Roald Dahl's "Skin" review

BOOK BAG OF Terrifying Tales

‘Skin’, by Roald Dahl promises to thrill, enchant and electrify with its astonishing absurdity and dextrously woven twists and turns that will force you simper wryly, squeal delightedly, and grimace in revulsion, all at once.

This collection of eleven of some of Roald Dahl’s best stories provides a rather unexpected transition from his children’s stories to his tales of lies and deception. Peppered with sardonic humour, an underlying layer of gloom permeates the pages, adding to the overall onion-like effect of the book.

Skin, the first story in this collection, is a bizarre tale of a seemingly ordinary old man with a masterpiece tattooed onto his back. Suspense hangs over this story tantalizingly, preventing you from putting the book down.

Lamb to the Slaughter and Dip in the Pool are some of the other tales in this collection that make this book simply unputdownable.

By the time you’re done with a story, the next one grips you with unyielding fingers.
Crammed with brilliant inventions, shocking motives and startling ideas, these tales linger long after you’re done reading.

The Sound Machine, which is about a device that can hear plants, is unusual but gripping.
Galloping Foxley, which is about a seasoned traveller having to put up with an intruder in his carriage, only to realise that the stranger is not as unfamiliar as he seems, is coated with Dahl-esque wit and garnished with juicy jibes at society and schools. The Champion of The World, An African Story and My Lady Love My Dove are rather disturbing and not for the faint hearted.

The Surgeon is a straightforward story quite free from Dahl’s characteristic cynicism, but the quaint descriptions of rural England add to its charm.

The Wish, revolving around a child’s desire to cross the snake-infested, coal smattered carpet, sets your pulse racing despite its simple plot. The author’s uncanny ability to capture the protagonist’s emotions keeps you glued to the pages right from the very beginning.

Beware of the Dog, infused with military terms and with the Second World War in the backdrop, would make for a rather heavy read if not for the few moments that hint subtly at flecks of humour.

These stories possess a curious multi-layered quality and can be viewed from different angles each time they are read. Unlike most stories where once the beans are spilt, they no longer spark interest; these fantastically concocted tales can be read over and over.
This collection is rather difficult to sum up, maybe because each story is so completely different from the rest, but all manage to enchant, disgust, mystify and excite.
This book is sure to have you gasping for more!

Puffin Price: Rs. 250
pages 212

- Malvika, Cluny Convent School

Rain glitters magic sparks

When I am alone
The stark dreariness of reality seems to gnaw at me
Like a teething puppy chewing a rubber ball
Indulgently at first, but with an increasing intensity

That thrusts me into the lowest depths of despondency
Then the rain, at first merely a casual acquaintance
Turns into an intimate confidant
As it enchants me with its bewitching frivolity

Luring me out of this oh so humdrum world
And into a mesmerising distortion of reality
The engaging pitter-patter, the delicious smell of fresh mud
And the wet, wet raindrops that run down the nose

Lull me into a trance from which I would rather not wake
Though I am conscious of a restless tug
That seems to draw me back to reality
It’s so much easier
To lose yourself in the other world

Bathed in hues of sepia and Technicolor
Asphalt glimmers – A black, angry river
In whose perilous waters vehicles thrash
Struggling valiantly against being engulfed
In its livid intensity.

The leaves that sway rhythmically
To the feral music of the rain
Induce me to revel
To revel in its tumultuous glee
The gloom that had visited me so often
Is banished from the other world

But it slinks intently along its faint boundaries
Diabolic and wily
Ready to spring upon me
With the agility of a wildcat
Once I step [however cautiously]

Into the glum precincts of reality
The rain has an almost regal air about her
Altogether very suave and posh
Pulsating sparks of magic dance within her
That can bewitch, spellbind, entrance

When the swirling nebula begin to gather
Her enticing whispers barely heard
I know she’s come for me
To lead me to the other world
Where I could live
For all eternity.

The Happiness Canine

His black, shimmering nose prods me gently
And his eyes;
tranquil waters of insatiable hope
Look up imploringly into mine

His tail wags beseechingly
Gently at first, but with an increasing intensity
That accomplishes in a single motion
More than a volley of barks could have.

Car keys jingle, the swish of a leash is heard
And he erupts jubilantly; A ball of explosive fur
Emitting triumphant yips punctuating each sentence
With gritty zeal and enthusiasm.

He’s essentially got the heart of an adventurer
A heart that yearns
To explore the obscure
To discover the indefinite

To scour the world for possibilities
Possibilities that often lie veiled by disbelief
Not in his world, but in ours.

He thrusts his head out from the window resolutely
With an air of complacent enjoyment
As our car whizzes past the world in general
For this is his world,

Pink, slobbering tongue dangling precariously from mouth
And spaniel ears temporarily elevated by the lusty winds
His eyes illumined by an almost fervent gleam
As he floats in a bubble of complete detachment.

When his paws aren’t on the armrest,
And his snout on the drearier side of the window,
He rests his muzzle against the car floor
To revel in its soothingly rhythmic motion
And eyes shut in silent contemplation.

His eyes reflect a thousand worlds
Each world diverse and rare
Happiness permeates the creases lining his countenance
He’s got a slightly inebriated look

With a silly canine grin pasted on his face
He’s an explorer, a swashbuckler, a seeker
He’s the quintessential seafarer
Lost to the world
How easily he slips into blissful oblivion
With a trip in the family car