The October read: we are beginning with the short story Lamb to the Slaughter, by Roald Dahl.
"Lamb to the Slaughter" is a 1954 short story by Roald Dahl. It was initially rejected, along with four other stories, by The New Yorker, but was published in Harper's Magazine in September 1953. It was adapted for an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (AHP) that starred Barbara Bel Geddes and Harold J. Stone. Originally broadcast on April 13, 1958, this was one of only 17 AHP episodes directed by Hitchcock. The episode was ranked #59 of the Top 100 Episodes by TV Guide in 2009. The story was adapted for Dahl's British TV series Tales of the Unexpected. Dahl included it in his short story compilation Someone Like You. The narrative element of the housewife killing her husband and letting the policemen partake in eating the evidence was used by Pedro Almodóvar in his 1984 movie What Have I Done to Deserve This?, with a leg of mutton.
"Lamb to the Slaughter" demonstrates Dahl's fascination with horror (with elements of black comedy), which is seen in both his adult fiction and his stories for children. The story was suggested to Dahl by his friend Ian Fleming: "Why don't you have someone murder their husband with a frozen leg of mutton which she then serves to the detectives who come to investigate the murder?
Roald Dahl | Lamb to the Slaughter - Full audiobook with text (AudioEbook)
Roald Dahl
Hi mates! I recommend this documentary about Roald Dahl's life. I hope you enjoy it.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTBVJI0Wtcs
Thanks Juan and Noelia, I enjoyed the story a lot. Although it is short, there are plenty of details. From my point of view, it is rather shocking in the middle (I do not want to spoil), and it surprised me the way the main character reasonates.
ReplyDeleteAnd, of course, the last two sentences are purely black comedy. I thought that Roal Dahl just wrote for children and I felt impressed by how well he developed this type of story. I hope to see you on thursday to comment it.