2024 the best of roald dahl review

Price: $17.00 - $9.79
(as of Nov 18, 2024 06:09:08 UTC - Details)

Who better to investigate the literary spirit world than that supreme connoisseur of the unexpected? From the author of such beloved books as James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Witches comes a collection of spooky tales carefully curated by the author himself, Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories.

Of the many permutations of the macabre or bizarre, Dahl was always especially fascinated by the classic ghost story. As he relates in the erudite introduction to this volume, he read some 749 supernatural tales at the British Museum Library before selecting the 14 that comprise this anthology. "Spookiness is, after all, the real purpose of the ghost story," Dahl writes. "It should give you the creeps and disturb your thoughts."

For this superbly disquieting collection, Dahl offers favorite tales by such masterful storytellers as E. F. Benson, J. Sheridan Le Fanu, Rosemary Timperley, and Edith Wharton.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Farrar, Straus and Giroux (October 1, 1984)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 235 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0374518688
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0374518684
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8+ years, from customers
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 6
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.65 x 8.2 inches
Reviewer: Anna
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A remarkable treat!
Review: Like others who should have read the item description more closely, I purchased this collection thinking it was a book of ghost stories that Roald Dahl had actually written himself. That was my fault. In my defense, however, I wonder why it couldn’t have been entitled “Ghost Stories collected by Roald Dahl”… Doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, does it?Dahl explains in his introduction that he had an idea for a television series back in 1958. He would use his writing prowess to write a screenplay for each episode based on an excellent ghost story. Dahl set out to find the best ghost stories for this project. He relates that by the end of a marathon reading session, he had read no fewer than 749 ghost stories. I’m pleased with his discernment.However awesome the ghost story television series could have been, it flopped. What we’re left with is a remarkable collection of 14 ghost stories that one of my favorite storytellers read and loved. You may have heard of some of these authors, such as Sheridan Le Fanu. Others were new for me: Rosemary Timperley, Cynthia Asquith, and Mary Treadgold. My favorite out of the whole crop is Timperley’s “Harry.”I feel that any fan of Roald Dahl’s short stories (the ones for grownups) will certainly admire this collection. Knowing that he recommended them tells me they’re going to be satisfying. As he remarks, “Good ghost stories are damnably difficult to write.” So let’s sit back and enjoy this spectacular little collection!

Reviewer: ANTONIO COLLAZOS
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Excelente
Review: Buen libro

Reviewer: Jill Knight
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Dahl's Ghost stories
Review: This book was great. A collection of ghost stories I have never heard before.

Reviewer: E. Umba-Neuwinger
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Good book, a little advanced for middle schooler
Review: Stories are good, not too scary. They are all older stories, so the writing reflects that style. Words and phrases not used now, so can be tricky. I've been reading it to my 12 yo, and we stop to confirm they're following the story. Sometimes we just need to stop and talk about some vocabulary or cut through some long rambling sentences. But over all a good collection of stories!

Reviewer: Benguet Bill
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: it's a Dahl book
Review: get it before they edit it

Reviewer: Jennifer S. Griffin
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Excellent Collection
Review: I love these! I am pleased to have found this as I’ve not read any of these in my Victorian meanderings.

Reviewer: Grumple Dumple
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Very Good Collection!
Review: Contents:***Introduction by Roald Dahl......11***W.S by L.P. Hartley......21***Harry by Rosemary Timperley......33***The Corner Shop by Cynthia Asquith......47***In the Tube by E.F. Benson......63***Christmas Meeting by Rosemary Timperley......78***Elias and the Draug by Jonas Lie......81***Playmates by A.M. Burrage......90***Ringing the Changes by Robert Aickman......115***The Telephone by Mary Treadgold......146***The Ghost of a Hand by J. Sheridan Le Fanu......154***The Sweeper by A.M. Burrage (Ex-Private X)......162***Afterward by Edith Wharton......179***On the Brighton Road by Richard Middleton......210***The Upper Berth by F. Marion Crawford......214__________ __________ __________ __________ __________ _________A great collection of very interesting ghost stories to be read and then re-read again and again!It seems to me a better recommended reading age would be something like 13 yrs and above.Originally, I thought that this was a book of stories all written by Roald Dahl himself... that was the impression I got from the title.Anyway, I recommend this to you!

Reviewer: jaydynomite
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Dahl Considers These the Best??
Review: Dahl states that he read hundreds of ghost stories and the ones he presents in this collection are the best of the best. I would disagree. First, the book is missing any type of structure. Each story is presented in a limbo of time and place. Are they from the United States? The UK? Do they occur in the Victorian Era or later? There appears to be a mix, but the lack of context is infuriating. I would also take Mr. Dahl to task over his choice of stories. While beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, this lackluster collection makes me wonder about the man’s standards. Please consider checking out Nick Rennison’s collections or the work of Tim Prasil. Both editors are far more diligent in their work.

Reviewer: DD
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Lovely book and well worth the money.

Reviewer: Christine Marasse
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Schön schaurig und in Originasprache - ist ein Geschenk für einen Roald Dahl Fan und perfekt für die dunkle Jahreszeit

Reviewer: Kat
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: The introduction is well worth reading. Roald Dahl explains his reasoning for collating these stories and outlines which ones in particular are his fave. “Harry” was the first one I read and I was instantly hooked. Treat yourself to this wonderful collection. Turn off your phone and close the curtains. Sublime.

Reviewer: G. B. Pedrajo
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Great book

Reviewer: Isabella Kollmann
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Mycket bra bok Roald 🙂