The Witches

By Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake

From the World's No. 1 Storyteller, The Witches is a children's classic that has captured young reader's imaginations for generations.

This is not a fairy tale. This is about real witches.

Grandmamma loves to tell about witches. Real witches are the most dangerous of all living creatures on earth. There's nothing they hate so much as children, and they work all kinds of terrifying spells to get rid of them. Her grandson listens closely to Grandmamma's stories—but nothing can prepare him for the day he comes face-to-face with The Grand High Witch herself!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
• Release date: Aug 16, 2007
• ISBN: 9781101662977

Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl (1916-1990) es un autor justamente famoso por su extraordinario ingenio, su destreza narrativa, su dominio del humor negro y su inagotable capacidad de sorpresa, que llevó a Hitchcock a adaptar para la televisión muchos de sus relatos. En Anagrama se han publicado la novela "Mi tío Oswald" y los libros de cuentos "El gran cambiazo" (Gran Premio del Humor Negro), "Historias extraordinarias", "Relatos de lo inesperado" y "Dos fábulas". En otra faceta, Roald Dahl goza de una extraordinaria popularidad como autor de libros para niños.

Book preview

A Note about Witches

In fairy-tales, witches always wear silly black hats and black cloaks, and they ride on broomsticks.

But this is not a fairy-tale. This is about REAL WITCHES.

The most important thing you should know about REAL WITCHES is this. Listen very carefully. Never forget what is coming next.

REAL WITCHES dress in ordinary clothes and look very much like ordinary women. They live in ordinary houses and they work in ORDINARY JOBS.

That is why they are so hard to catch.

A REAL WITCH hates children with a red-hot sizzling hatred that is more sizzling and red-hot than any hatred you could possibly imagine.

A REAL WITCH spends all her time plotting to get rid of the children in her particular territory. Her passion is to do away with them, one by one. It is all she thinks about the whole day long. Even if she is working as a cashier in a supermarket or typing letters for a businessman or driving round in a fancy car (and she could be doing any of these things), her mind will always be plotting and scheming and churning and burning and whizzing and phizzing with murderous bloodthirsty thoughts.

Which child, she says to herself all day long, exactly which child shall I choose for my next squelching?

A REAL WITCH gets the same pleasure from squelching a child as you get from eating a plateful of strawberries and thick cream.

She reckons on doing away with one child a week. Anything less than that and she becomes grumpy.

One child a week is fifty-two a year.

Squish them and squiggle them and make them disappear.

That is the motto of all witches.

Very carefully a victim is chosen. Then the witch stalks the wretched child like a hunter stalking a little bird in the forest. She treads softly.

She moves quietly. She gets closer and closer. Then at last, when everything is ready . . .  phwisst! . . .  and she swoops! Sparks fly. Flames leap. Oil boils. Rats howl. Skin shrivels. And the child disappears.

A witch, you must understand, does not knock children on the head or stick knives into them or shoot at them with a pistol. People who do those things get caught by the police.

A witch never gets caught. Don’t forget that she has magic in her fingers and devilry dancing in her blood. She can make stones jump about like frogs and she can make tongues of flame go flickering across the surface of the water.

These magic powers are very frightening.

Luckily, there are not a great number of REAL WITCHES in the world today. But there are still quite enough to make you nervous. In England, there are probably about one hundred of them altogether. Some countries have more, others have not quite so many. No country in the world is completely free from WITCHES.

A witch is always a woman.

I do not wish to speak badly about women. Most women are lovely. But the fact remains that all witches are women. There is no such thing as a male witch.

On the other hand, a ghoul is always a male. So indeed is a barghest. Both are dangerous. But neither of them is half as dangerous as a REAL WITCH.

As far as children are concerned, a REAL WITCH is easily the most dangerous of all the living creatures on earth. What makes her doubly dangerous is the fact that she doesn’t look dangerous. Even when you know all the secrets (you will hear about those in a minute), you can still never be quite sure whether it is a witch you are gazing at or just a kind lady. If a tiger were able to make himself look like a large dog with a waggy tail, you would probably go up and pat him on the head. And that would be the end of you. It is the same with witches. They all look like nice ladies.

Kindly examine the picture opposite. Which lady is the witch? That is a difficult question, but it is one that every child must try to answer.

For all you know, a witch might be living next door to you right now.

Or she might be the woman with the bright eyes who sat opposite you on the bus this morning.

She might be the lady with the dazzling smile who offered you a sweet from a white paper bag in the street before lunch.

She might even — and this will make you jump — she might even be your lovely school-teacher who is reading these words to you at this very moment. Look carefully at that teacher. Perhaps she is smiling at the absurdity of such a suggestion. Don’t let that put you off. It could be part of her cleverness.

I am not, of course, telling you for one second that your teacher actually is a witch. All I am saying is that she might be one. It is most unlikely. But — and here comes the big but — it is not impossible.

Oh, if only there were a way of telling for sure whether a woman was a witch or not, then we could round them all up and put them in the meatgrinder. Unhappily, there is no such way. But there are a number of little signals you can look out for, little quirky habits that all witches have in common, and if you know about these, if you remember them always, then you might just possibly manage to escape from being squelched before you are very much older.

My Grandmother

I myself had two separate encounters with witches before I was eight years old. From the first I escaped unharmed, but on the second occasion I was not so lucky. Things happened to me that will probably make you scream when you read about them. That can’t be helped. The truth must be told. The fact that I am still here and able to speak to you (however peculiar I may look) is due entirely to my wonderful grandmother.

My grandmother was Norwegian. The Norwegians know all about witches, for Norway, with its black forests and icy mountains, is where the first witches came from. My father and my mother were also Norwegian, but because my father had a business in England, I had been born there and had lived there and had started going to an English school. Twice a year, at Christmas and in the summer, we went back to Norway to visit my grandmother. This old lady, as far as I could gather, was just about the only surviving relative we had on either side of our family. She was my mother’s mother and I absolutely adored her. When she and I were together we spoke in either Norwegian or in English. It didn’t matter which. We were equally fluent in both languages, and I have to admit that I felt closer to her than to my mother.

Soon after my seventh birthday, my parents took me as usual to spend Christmas with my grandmother in Norway. And it was over there, while my father and mother and I were driving in icy weather just north of Oslo, that our car skidded off the road and went tumbling down into a rocky ravine. My parents were killed. I was firmly strapped into the back seat and received only a cut on the forehead.

I won’t go into the horrors of that terrible afternoon. I still get the shivers when I think about it. I finished up, of course, back in my grandmother’s house with her arms around me tight and both of us crying the whole night long.

What are we going to do now? I asked her through the tears.

You will stay here with me, she said, and I will look after you.

Aren’t I going back to England?

No, she said. I could never do that. Heaven shall take my soul, but Norway shall keep my bones.

The very next day, in order that we might both try to forget our great sadness, my grandmother started telling me stories. She was a wonderful story-teller and I was enthralled by everything she told me. But I didn’t become really excited until she got on to the subject of witches. She was apparently a great expert on these creatures and she made it very clear to me that her witch stories, unlike most of the others, were not imaginary tales. They were all true. They were the gospel truth. They were history. Everything she was telling me about witches had actually happened and I had better believe it. What was worse, what was far, far worse, was that witches were still with us. They were all around us and I had better believe that, too.

"Are you really being truthful, Grandmamma? Really and truly truthful?"

My darling, she said, you won’t last long in this world if you don’t know how to spot a witch when you see one.

But you told me that witches look like ordinary women, Grandmamma. So how can I spot them?

You must listen to me, my grandmother said. You must remember everything I tell you. After that, all you can do is cross your heart and pray to heaven and hope for the best.

We were in the big living-room of her house in Oslo and I was ready for bed. The curtains were never drawn in that house, and through the windows I could see huge snowflakes falling slowly on to an outside world that was as black as tar. My grandmother was tremendously old and wrinkled, with a massive wide body which was smothered in grey lace. She sat there majestic in her armchair, filling every inch of it. Not even a mouse could have squeezed in to sit beside her. I myself, just seven years old, was crouched on the floor at her feet, wearing pyjamas, dressing-gown and slippers.

You swear you aren’t pulling my leg? I kept saying to her. You swear you aren’t just pretending?

Listen, she said, I have known no less than five children who have simply vanished off the face of this earth, never to be seen again. The witches took them.

I still think you’re just trying to frighten me, I said.

I am trying to make sure you don’t go the same way, she said. I love you and I want you to stay with me.

Tell me about the children who disappeared, I said.

My grandmother was the only grandmother I ever met who smoked cigars. She lit one now, a long black cigar that smelt of burning rubber. The first child I knew who disappeared, she said, "was called Ranghild Hansen. Ranghild was about eight at the time, and she was playing with her little sister on the lawn. Their mother, who was baking bread in the kitchen, came outside for a breath of air. ‘Where’s Ranghild?’ she asked.

"‘She went away with the tall lady,’ the little sister said.

"‘What tall lady?’ the mother said.

‘The tall lady in white gloves,’ the little sister said. ‘She took Ranghild by the hand and led her away.’ No one, my grandmother said, ever saw Ranghild again.

Didn’t they search for her? I asked.

They searched for miles around. Everyone in the town helped, but they never found her.

What happened to the other four children? I asked.

They vanished just as Ranghild did.

How, Grandmamma? How did they vanish?

In every case a strange lady was seen outside the house, just before it happened.

But how did they vanish? I asked.

The second one was very peculiar, my grandmother said. "There was a family called Christiansen. They lived up on Holmenkollen, and they had an old oil-painting in the living-room which they were very proud of. The painting showed some ducks in the yard outside a farmhouse. There were no people in the painting, just a flock of ducks on a grassy farmyard and the farmhouse in the background. It was a large

Reviews for The Witches

[BIBLIOFILUS · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's a very good story, although in its latest edition, what was added at the end doesn't really enrich or improve the text; however, it is still enjoyable. (Translated from Spanish)

[MarilynDelCarmen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A very interesting story told in the first person and although it is aimed at children, it can have certain somewhat disturbing episodes. Also, as seems to be customary with Roald Dahl's novels, this one is not exempt from controversy...

The story begins with a car accident that leaves the protagonist orphaned, who is just a 7-year-old child and whose name we never learn; however, we know he is very fond of his maternal grandmother and that due to the accident he must remain under her care. Together, they plan to live in Norway while the grandmother tells him everything about witches (what do they look like? what are they looking for? how do they obtain everything they plan? where do they live?). However, those plans and the plot begin to forge their true path when a man appears to read the father's will: they must stay together but in England...

This is the first novel I read by Roald Dahl and I liked it quite a bit, although I am not sure it is his best story; I think he might have better works and I need to read more.

It's not just about how well he wrote, but also about his creativity in weaving each detail of the plot without it seeming forced. For example, the story would not have progressed much if it weren't for the protagonist's sudden intelligence, which beyond being a convenience, makes perfect sense to me considering his... new "condition." Additionally, "The Witches" is a novel that never diminishes its intensity; it seems Dahl knew exactly what proportion of words to use to keep us entertained, even in his descriptions, the attention to detail he put into narrating completely fictitious things gives the feeling that someone could really experience what the protagonist was telling us.

The dialogues feel very natural, and considering it is a children's book, the characters have personality, even the witches who only appear once. There are also a couple of very simple but interesting illustrations.

Regarding the ending, it leaves us with a sort of open ending that is not as emotional or sweetened as the 1990 movie, but it fulfills its purpose.

P.S. The complete review took me a long time because I also gave my opinion on the controversies of the book. Basically, some critics say it is a sexist story because all the witches are women and that it promotes suicide (?). I do not agree with the first point, and regarding the second, I think that with a little reading comprehension and support it can be resolved; they take everything out of context ??‍♀️. If you want to read this book with caution, I would point out the kitchen scene more. I won't give spoilers because if you read it you'll know, but there is a hurt little animal ?. (Translated from Spanish)

[Abrirlajaulalecturayescritura · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is a short novel in which an adult character recounts the memories of two encounters he had with witches when he was a child. The outcome: things did not go well.

Due to unfortunate circumstances in life, the boy ends up staying at a hotel in England where an Annual Witches' Congress is being held.

Readers will discover that witches hate children, wish to exterminate them... And they will accompany the protagonist in his adventures and in his way of relating to his grandmother.

R. Dahl, like other authors, has been involved in controversies regarding the themes addressed and, fundamentally, about how they do it.

In this story (surely?) the feminine image that is constructed could "make noise"; mainly, around the characterization of the witches. However, I find it appropriate (necessary?) to recall certain issues:
? It is a story written and published in 1983.
? Traditional tales, whose format this novel 'follows' (?), are characterized by building archetype characters: good/bad, hardworking/lazy, fat/thin, ugly/pretty.
? There is a deliberate separation between the childhood world and the adult world; the latter characterized by incomprehension toward the former.

Moreover, the female character of the grandmother would represent the counterpoint to all the negativity mentioned before. In her, that barrier separating the adult world from the childhood world dissolves.

Finally, it is interesting (and, at the same time, controversial?) how the theme of death is approached. ?

It is a beautiful book, in which Dahl masterfully shows interpersonal relationships and the importance of accepting others as they are, although it also confronts readers with the harsh reality: there are people in the world who do not accept others.

On several occasions, Dahl's works have also been questioned regarding the age of their potential readers. Nonetheless, I believe it is a book that children can read, with the accompaniment of an adult who provides the necessary critical perspective.

Ig: @abrirlajaulalecturayescritura
Reviews/Reading itineraries/Reading proposals/Activity proposals (Translated from Spanish)

[Carmelele · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

~The Witches~

The Welsh writer of Norwegian descent Roald Dahl published this children's novel of a fantastic nature in 1983.

Behind a sweet and kind appearance are the witches, ready to exterminate all the children in the world.

Annually, the witches gather at a convention to devise a plan that will allow them to rid the world of the stinky and foul-smelling children.

By accident, our protagonist, a seven-year-old orphan staying with his grandmother at the same hotel where the annual witches' convention is held, overhears their infamous plan.

Will our little hero be able to thwart their evil plans and prevent them from being carried out? Will he manage to come out unscathed from such an endeavor?

It has been a very entertaining read, with a surprising ending...

"It doesn't matter who you are or what you look like, as long as someone loves you."

Rating 9/10 (Translated from Spanish)

[Díaz Rolando · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The protagonist, a seven-year-old boy, discovers with his grandmother the wickedness of the largest witch group in England, seemingly normal women who, under the name of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, hold their annual convention in a hotel with the purpose of seeking more effective methods to exterminate children. "The Witches" by Roald Dahl, with its nearly 250 pages, is a children's horror or dark fantasy novel that is very easy yet entertaining to read. It reminded me of another novel in this genre, but by the writer Neil Gaiman: Coraline, a novel where we can see trained mice, a childlike atmosphere, but dark; in Coraline, there is also a play with the persona (let's remember that the etymological origin of persona has its roots in Greek and means mask, as we do not see what is behind it) since both in Coraline and in The Witches, people do not show themselves as they truly are. (Translated from Spanish)

[Melancolía7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Precious short story by the author of "Matilda" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." A delight!!! (Translated from Spanish)

[Marilyn.Monroe · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"The Tasting" is one of Roald Dahl's most brilliant stories. It was first published in the March 1945 edition of Ladies Home Journal and later in 1951 in The New Yorker. Six people are sitting at the table in Mike Schofield's home, a London stockbroker: Mike, his wife and daughter, a nameless narrator and his wife, and a famous food critic, Richard Pratt. Pratt often makes small bets with Schofield in order to guess the wine being served at the table, but tonight the bet will be higher... When Schofield serves the second wine of the dinner, he comments that it will be impossible to guess what it is, which Pratt takes as a challenge.

Iban Barrenetxea has done a magnificent graphic job to invite us to this mysterious evening. The wine is served. The tasting begins.

I read this book thanks to the recommendation of @brownchoco thank you so much!!! ??? (Translated from Spanish)

[Fabiaili ?? · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first story I read by this author; I only knew him through the adaptations of his books to film. It is a short story that is read very quickly, and I liked it a lot.

Clever, funny, it managed in just a few pages to make me laugh, intrigue me, and also provide a good dose of suspense and even nervous tension.

The entire sequence takes place in one night, specifically during a dinner that the host Mike Schofield holds for several guests, among whom is Richard Pratt, a famous astronomer well-versed in wines. The night will reveal a competition of egos between the two men that spirals out of control.

The illustrated edition is beautiful, not only for the illustrations but for how they complement the story. (Translated from Spanish)

[Abit200 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's a book that extends the second encounter with the witches, which makes it very entertaining, but I think it would be better if it were a bit shorter. (Translated from Spanish)

[JorgeAlbertoBrizVillafaa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

While the wrinkles shouted "Hooray!"
What a fabulous idea! The cheerful child killers were happy to know that the formula 86, "The Delayed Action Rodentizer," was ready. I recommend the book; you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

Alberto Briz (Translated from Spanish)

[Rosamariamarq · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Witches. Roald Dahl.

A boy and his grandmother confront the terrible Association of Witches in England as they, under the guise of ordinary women, hold their annual convention in a hotel.

A children's story that I read with great pleasure. He is an author with a great imagination that fascinates me... I couldn't wait to finish it, and its ending left me wanting more adventures and to get rid of all the witches on the planet. (Translated from Spanish)

[SitaBelen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dahl is a safe bet and betting is the theme of the story.
What would you be willing to risk in an absurd game of egos?

The tasting is a very short and very funny story that you can read faster than it takes to savor a wine and, at the same time, very predictable. Or at least that's how it seemed to me.

About a thousand years ago (give or take a year), I read a collection of stories in English by Roald Dahl, and one of them impacted me a lot, and I still remember it perfectly today. I didn't remember anything else, nor the book that included them.

And I'm telling you this because it may be that The Tasting is not as predictable as I thought, since after finishing it, I wanted to search for the English edition, and its title is Taste, and then I remembered that the book I read was Taste and Other Tales. Perhaps as I was reading what seemed so obvious to me was possibly my memories dulled by the years.

Whatever it was, it is aside from this story and all the others that this genius wrote and that I will always recommend. (Translated from Spanish)

[brownchoco · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

We are faced with a short story that has all the ingredients to engage the reader from the very beginning: an interesting plot, a perfect text, well-defined protagonists, and an ending that may please.

It is highly recommended for wine lovers as the story takes place during a dinner where a stockbroker and a gourmet will bet on who knows more about some prized wines. It all starts very cheerfully, but as the meal progresses, greed, pride, envy, and anger will emerge in the atmosphere.

Take a break and enjoy a delicious evening, I mean reading. (Translated from Spanish)

[Nana7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a delightful book! Dahl's writing style is wonderful, it captivates you from the very first moment, he knows how to blend humor and fear masterfully, because above all, this book is very funny, so much so that you are left wanting a sequel. The characters are great and the grandmother-grandson relationship is so lovely... It's perfect for reading aloud and giving voices to the characters. Highly recommended! (Translated from Spanish)

[Mariortega · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Despite being relatively short, the story feels extensive and entertaining. (Translated from Spanish)

[ValeContreras · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is the second book that I was able to enjoy as an audiobook. The experience was really lovely, with its characters and the stories and characteristics of the witches. I enjoyed it a lot during my trip, and I'm grateful to have discovered this story. (Translated from Spanish)

[Carmen lectora · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ronald Dahl is, as always, brilliant, close to childhood and fun. A witch has great appeal for a child, and there is a lot of that here. (Translated from Spanish)

[David27 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

? ? R E V I E W ? ?
⭐ ⭐Very Entertaining ⭐⭐
This is the first book I read by the author, and with the well-known movie adaptations of two other stories by the same author, the desire was immense.
The plot is about a boy who, due to life's circumstances, has to live with his grandmother in Norway. She will tell him about the existence of witches, how they are, and their hatred for children, as their goal is to eliminate all of them, but they have never had the opportunity or thought of a way to do so.
The boy will encounter one, and out of fear that something might happen to him, his grandmother will make the decision to flee to another city in Europe where they will coincidentally end up encountering the annual witches' congress taking place there.
I won’t tell you more to avoid spoilers, but there will be funny and interesting situations that make the story very entertaining, except for the last chapter, which I felt was unnecessary. (Translated from Spanish)

[urraca99 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A delight, especially the illustrations. (Translated from Spanish)

[Roxana2626 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A funny story about witches. What I take away is the relationship between the grandmother and her grandson. It is a special bond. Recommended for all audiences. (Translated from Spanish)

[Fred Livise · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am still a child enchanted by the special magic that some productions of Jim Henson achieved, such as The Storyteller, Labyrinth, or The Witches from 1990, now considered cult films. And like any good story on screen, I didn't want to miss out on the book version whose author, I understand, despised the film for altering its original plot.

The Witches is a children's tale, very entertaining and emotional but with a bit of a apprehensive air, similar to what I felt in Hansel and Gretel when I knew the witch was going to eat the children. The great witch in this story is also a truly wicked and very cruel being in accordance with her true appearance.

There is almost no difference between the film and the book except for the ending, which is more dramatic but more consistent. I love this story; a fun and magnificent scary tale recommended for adults and children. (Translated from Spanish)

[LaBodega1030 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked it. Like a good story for children. Good lesson. (Translated from Spanish)

[Rosa Segura · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have read this book several times with my students. It is another fantastic book by Roald Dahl. Some characters that grab you from the beginning, entertain, amuse, and a worthy ending. I continue to read it in my classes. (Translated from Spanish)

[LauritaIR · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Witches hate children, and they have plans to get rid of all the kids in England. A boy and his grandmother are forced to confront them when they discover that they are gathered at a convention in the same hotel where they are spending their vacation.

Roald Dahl writes captivating stories, full of adventures and a bit macabre. He is not an author who treats children with kid gloves, and that is where his greatest appeal lies. "The Witches" is a funny and very well-written book, but only suitable for the bravest kids because it has genuinely scary parts and, moreover, it is quite a cruel story.

As a child, I loved the movie (which is much sweeter compared to the original story), and I think I would have really enjoyed the book. (Translated from Spanish)

[Edd62 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This short tale is a stage setting, where the illustrations highlight the main attraction by providing a sense of movement, and the narrative serves as the perfect pairing, where we find the notes of good wine that enhance the flavor of the dish to be enjoyed, because this goes far beyond mere tasting. The story of deception for obtaining unearned gains advantageously is not new, but the way Dahl mixes the peculiarities of the characters with the pleasures of the table in somewhat of a perverse manner has struck me as new and refreshing, as much as a good fruity white Bordeaux. A story with a great ending, even without reaching dessert. The illustrated version is better than the written one, but both are complementary and essential, as stated. Perfect pairing. Oh. Heaven, I've lost my glasses.....Meow..! (Translated from Spanish)

[Julieta Ax · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A short but very well-written story with a worthy ending.
Excellent! (Translated from Spanish)

[Maribel Calle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dahl's life is as interesting as his work: a tall man (literally), with great curiosity (his family named him after the first explorer to reach the South Pole) and a character that combines irony, perversion, and intellectual restlessness (he participated in research for a valve to improve hydrocephalus).

I am clear that it is not necessary to fill hundreds of pages to create a good narrative. Sometimes, with half a dozen characters, a very specific space and time is enough to capture our attention, create suspense, and force us to stop thinking and pay attention to nothing but this story.

All of this is very easy if your last name is Dahl and you masterfully control the difficult art of storytelling, whether for children or adults, but with a common denominator: to awaken curiosity, reflection, and leave you thinking for a while afterward, enough to not be able to forget what you have read.

In this very short story, Dahl presents us with a group of people who are about to dine. They exude that aura of superiority that engulfs those in a good economic position; there is also a hint of cynicism, boasting, and even a good dose of boredom; they love to display their power, and the bets contain a high dose of risk, suspense, and vertigo from how much you can win or lose. The excitement is served, and greed is tempting.

Dahl, as always, leaves us speechless with a surprising ending that oozes ingenuity, contradiction, and hilarity in the purest Welsh style. (Translated from Spanish)

[OscarMaif · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After the delightful experience of reading my first Roald Dahl story — "The Librarian" — in the luxurious illustrated edition by Nórdica, I couldn't help but do the same with this other tale "The Tasting," from the same publisher with equally good taste. In fact, I borrowed both online from the e-library of the Community of Madrid.

Despite being written many years apart (the former published in Playboy magazine in 1987 and the latter in 1945), both stories share quite similar characteristics: a simple yet clever story, very well narrated, with a surprising twist in media res and an intelligent final surprise that places the pieces in their astonishing order. I read these types of modest but effective tales — because they manage to captivate you from beginning to end (even if this one is considerably more "predictable" than "The Librarian") — with great pleasure: the pure delight of a well-conducted entertaining read. (Translated from Spanish)

[xeniaheliana · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very good for kids, it is enjoyable and easy to follow reading, although it doesn't have very good illustrations. (Translated from Spanish)

[HOPE00 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Curious school reading about witches told by a descriptive writer that helps you get into reading. (Translated from Spanish)