The Umbrella Man and Other Stories - Hardcover

Dahl, Roald

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0670878545 ISBN 13: 9780670878543

Publisher: Viking Juvenile, 1998

Synopsis

Collects the adult short stories written by Roald Dahl before his embarking to the world of children's fiction, including entries that are appropriate for teen readers and that feature humorous, fast-paced plotlines and surprise twist endings.

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:

As even Dahl's youngest admirers know, the late master writer can slice through the foibles and flaws of human nature with not just uncommon precision but with gleefully wicked, sometimes macabre humor as well. The 13 tales here, all of which previously appeared in collections for adult readers, show Dahl at his merciless best. There is a greedy, adulterous wife who gets a deftly delivered comeuppance; a sly butler who convinces his social-climbing employer to buy only the rarest of winesAwhich he then secretly consumes with the chef while serving his master a "cheap and rather odious Spanish red"; and a shady fellow who more than meets his match when, in his customary disguise as a parson, he attempts to bilk a poor farmer out of a near-priceless antique. "Katina," the volume's chilling, exquisitely crafted centerpiece, ends with the senseless death of a golden-haired orphan who had been befriended by kind members of a fighter squadron stationed in Greece during WWII. The tragic thrust of this tale may hit readers hard. While some adults may deem the characters' martini-mixing, wine-sipping, philandering and marital infidelities inappropriate for those on the younger edge of the target audience, this exceptional compendium will thrill anyone in the mood for Dahl's fabled blade-sharp wit. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Viking Juvenile
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0670878545
• ISBN 13: 9780670878543
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288