# My Favorite Roald Dahl story **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 9, 2002, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639 "2002-04-09T08:09:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639/1 "2002-04-09T08:09:01Z")
is “Uncle Oswald”. -the fabulous Lagonda -the spider-silk tie, and the spiders -the sanitation obsession -singing operas while driving across the desert -the ice-cold swimming pool -the beautiful daughter and the even-more-beautiful mother -the horrible _denouement_ Just had to share!🙂 ---
**Author:** ![nefertari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7bcc69/32.png) [@nefertari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nefertari)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639/2 "2002-04-09T11:18:45Z")
The Twits. Damn, that is one creepy story. I also wanted my own Giant Peach for a minute there. nefertari ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639/3 "2002-04-09T11:29:24Z")
There was one story I read by Dahl, don’t remember the title, but it creeped my shit out. It was about a couple who had a new baby that wouldn’t gain weight or eat well. The husband was a beekeeper, and touted the effects of “royal jelly” and decided to feed that to the baby. Well the baby gained weight, got fat, etc. At the end of the story the husband reveals to the wife that he’s eating it too, and she notices he is turning freaky and beelike. OK, so it sounds boring the way I tell it. But you know how Dahl can turn a phrase and make anything sound creepy. I used to think he was all Willy Wonka and Matilda. Little did I know… ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639/4 "2002-04-09T12:52:17Z")
That’s “Royal Jelly.” It’s so hard to pick. I suppose, if forced to, I’d go with “Bitch,” simply because of its wonderful closing line (“My Uncle Oswald” is just an elaboration of that story). But I’d also consider “The Great Switcheroo” and, of course, “Lamb to the Slaughter.” ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639/5 "2002-04-09T13:52:30Z")
My favorite is “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” about the man who teaches himself to see without his eyes. I also like “The Fingersmith,” from the same collection, about the great hitchhiking pickpocket. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639/6 "2002-04-09T13:54:34Z")
Looks like we all have something in common. My favorite is Danny, the Champion of the World. But after that, my favorites are My Uncle Oswald and Lamb to the Slaughter. (The Great Switcheroo has a great ending, but I just didn’t find the premise plausible, so I ultimately didn’t like the ending that much.) ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639/7 "2002-04-09T14:22:27Z")
“William and Mary” is his creepiest, IMHO. I can’t say it’s my favorite, because I won’t read it again, because it is SO creepy. I guess I’ll go for either “Royal Jelly” or “Man From the South.” Not only extremely spooky, but beautifully put together. Aspiring short-story writers should study these carefully. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639/8 "2002-04-09T15:40:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by nefertari \* > \*\*The Twits. > > Damn, that is one creepy story.\*\* Agreed. First year of college, a group of us ingested ungodly amounts of hallucinogens and read this book aloud to each other. mmm…bird pie… ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639/9 "2002-04-09T15:54:31Z")
Another vote for “Danny, Champion of the World” It was just hilarious. He was a great writer, his autobiography “Going Solo” is just wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639/10 "2002-04-09T16:35:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\*I suppose, if forced to, I’d go with “Bitch,” \*\* Is this different than “Switch Bitch,” an awesome Dahl volume? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639/11 "2002-04-09T18:26:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by peepthis \* > \*\* > Is this different than “Switch Bitch,” an awesome Dahl volume? \*\* “Switch Bitch” consisted of four stories, of which “The Great Switcheroo” and “Bitch” were the two best. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![misshannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3e96dc/32.png) [@misshannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misshannah)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639/12 "2002-04-09T21:24:43Z")
I think my favorite was [The Fantastic Mr. Fox](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0141301139/qid=1018387334/sr=8-3/ref=sr_8_67_3/103-3520967-7266235) but the version I had was not illustrated by Quentin Blake. I was more than a little in love with Mr. Fox. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639/13 "2002-04-09T23:18:11Z")
My favourite is “Taste” - the story of the wine _connoisseur_ extraordinaire who makes a bet for the hand (in marriage) of his host’s daughter. I love the ending. ---
**Author:** ![\_your\_name\_here](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/919ad9/32.png) [@\_your\_name\_here](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_your_name_here)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2002, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639/14 "2002-04-10T01:01:13Z")
erg…i forget the title… :mad: it’s the one where the scientist makes the machine that can hear plants… someone help? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2002, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639/15 "2002-04-10T01:54:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by (your name here) \* > \*\*erg…i forget the title… :mad: > > it’s the one where the scientist makes the machine that can hear plants… > > someone help? \*\* The Sound Machine. My favorites are The Great Switcheroo, Madame Rosette, and Vengence is Mine, Inc. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2002, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639/16 "2002-04-10T02:01:05Z")
Another reader who can’t remember the titles of stories. The one I’m thinking of has the protagonist on a train, where he sees a man who appears to have been a certain prefect at the writer’s boarding school. The writer relives incidents of bullying at the hands of the other man when they were both boys. The story is strongly reminiscent of _Boy: Tales of Childhood_. ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2002, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639/17 "2002-04-10T05:15:39Z")
Another vote for “Royal Jelly.” Anyone for “Pig”? Now, _there’s_ a bit of random evil. ---
**Author:** ![Tortuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@Tortuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tortuga)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2002, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639/18 "2002-04-10T06:10:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mouthbreather \* > \*\* > Agreed. First year of college, a group of us ingested ungodly amounts of hallucinogens and read this book aloud to each other. > mmm…bird pie… \*\* I loved the story when I was little because Quentin Blake illustrated little boy bottoms as they ran off without their pants. Little pervert, I. ---
**Author:** ![longjohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@longjohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longjohn)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2002, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639/19 "2002-04-10T08:20:45Z")
Narrad - Galloping Foxley. Loved them all, and I was lucky enough to be a young child when he was writing them. I still remember getting the new Roald Dahl when they were published, and then spending all that evening and night reading them. Nowadays, I’m with Masonite, My Uncle Oswald is my fave too. When i first read it, i thought the tale within a tale within a tale in “Henry Sugar” was awesome. ---
**Author:** ![deball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@deball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deball)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2002, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639/20 "2002-04-10T12:06:01Z")
Another vote for Danny, Champion of the World. Poaching fowl with glue and raisins in a paper cone. I read the story twenty years ago and it still sticks with me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-favorite-roald-dahl-story/102639.md?page=2)