Books › Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected [24 stories]
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Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected [24 stories]
471 pages
A wickedly clever collection of macabre tales where ordinary situations unravel into dark, comedic twists.
What it feels like
Reading this collection feels like stepping into a series of elegantly set traps. The pace is brisk, pulling you through bite-sized narratives that begin in mundane settings like cruise ships or behind the wheel of a Cadillac before sharply pivoting into the macabre. The tone is steeped in black comedy, offering a wry, unsettling atmosphere where every character seems to harbor a hidden, sinister motive. As you move from one tale to the next, the emotional arc consistently builds from mild curiosity to a tense, delightful dread, culminating in sharp, unexpected twists. The prose is observant and wickedly clever, perfectly suited for readers who appreciate a dry, dark wit. It is a delightfully sinister experience for anyone who loves watching clever deceptions and high-stakes wagers unravel in horrific ways.
- Mood
- unsettling
- tense
- eccentric
- sinister
- Tone
- darkly comedic
- macabre
- suspenseful
- wry
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- deception and alibis · high-stakes wagers · dark twists of fate · hidden malice
- The writing
- Sharp, observant, and laced with a dry, wicked wit that sets up the inevitable punchline.
- The arc
- Moves from curious observation of eccentric setups to a sharp, unsettling realization of dark consequences.
- Who it's for
- Readers who delight in bite-sized, macabre tales with a wicked sense of humor and clever twists.
Content notes
- horror elements
- dark comedy
About the book
A wine connoisseur with an infallible palate and a sinister taste in wagers. A decrepit old man with a masterpiece tattooed on his back. A voracious adventuress, a gentle cuckold, and a garden sculpture that becomes an instrument of sadistic vengeance. Social climbers who climb a bit too quickly. Philanderers whose deceptions are a trifle too ornate. Impeccable servants whose bland masks slip for one vertiginous instant.
In these deliciously nasty stories an internationally acclaimed practitioner of the short narrative works his own brand of black magic: tantalizing, amusing, and sometimes terrifying readers into a new sense of what lurks beneath the ordinary. Included in Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected are such notorious gems of the bizarre as "The Sound Machine," "Lamb to Slaughter," "Neck," and "The Landlady."
Cover illustration by Seth Jaben Cover design by Heidi North
Description from Open Library.
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