Esio Trot

…by Roald Dahl.

This children’s book by Roald Dahl features Mr Hoppy who is secretly in love with his downstairs neighbour, the widowed Mrs Silver. Unfortunately for him, Mrs Silver knows nothing about his feelings as she is too busy with her pet tortoise, Alfie. But then, Mr Hoppy finds a way in when Mrs Silver asks his help to make Alfie grow. It’s Mr Hoppy to the rescue all the way to a happy ending.

In this cute book for kids again, Dahl’s imagination really jumps out at you. The magical words passed on by Mr Hoppy to Mrs Silver to help Alfie grow is so very creative! And the manner in which Mr Hoppy helps Alfie grow. All in all, a humourous book with a very sweet and gentle touch which children would definitely fall in love with.

I give it a rating of 4.

Until next time,

Cheers!!!

Switch Bitch

…by Roald Dahl.

Switch Bitch is a collection of short stories with the central theme of sex and erotica. If you are a bit prudish, don’t let that put you off the book. Do read on.

The first short story is The Visitor which features one of Dahl’s character’s Uncle Oswald who is known for his sexual escapades with several women. Here, Uncle Oswald finds himself to be an unexpected guest at the mansion of Mr Aziz during his travels in Egypt. As he spends the night flirting with both the wife and daughter of Mr Aziz, he believes he has won them over. And he does get a visit in the night but is unable to tell who it is…

The second story is The Great Switcheroo which is a daring attempt by two married men to switch places in order to sleep with the other’s wife. The planning, the precision and the risk involved are all too great. Does it work out? And can anyone actually win a risky game such as this?

The third story, The Last Act, has as its main protagonist a woman who has lost her husband of many years in a car accident. As she contemplates ending her own life, she is caught up in work which gives her meaning. She reignites contact with an ex-beau but then ending of this contact is one completely unexpected to her. And to the reader.

Finally, the last story, Bitch, also features Uncle Oswald. In this story a scientist attempts to create a scent that will result in a man reacting like a dog when it sees a bitch in heat. However, with such a dangerous scent, the outcome surely cannot be a positive one. Especially when it already involves the incorrigible Uncle Oswald!

All in all, the stories are fascinating with brilliant twists in the end. The consequence of falling prey to lust without thinking of the aftermath is portrayed beautifully without any judgement in all four stories. While the characters may not stand out much (apart from Uncle Oswald), the plots are ingenious and filled with dark humour. Once again, having never read Dahl’s work for adults, I found myself mesmerised enough to read this in one sitting. I would highly recommend this book and give it a rating of 5.

Until next time,

Cheers!!!

The Magic Finger

…by Roald Dahl.

The Magic Finger is a story about the Gregg family and the narrator, a 10 year old girl with a magic finger. Her magic is activated when she gets angry and sees red. And the person at whom she is angry with, is the target of the Magic Finger. Despite being friends with the Gregg children, Philip and William, she doesn’t like the fact that they go hunting with their dad. And finally, sees red. Resulting in the Greggs all turning into birds themselves and seeing what it is actually like to be a bird and a target.

It’s a delightful story for children teaching them the importance of kindness and empathy. Being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes is a hard thing to do especially as a child. And this book teaches it beautifully through the use of humour and magic. I have never read a book by Roald Dahl although I have heard a lot about him and watched a couple of movies based on his books. However, now, in my late twenties, I feel the urge to read these childhood books and revisit the feelings I had when reading Enid Blyton as a kid. And I must say, I found myself smiling through this one. If you have children, do consider giving them this book to read. I know that I now have the entire set to read first myself, and then save it for if and when I do have children.

I rate it a 4.

Until next time,

Cheers!!!