories, most employ very dark and/or erotic humor. Bottom line: You really don't want to pick this one up for that seven-year-old in your life that just adored "James and the Giant Peach"...

The first few stories seemed very reminiscent of old episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (of course, a couple were made into actual Hitch episodes so that might be what sparked that train of thought). They were suspenseful little tales that typically employed a twist(ed?) ending.

I found a few of the stories that came later in the book a bit disturbing. I skipped over the remainder of the "Claud's Dog" stories after "The Ratcatcher" because I had trouble stomaching that one. "William and Mary" had a similar section dealing with animal experimentation that I had trouble with. Please don't take that as a pan, however. The strong reactions I felt toward all the stories I read really indicates the power of Dahl's writing. The extremes he goes to are fascinating. ( )

A collection of Roald Dahl's (adult) short stories and selections from his novels. An excellent overview of his grown-up writing from one of my favorite authors. He ages well. ( )

Roald Dahl always has been, and always will be, among my favorite authors. These short stories more completely show off his bizarre taste and tendencies, and showcase that distinct writer's voice that always indescribedly makes me feel as though I'm taking a vacation. ( )