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Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life
Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life is a collection of seven hilariously creepy Roald Dahl stories published in various magazines and collections in the '40s and '50s, and gathered here for the first time. With the classic Dahl mixture of charm and charmingly perverse, these stories remind us that the mystery of life isn't always as sweet as it seems.
Paperback, 176 pages
Published
April 1st 1991
by Penguin Books
(first published 1990)
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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?
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-hearted, rural...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-hearted, rural...more
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 of h...more
Continuing the quest I began in 2009 to read all of Roald Dahl's books, I found this book tucked away on my library shelf.
This is a book of transition from Dahl's works for "children" to a mature set of tales for "adults."
Dahl enjoyed writing this series of seven short stories which were penned at a pleasant, leisurely time in his life when he was thirty years old and returned from WWII to the idyllic Buckinghamshire country side home of his family, As he wrote each one, he sent them off to Amer...more
This is a book of transition from Dahl's works for "children" to a mature set of tales for "adults."
Dahl enjoyed writing this series of seven short stories which were penned at a pleasant, leisurely time in his life when he was thirty years old and returned from WWII to the idyllic Buckinghamshire country side home of his family, As he wrote each one, he sent them off to Amer...more
Do you like stories thrilling, surprising, and titillating? Might you enjoy a dark view of the 1950s English countryside?
Dahl delivers all of this in his disturbing and Poe-like short stories. He leaves your imagination to create the most awful conclusions to his taut set ups. The stories in this collection share a common setting and some common characters, and they are richly visual explorations of vice, consequences, and the magic of life.
(As a surprising bonus, this collection includes the a...more
Dahl delivers all of this in his disturbing and Poe-like short stories. He leaves your imagination to create the most awful conclusions to his taut set ups. The stories in this collection share a common setting and some common characters, and they are richly visual explorations of vice, consequences, and the magic of life.
(As a surprising bonus, this collection includes the a...more
A collection of seven shaggy dog stories set in rural Buckinghamshire, written by Dahl from real experiences or elaborations on tales told to him by a rustic friend called Claud, well versed in the petty arts of "trying to acquire something by stealth without paying for it".
World championship standard pheasant poaching, the numerous nefarious practices around unlicensed greyhound racing and dangerous but cheap methods to make "Snakes Water" moonshine are just a few of the dodges described in the...more
World championship standard pheasant poaching, the numerous nefarious practices around unlicensed greyhound racing and dangerous but cheap methods to make "Snakes Water" moonshine are just a few of the dodges described in the...more
Roald Dahl was my idol growing up as a bookworm. I loved to delve into his works, his sinister, unique twist on childhood and the perils and mysteries within. He was deemed to scary and twisted to be a children's author, but the popularity of his books can't lie! He was a unique storyteller who still stands apart from the rest 21 years after his death. Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life is a collection of country stories from his 30's, when he lived and wrote in Missenden, having adventures with his stra...more
Shouted out at me from a library shelf, did this book. Have been reading more short stories than usual this year and fancied some Dahl. Thought that it might enhance my enjoyment of living in the countryside too. Can't say that that really happened. Dahl was writing about such a different era - post war austerity. The first tale wasn't as strange or disturbing as I'd hoped for, and the style of the writing reminded me of Agatha Christie and the addiction to her murder mysteries that was fed by t...more
A review on the back of this book said that Dahl's writing could accurately be described as "addictive." I would say the opposite. He's charming and refreshing in small quantities, but I find if I don't break up his stories with other clearer, meatier writing, I start to get a headache.
I love his characters, especially in this book about the endearing oddballs encountered in country life, but he does have the frustrating habit of leaving off his stories in a bit of a muddle. Things just don't d...more
I love his characters, especially in this book about the endearing oddballs encountered in country life, but he does have the frustrating habit of leaving off his stories in a bit of a muddle. Things just don't d...more
I am a sucker for twist endings, and Dahl does not disappoint here.
Although I have previously enjoyed Dahl's short stories for adults (my first encounter being my sixth-grade English teacher reading "The Landlady" aloud in class and creeping us all out), I just didn't get into most of these stories. They all focus on the same set of rural characters, but I couldn't identify with these characters very much at all. Dahl uses a number of farming and dog-racing terms that I was unfamiliar with, which meant that I was kind of lost as to the plot at times, too. The f...more
Roald Dahl still trying to write for adults, but with the general theme being the distasteful habits of the working class in small english villages. The back cover said "Dahl's urbane and sophisticated wit is directed at the unfathombale mysteries and eccentricities of rural life", but it's more accurate to say they're stories which allow the reader to feel superior to the those uneducated rural workers.
Never liked his children's stories, but am enjoying his short stories for adults, probably because they lack the fantastic element. His characterizations are great, though only 3 stars for being a shade mean-spirited. Really liked "Lamb to the Slaughter" from another collection. Will read more of his short stories.
This book is a selection of short stories written by Dahl when he was living with his mother in the countryside after being in the war. The stories all centre round his old friend Claude, and are all separate from each other, yet are all connected in some way. Some are quite amusing, some are unsettling, some are grotesque, but all are very cleverly written and thoroughly entertaining.
These are short stories by Roald Dahl that I never knew about! Hilarious, cautionary tales about the dangers and excitements that are woven together when you and your friend have a propensity for poaching and gambling on dog races. It's sort of James Herriot without as many "warm and fuzzies."
.
.
I found this to be an absolutely delightful read! Loved all these short stories with their twists in the tale! I've always loved Dahl's books, grew up on them since childhood and discovered the short stories at adolescence, was lovely to re-read these stories years later ans still enjoy them so much!!
Ah, the bucolic pleaures of English country life... marred only by grisly accounts of rats and human bodies in the hayrick, dog doping and graft at the amateur race track, and the finer points of pheasant poaching.
Roald Dahl is a master storyteller. A satisfying read.
Roald Dahl is a master storyteller. A satisfying read.
I finished this book in one night! I just love Roald Dahl. He has such a dark sense of humor... right up my alley! This is a collection of short stories/chapters that in the end all tie together to form one great tale.
I'm a loyal Dahl fan when it comes to children's literature, but this is the first of his adult lit I've read, and I was just as pleased with it as the rest. I cannot seem to get enough of Roald Dahl in my life.
I like Roald Dahl, but I guess I'm just more partial to the quirky children's stories. While these stories were interesting in an odd kind of way, I'm more partial to other types of books. This was an adjustment for me. Perhaps I would like this book better in a different frame of mind.
Classic Dahl - very readable tales with the usual dose of wit and humour combined with his mastery of unsettling undercurrents accompanied by an often overt sense of the macabre - great stuff!
Individual Story Ratings:
Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life - 2
Parson's Pleasure- 4
The Ratcatcher - 4
Rummins - 4
Mr Hoddy -3
Mr Feasy -3
The Champion of the World - 2
Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life - 2
Parson's Pleasure- 4
The Ratcatcher - 4
Rummins - 4
Mr Hoddy -3
Mr Feasy -3
The Champion of the World - 2
he such a good storyteller. in disguise of being simple, dahl is just being easy in drawing out the human condition. recommended reading. why not.
The first short story was hilarious but I did feel that the subsequent stories didn't quite follow as strongly. However all in all I did enjoy reading this book.
Randomly chosen from my piles and it is book 62 of 2011 - aim 133 books in 2011.
I didn't know Dahl wrote for adults too. Not surprisingly, this was funny!
Just couldn't get into this book. I like his children's stuff though.
Great writer.
Excellent.
Jul 04, 2011
Cheryl
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
short-stories
This book is pretty dark at times.
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Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short story writer and screenwriter of Norwegian descent, who rose to prominence in the 1940s with works for both children and adults, and became one of the world's bestselling authors.
Dahl's first published work, inspired by a meeting with C. S. Forester, was Shot Down Over Libya. Today the story is published as "A Piece of...more
More about Roald Dahl...
Dahl's first published work, inspired by a meeting with C. S. Forester, was Shot Down Over Libya. Today the story is published as "A Piece of...more
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Dec 24, 2012 05:31pm