book data
115 ratings, 3.95 average rating, 12 reviews
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published
April 1st 1991
(first published 1990)
by Penguin (Non-Classics)
binding
Paperback, 176 pages
isbn
0140118470
(isbn13: 9780140118476)
description
Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life is a collection of seven hilariously creepy Roald Dahl stories published in various magazines and collections in the '40s an...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 168)
Reading this is like having a pipe-smoking, chair-rocking, throat-clearing, peppermint-sucking, lip-smacking Grandfather tell you stories and anecdotes from his childhood or his fantasies despite your Mother expressly forbidding him to do so and frowning at you for encouraging him. But Mother's out with a friend, Father is still at the factory and neither will be home till late, by which time you'll be in bed and Grandfather will have fallen asleep by the fire. Who's going to know?
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Read in June, 2008
As much fun as Roald Dahl's children's books are, I think his talents as a writer are best showcased in his short fiction for adults. To me he's the master of scope. His stories are always exactly the right length for their subject matter. A book of his short fiction is like a well-constructed tasting menu: all the flavor, none of the bloat.
"Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life" collects stories of sympathetic rogues who get bit by their own schemes. The stories in this volume are like light-...more
"Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life" collects stories of sympathetic rogues who get bit by their own schemes. The stories in this volume are like light-...more
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This book was my introduction to Roald Dahl's short fiction, and what an introduction it is! Before then, I was aware (though subconsciously) of his dark wit and antagonistic humor through his children's fiction. In this selection, though, I found him to use that same wit to such ends as O. Henry twists; angry, yet lovable, characters; folk-tales of his own breed; moralizing in a tongue-in-cheek manner ... what a great collection! Included is also the short story that would later become one o...more
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I am a sucker for twist endings, and Dahl does not disappoint here.
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Read in November, 2007
quick, funny short stories that are partly based on Dahl's experiences living in the country. I can see where some of these ideas were eventually brewed into the stories in "My Uncle Oswald". Fun to read -- too bad there weren't more of them. I have exhausted the limited repertoire of my local library's Dahl books. Damn!
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Read in October, 2008
By turns bucolic and bizarre -- but that's England for you. Dahl wrote these when he was living with his mom, going to dog races, and just basically hanging out and shooting the shit with his butcher friend Claus. I should have been doing school work instead of reading this!
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Read in January, 2008
This amusing, strange and sometimes disturbing collection of short stories chronicles of Roald Dahl's experience in country living. You learn more about life, death, drinking and how to make sure you have boy children than you ever dreamed possible - all with a a good dose of humor.
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Read in April, 2006
Another collection of short stories, supposedly inspired by Dahl's post-WWII stay in the country and his friendship with a rather colorful rural character. Several stories reminded me of James Herriot twisted 90 degrees in a dark direction.
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I've always really enjoyed Dahl, but hadn't read any of his stories for adults. He has a wonderful ability to describe characters and the setting in a way that truly makes them come alive.
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