Author:Roald Dahl
In Someone Like You are fifteen classic tales told by the grand master of the short story, Roald Dahl.
Here, in Roald Dahl's first collection of his world famous dark and sinister adult stories, a wife serves a dish that baffles the police; a harmless bet suddenly becomes anything but; a curious machine reveals a horrifying truth about plants; and a man lies awake waiting to be bitten by the venomous snake asleep on his stomach.
Through vendettas and desperate quests, bitter memories and sordid fantasies, Roald Dahl's stories portray the strange and unexpected, sending a shiver down the spine.
'One of the most widely read and influential writers of our generation' The Times
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.
Terrific . . . hurrah for Ali Smith
—— The TimesWonderful . . . Smith has found a format in which her sly wit and dextrous storytelling sing. It might be more helpful to say: read them
—— IndependentShe's a genius, genuinely modern in the heroic, glorious sense
—— Alain de BottonOne of the most gifted writers of her generation
—— Scotsman[James] is the most intelligent man of his generation
—— T. S. EliotThe Turn of the Screw is the most hopelessly evil story that we have ever read in any literature, ancient or modern
—— IndependentWe are afraid of something unnamed, of something, perhaps, in ourselves... Henry James...can still make us afraid of the dark
—— Virginia WoolfDazzling ...These narrative snapshots are skilfully framed and in-focus, the language forthright and fresh
—— Time OutThis short story collection gives those new to her oeuvre a chance to delve into gems from her past...precociously vibrant
—— Melissa McClements , Financial TimesAll the elements of Welsh's best work remain in tact here: the brilliant imagination, the phonetically-transcribed Scots dialect, the humour, the gritty realism
—— Woman's WayWhat's striking about these early stories is that the thicker Welsh was steeped in the primordial goo of his Edinburgh Scots phonetics, the better the storytelling got
—— Alexander Linklater , ObserverAs you would expect, the stories in this collection involve a certain amount of cultural tourism to the lower depths, undertaken with black humour... Welsh's relish for degradation covers up a strong sentimental streak
—— Victor Sebestyen , Sunday TimesWelsh's transcription of Scots dialect is brilliant... Welsh also has a fabulous sense of the absurd... The overall vibe of these stories is dark and grim. And fierily, fiercely funny
—— Brandon Robshaw , Independent on SundayA sparkling and adventurous writer
—— Dennis Potter