Books like Lamb to the Slaughter and Other Stories

Roald Dahl is one of the most sardonic of short story writers. This little volume, with just five of his best stories, makes for a fast, but exceedingly high quality read. I should warn you that you had best be prepared for a near-lethal dosage of snark. The best and longest of the five, "Parson's Pleasure," is the classic example of a greedy antique dealer hoist on his own petard. I did not care that much or "A Piece of Cake," about a World War II bomber crash injury, but the final three stories are gems. "Lamb to the Slaughter," the title story, was made into a 30-minute film by Alfred Hitchcock that was one of his best. "The Bookseller" is a brilliant tale of graft, and "The Butler" shows us the danger of trying to be nouveau riche without knowing what you are doing.Lamb to the Slaughter and Other Stories is a good introduction to Dahl. Overall, I think it is better to read a selection of his stories than the complete stories -- not all of which were to the same high standard.