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Parson's Pleasure
Parson's Pleasure is a wonderful gem of a short story from Roald Dahl, the master of the sting in the tail.
In Parson's Pleasure, Roald Dahl, one of the world's favourite authors, tells a sinister story about the darker side of human nature. Here, a priceless piece of furniture is the subject of a deceitful bargain . . .
Parson's Pleasure is taken from the short story collection Kiss Kiss, which includes ten other devious and shocking stories, featuring the wife who pawns the mink coat from her lover with unexpected results; the young man in need of room who meets a most accommodating landlady; a wronged wife taking revenge on her dead husband, and others.
'Unnerving bedtime stories, subtle, proficient, hair-raising and done to a turn.' (San Francisco Chronicle )
This story is also available as a Penguin digital audio download read by Derek Jacobi.
Roald Dahl, the brilliant and worldwide acclaimed author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and many more classics for children, also wrote scores of short stories for adults. These delightfully disturbing tales have often been filmed and were most recently the inspiration for the West End play, Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales by Jeremy Dyson. Roald Dahl's stories continue to make readers shiver today.
In Parson's Pleasure, Roald Dahl, one of the world's favourite authors, tells a sinister story about the darker side of human nature. Here, a priceless piece of furniture is the subject of a deceitful bargain . . .
Parson's Pleasure is taken from the short story collection Kiss Kiss, which includes ten other devious and shocking stories, featuring the wife who pawns the mink coat from her lover with unexpected results; the young man in need of room who meets a most accommodating landlady; a wronged wife taking revenge on her dead husband, and others.
'Unnerving bedtime stories, subtle, proficient, hair-raising and done to a turn.' (San Francisco Chronicle )
This story is also available as a Penguin digital audio download read by Derek Jacobi.
Roald Dahl, the brilliant and worldwide acclaimed author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and many more classics for children, also wrote scores of short stories for adults. These delightfully disturbing tales have often been filmed and were most recently the inspiration for the West End play, Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales by Jeremy Dyson. Roald Dahl's stories continue to make readers shiver today.
31 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 1977
11 people are currently reading
243 people want to read
About the author
Roald Dahl
1,482 books26.8k followersRoald Dahl was a beloved British author, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter pilot, best known for his enchanting and often darkly humorous children's books that have captivated generations of readers around the world. Born in Llandaff, Wales, to Norwegian parents, Dahl led a life marked by adventure, tragedy, creativity, and enduring literary success. His vivid imagination and distinctive storytelling style have made him one of the most celebrated children's authors in modern literature.
Before becoming a writer, Dahl lived a life filled with excitement and hardship. He served as a Royal Air Force pilot during World War II, surviving a near-fatal crash in the Libyan desert. His wartime experiences and travels deeply influenced his storytelling, often infusing his works with a sense of danger, resilience, and the triumph of the underdog. After the war, he began writing for both adults and children, showing a rare versatility that spanned genres and age groups.
Dahl's children's books are known for their playful use of language, unforgettable characters, and a deep sense of justice, often pitting clever children against cruel or foolish adults. Some of his most iconic titles include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr Fox, and The Witches. These works are filled with fantastical elements and moral undertones, empowering young readers to challenge authority, think independently, and believe in the impossible.
Equally acclaimed for his work for adults, Dahl wrote numerous short stories characterized by their macabre twists and dark humor. His stories were frequently published in magazines such as The New Yorker and later compiled into bestselling collections like Someone Like You and Kiss Kiss. He also wrote screenplays, including the James Bond film You Only Live Twice and the adaptation of Ian Fleming's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Despite his literary success, Dahl was a complex and sometimes controversial figure, known for his strong opinions and difficult personality. Nonetheless, his books continue to be treasured for their wit, originality, and the sense of wonder they inspire. Many of his stories have been adapted into successful films, stage plays, and television specials, further cementing his legacy.
Dahl's impact on children's literature is immeasurable. His ability to connect with young readers through a mix of irreverence, heart, and imagination has made his stories timeless. Even after his death, his books remain in print and continue to be read by millions of children worldwide. His writing not only entertains but also encourages curiosity, courage, and compassion.
Roald Dahl's work lives on as a testament to the power of storytelling and the magic of a truly original voice. He remains a towering figure in literature whose creations continue to spark joy, mischief, and inspiration across generations.
Before becoming a writer, Dahl lived a life filled with excitement and hardship. He served as a Royal Air Force pilot during World War II, surviving a near-fatal crash in the Libyan desert. His wartime experiences and travels deeply influenced his storytelling, often infusing his works with a sense of danger, resilience, and the triumph of the underdog. After the war, he began writing for both adults and children, showing a rare versatility that spanned genres and age groups.
Dahl's children's books are known for their playful use of language, unforgettable characters, and a deep sense of justice, often pitting clever children against cruel or foolish adults. Some of his most iconic titles include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr Fox, and The Witches. These works are filled with fantastical elements and moral undertones, empowering young readers to challenge authority, think independently, and believe in the impossible.
Equally acclaimed for his work for adults, Dahl wrote numerous short stories characterized by their macabre twists and dark humor. His stories were frequently published in magazines such as The New Yorker and later compiled into bestselling collections like Someone Like You and Kiss Kiss. He also wrote screenplays, including the James Bond film You Only Live Twice and the adaptation of Ian Fleming's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Despite his literary success, Dahl was a complex and sometimes controversial figure, known for his strong opinions and difficult personality. Nonetheless, his books continue to be treasured for their wit, originality, and the sense of wonder they inspire. Many of his stories have been adapted into successful films, stage plays, and television specials, further cementing his legacy.
Dahl's impact on children's literature is immeasurable. His ability to connect with young readers through a mix of irreverence, heart, and imagination has made his stories timeless. Even after his death, his books remain in print and continue to be read by millions of children worldwide. His writing not only entertains but also encourages curiosity, courage, and compassion.
Roald Dahl's work lives on as a testament to the power of storytelling and the magic of a truly original voice. He remains a towering figure in literature whose creations continue to spark joy, mischief, and inspiration across generations.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
September 26, 2018
The first Roald Dahl story I remember reading wasn’t a children’s story, but this one. Parson’s Pleasure was published in The Reader’s Digest, India many years ago, and I, then in my early teens, began reading it with no idea of what sort of stories Roald Dahl wrote. This one began quietly, even slowly, as the main character, Mr Boggis, an unscrupulous dealer in antique furniture, drove slowly through the countryside in Buckinghamshire, jotting down the locations of old farm houses where he might possibly stumble across forgotten, even neglected antique furniture. It’s a system Boggis has, in nine years of chicanery, perfected. And today is, though Boggis doesn’t know it yet, bonanza day.
Or not.
I didn’t know where Parson’s Pleasure was headed the first time I read it, and the twist in the tale came as a bolt out of the blue for me. It’s brilliantly plotted, the characters are memorable (and their reactions so real), and the writing, overall, so good that even now, every time I read this story, I still enjoy it as much as I did the first time despite knowing what’s coming.
An absolute winner, and a must-read for anyone who like short stories.
Also, a good lesson in writing the short story. See how the characters are built up. See how they stay true to their characters, their actions in keeping with what we’ve learnt about them. See how—to keep the story short and not turn it into a novella—there’s little that’s not essential to the plot. See the way the atmosphere is built up. See the research that’s gone into it. See the seeds of the tale-ending twist being sown at strategic points along the story.
Or not.
I didn’t know where Parson’s Pleasure was headed the first time I read it, and the twist in the tale came as a bolt out of the blue for me. It’s brilliantly plotted, the characters are memorable (and their reactions so real), and the writing, overall, so good that even now, every time I read this story, I still enjoy it as much as I did the first time despite knowing what’s coming.
An absolute winner, and a must-read for anyone who like short stories.
Also, a good lesson in writing the short story. See how the characters are built up. See how they stay true to their characters, their actions in keeping with what we’ve learnt about them. See how—to keep the story short and not turn it into a novella—there’s little that’s not essential to the plot. See the way the atmosphere is built up. See the research that’s gone into it. See the seeds of the tale-ending twist being sown at strategic points along the story.
January 8, 2024
In school, I had harboured the thought that Roald Dahl was a children's books author. It was only when I picked up his short stories did I realise that his writing for adults is equally brilliant and interesting. Parson's pleasure is a short story--so well written--and is a true thriller. The story is about Mr. Boggis (a dealer of antique furniture) who masquerades as a clergyman and dupes people. The ending is unexpected and would pull us to read more of his short stories. I'd be happy to hear your comments, if you have read this story! Happy reading all :)
June 3, 2017
Only Dahl writes like this. If you are yet to read this tiny gem, please read it and be thoroughly impressed by the story-telling skills of a master, who really knew how to make reading anything but dull.
November 11, 2020
Great story how the fake vicar things that some poor people are stupid, but then they take him on his word. I so much liked the main character, who thinks he is smart. Until the end, I didn't know what was coming and I was thinking where and what is the punch of this story. I give this story a 5.
November 26, 2023
The type of story one might enjoy not for the deep philosophical topics but due to the simplicity. When it comes to the build up-punchline structure, Parson's Pleasure can be easily called a perfect example of that. You're given a character, you learn about them and their motivation, you see them cooking an appetizer by interacting with some minor characters before finally moving on to the main course.
A piece of junk for one becomes an item of an extreme value for another, sparkling a captivating back-and-forth discussion. The tricks the protagonist uses to get the object, the questions the trio asks to be sure they're not getting bamboozled--all of it is a nice demonstration on how to make things work on a smaller scale.
The final sequence, while predictable, still leaves the reader full of emotions. You don't get to see the actual ending, though, but in the case of this story, it's a good thing--you don't need to know what comes next.
Overall, it's an excellent story, I would definitely recommend to anyone. It also managed to sparkle my interest with other of Dahl's works.
A piece of junk for one becomes an item of an extreme value for another, sparkling a captivating back-and-forth discussion. The tricks the protagonist uses to get the object, the questions the trio asks to be sure they're not getting bamboozled--all of it is a nice demonstration on how to make things work on a smaller scale.
The final sequence, while predictable, still leaves the reader full of emotions. You don't get to see the actual ending, though, but in the case of this story, it's a good thing--you don't need to know what comes next.
Overall, it's an excellent story, I would definitely recommend to anyone. It also managed to sparkle my interest with other of Dahl's works.
November 25, 2023
One of my favorite short stories. It's a perfect example of suspense, restraint, timing, and the lovely, cheered aspects of short stories we can all smile at, without being boggis-ed down by anything lexically heavy or thematically dense. It's just... enjoyable.
July 11, 2024
Very Good...
November 18, 2016
Hehehehe, Karma is a b*
February 22, 2023
CRYING TEARS THIS IS SO UNSERIOUS
November 1, 2023
هیچوقت فکر نمیکردم از خوندن تایون لنیستر بخوام لذت ببرم.
قطعا مدل نوشتن نویسنده هم تاثیر داره؛ ولی قسمت هایی که تایون لنیستر(وای اسم خود شخص رو یادم رفت باز!) داره تعریف میکنه خیلی لذت بخشن.
+اگه میدونستم غیر داستان کودک هم نوشته بوده زودتر میرفتم سراغشون. کوتاهن ولی قشنگن.
قطعا مدل نوشتن نویسنده هم تاثیر داره؛ ولی قسمت هایی که تایون لنیستر(وای اسم خود شخص رو یادم رفت باز!) داره تعریف میکنه خیلی لذت بخشن.
+اگه میدونستم غیر داستان کودک هم نوشته بوده زودتر میرفتم سراغشون. کوتاهن ولی قشنگن.
July 29, 2016
Actually I just read Parson's Pleasure and The Way up to Heaven in a collection of Roald Dahl's short stories. The latter one was a little bit more mirthful, but I extremely liked the fascinating story-telling of the writer in both writings.
February 21, 2022
An amazing read, but it wasn't fair to end it like that! I wanted to see the look on Boggis's face when he sees what happened to the commode. I loved the details and description. The characterization is brilliant throughout the whole story. Highly recommend it!
December 22, 2014
The ending sealed the excellence of this story.
January 14, 2020
What a disaster! 😂
November 3, 2025
I’m binge reviewing my best-read short stories of all time.
Roald Dahl’s Parson’s Pleasure is one of those stories that sneaks up on you like a polite English afternoon and ends with a guillotine disguised as a joke. It begins with a charming premise — a man posing as a parson to swindle unsuspecting country folk out of their valuable antiques — but by the time the last hammer falls, the entire notion of civility has been stripped to the bone. Dahl, ever the gleeful moral sadist, sets up a world where cleverness becomes its own undoing, where greed masquerades as refinement until the mask collapses under the weight of irony.
Mr. Boggis, the fake parson, operates within a system of performance. His clerical disguise is more than a costume — it’s a critique of the English obsession with class and respectability. The moment he puts on that collar, doors open, trust blooms, and hypocrisy becomes holy. In a postmodern light, he’s not a character but a text — an unstable signifier shifting meaning with each context. The story unfolds like a semiotic farce: a performance of piety concealing consumption. Dahl seems to be saying that morality, in modern life, is nothing but good theater.
The punchline — the farmers, trying to help the “good parson,” saw the priceless antique table into pieces to make it easier to carry — lands with surgical cruelty. It’s not just poetic justice; it’s linguistic collapse.
The signifier (the “table”) is destroyed by misunderstanding — a perfect metaphor for the way meaning disintegrates once it leaves its author’s control. Dahl’s comedy is vicious because it’s metaphysical: every human transaction is a potential misreading.
In the end, the parson’s fraud is undone not by divine retribution but by narrative entropy. The story closes on laughter that feels almost apocalyptic — the kind of laughter that emerges when illusion eats itself. Postmodernism thrives on this recursive irony: a world where roles, objects, and words exchange value until the entire system short-circuits.
Parson’s Pleasure isn’t just about greed; it’s about the fragility of interpretation. The moral, if there is one, is that the world itself is the con artist, and we’re all its marks.
Give it a go. One of the greatest short stories of all time!!
Roald Dahl’s Parson’s Pleasure is one of those stories that sneaks up on you like a polite English afternoon and ends with a guillotine disguised as a joke. It begins with a charming premise — a man posing as a parson to swindle unsuspecting country folk out of their valuable antiques — but by the time the last hammer falls, the entire notion of civility has been stripped to the bone. Dahl, ever the gleeful moral sadist, sets up a world where cleverness becomes its own undoing, where greed masquerades as refinement until the mask collapses under the weight of irony.
Mr. Boggis, the fake parson, operates within a system of performance. His clerical disguise is more than a costume — it’s a critique of the English obsession with class and respectability. The moment he puts on that collar, doors open, trust blooms, and hypocrisy becomes holy. In a postmodern light, he’s not a character but a text — an unstable signifier shifting meaning with each context. The story unfolds like a semiotic farce: a performance of piety concealing consumption. Dahl seems to be saying that morality, in modern life, is nothing but good theater.
The punchline — the farmers, trying to help the “good parson,” saw the priceless antique table into pieces to make it easier to carry — lands with surgical cruelty. It’s not just poetic justice; it’s linguistic collapse.
The signifier (the “table”) is destroyed by misunderstanding — a perfect metaphor for the way meaning disintegrates once it leaves its author’s control. Dahl’s comedy is vicious because it’s metaphysical: every human transaction is a potential misreading.
In the end, the parson’s fraud is undone not by divine retribution but by narrative entropy. The story closes on laughter that feels almost apocalyptic — the kind of laughter that emerges when illusion eats itself. Postmodernism thrives on this recursive irony: a world where roles, objects, and words exchange value until the entire system short-circuits.
Parson’s Pleasure isn’t just about greed; it’s about the fragility of interpretation. The moral, if there is one, is that the world itself is the con artist, and we’re all its marks.
Give it a go. One of the greatest short stories of all time!!
June 10, 2022
Part of The Complete Short Stories: Volume One 1944-1953
* Parson's Pleasure - 2.5 stars - A man goes around to farm houses and small villages, pretending to be a vicar and buying antique furniture from people for an unfair price. This was okay at first, but it did seem like Boggis was going to have a change of luck. While I was pleased that he was going to get some comeuppance for swindling so many people, the book ending before he realised what had happened was so frustrating! It's one thing to know that he's going to be upset (never mind that it's all his own fault), but I wanted his reaction!! 😠
* Parson's Pleasure - 2.5 stars - A man goes around to farm houses and small villages, pretending to be a vicar and buying antique furniture from people for an unfair price. This was okay at first, but it did seem like Boggis was going to have a change of luck. While I was pleased that he was going to get some comeuppance for swindling so many people, the book ending before he realised what had happened was so frustrating! It's one thing to know that he's going to be upset (never mind that it's all his own fault), but I wanted his reaction!! 😠
September 6, 2023
Amongst the many short stories by Dahl, I had to give this one a separate review because it’s fantastic. It fits nicely in with the theme of ‘men getting what they deserve’ found in many of his shorts, but this story was so striking because it veers from the usual strange and almost macabre notions of his other stories.
It manages to deliver a relatively mundane story with less suspense than usual, but that almost makes the twist far more shocking.
I often find myself skipping this story in rereads because it physically pains me to read.
It manages to deliver a relatively mundane story with less suspense than usual, but that almost makes the twist far more shocking.
I often find myself skipping this story in rereads because it physically pains me to read.
January 11, 2024
he trobat un amic en roald dahl aquest any, m'ha acompanyat des de charlie i la fàbrica de xocolate fins a dip in the pool (el meu prime va ser quan vaig decidir posar-li Un bote salvavidas a el text). Sempre està bé un tale of the unexpected, crec que recurriré a ells amb el temps per a sentir-me universitària novament.
me'l he llegit apurada, abans de l'examen, anant a la universitat en un bus que hem pagat en efectiu perquè encara no ens hem tret la tarjeta del transport i en la cafeteria mentres maría fea un tik tok.
me'l he llegit apurada, abans de l'examen, anant a la universitat en un bus que hem pagat en efectiu perquè encara no ens hem tret la tarjeta del transport i en la cafeteria mentres maría fea un tik tok.
June 16, 2021
Brilliant story. I loved every bit of it. Roald Dhal, the author has a talent for writing and this short story , like many of his others just doesn't end up how you'd expect. There's is always something wrong or too good that happens that just leaves the reader baffled or in a fit of giggles.
Brilliant!
Brilliant!
January 10, 2023
The ending of this short story cracked me the most. Worth the 31 pages of my day. :)
Roald Dahl is such a brilliant novelist in his time. I cannot decipher where he gets all this humour and playfulness drench in his own world. :)
Thank you Dahl, You made my childhood great and adulthood even better..
Roald Dahl is such a brilliant novelist in his time. I cannot decipher where he gets all this humour and playfulness drench in his own world. :)
Thank you Dahl, You made my childhood great and adulthood even better..
May 19, 2020
Had to read this one for uni, as a side-reading type of thing. I must say I didn't despise it, but it didn't really leave a lasting impression on me or anything else. It's a quick and easy-to-understand little story, perfect to pump up your reading challenge goal. I'd recommend it for that purpose.
February 2, 2022
Sempre bom ver um enganador tendo o que merece. Vi o final vindo a um quilômetro de distância, mas não fiquei tão satisfeita quando ele chegou. Talvez se a história tivesse acompanhado sempre o personagem principal e não tivesse voltado antes dele, eu teria gostado mais.
June 1, 2023
Five stars for the screaming horrified creature it turned me into at the end. Honestly I was more upset about that piece of furniture than I'd have been if someone died (in the story, I mean. Of course...)
August 27, 2018
Easy reading
Only gave this for stars because of the ending....would have been five but it just finished and I felt it wasn't done.
Only gave this for stars because of the ending....would have been five but it just finished and I felt it wasn't done.
January 3, 2019
Everything in life, my dear sir, is an experience.
I enjoyed every single bit of the story. ❤
October 25, 2019
25october2019
read as part of the collection kiss kiss.
read as part of the collection kiss kiss.
November 20, 2019
This particular story from Roald Dahl's Kiss Kiss isn't as dark as I expected, but I LOL-ed so hard at the ending. 😂 The story is smart and well-written. I enjoyed it!
May 7, 2020
I really enjoy to read this excellent novel about furniture dealer and his adventure
July 19, 2020
A fun read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews