Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life - Softcover

Dahl, Roald

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140118470 ISBN 13: 9780140118476

Publisher: Penguin Books, 1991

Synopsis

"Roald Dahl is one of the few writers I know whose work can accurately be described as addictive." -- Irish Times
 
The sweet scents of rural life infuse this beautifully crafted collection of Roald Dahl’s country stories, but there is always something unexpected lurking in the undergrowth. Whether it is taking a troublesome cow to be mated with a prime bull; dealing with a rat-infested hayrick; learning the ways and means of maggot farming; or describing the fine art of poaching pheasants using nothing but raisins and sleeping pills, Roald Dahl brings his stories of everyday country folk and their strange passions wonderfully to life. Lacing each tale with dollops of humor and adding a sprinkling of the sinister, Dahl ensures that this short story collection celebrates the sweet mysteries of life. 

"All the stories sparkle with vibrant characters, humorous dialogue, and sly rustic lore and cunning." -- Sunday Express
 
"A sophisticated account of village life. The rural characters are molded by Dahl’s dark, inquisitive imagination. Compelling and very funny." -- Time Out

About this title

About the Author:

Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was born in Wales of Norwegian parents. He spent his childhood in England and, at age eighteen, went to work for the Shell Oil Company in Africa. When World War II broke out, he joined the Royal Air Force and became a fighter pilot. At the age of twenty-six he moved to Washington, D.C., and it was there he began to write. His first short story, which recounted his adventures in the war, was bought by The Saturday Evening Post, and so began a long and illustrious career.

After establishing himself as a writer for adults, Roald Dahl began writing children’s stories in 1960 while living in England with his family. His first stories were written as entertainment for his own children, to whom many of his books are dedicated.

Roald Dahl is now considered one of the most beloved storytellers of our time. Although he passed away in 1990, his popularity continues to increase as his fantastic novels, including James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, The BFG, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, delight an ever-growing legion of fans.

Learn more about Roald Dahl on the official Roald Dahl Web site: www.roalddahl.com

From Publishers Weekly:

An antique dealer posing as a clergyman to help his business turn a larger profit is one of the con artists, poachers and thieves who inhabit the rustic community introduced in these seven stories. According to PW , "Dahl shrewdly uses ostensibly simple fables as vehicles for richly mordant examinations of human foibles."
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 0140118470
• ISBN 13: 9780140118476
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 176
• Illustrator: Lawrence John