This collection brings together Dahl"s finest work, illustrating his genius for the horrific and grotesque which is unparalleled. "Dahl has the mastery of plot and characters possessed by great writers of the past, along with a wildness and wryness of his own. One of his trademarks is writing beautifully about the ugly, even the horrible."--Los Angeles Times "An ingenious imagination, a fascination with odd and ordinary detail, and a lust for its thorough exploitation are the...strengths of Dahl"s storytelling."--New York Times Book Review