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"