Mysteries - Jezebel

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The Wonderful Story Of Roald Dahl...
The Butler Hid It
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The Tourist In The Library
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The Case Of The Missing Tapes
Great Mystery Of My Life

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ginandphonics
07/30/09

In reply to The Wonderful Story Of Roald Dahl...
I also love him to death, still adore his books but was a bit saddened to learn how horribly racist he was. You know, the oompa loompa's were originally written as Black African Pygmys, the BFG had to be heavily edited to remove the all of the stereotypically "Black" traits from the giants... etc. Funny thing, my mom (who taught Af Am at Howard) was all about removing racist materials from our home- but she loved reading Dahl at bedtime as much as I did! I guess writing like that can earn you a "pass"?
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A Small Turnip
07/30/09

@ginandphonics: I'm the same way. When I found out about Dahl's nasty side in an amazing university class on children's lit, I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. I mean, I'm giggling at myself for being so quaintly naive, but it really did come as a major shock to me. It felt like someone I knew and loved personally had betrayed my trust. Isn't that weird? How we can identify so strongly with and author and their works that finding out something unsavoury about them can literally spoil our day?

I'm still feel slightly uneasy about the man, but I took a policy decision not to let his personal ugliness affect my own enjoyment of his stories. I love them so, and I have such warm-n-fuzzy memories of my dad reading all of Dahl's books to me when I was a kid that I can't allow his bigotry to spoil my delight in good tales well told. So as far as I'm concerned, he never, ever said those things, never wrote them, never thought them. Didn't happen. Nope.

I laughingly acknowledge that this is pure and obstinate denial, but so be it. If Dahl can believe lies, well, then so can I. ;-)
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the_fraulein
07/30/09

In reply to The Wonderful Story Of Roald Dahl...
When I'm sick I usually make myself some buttered rum and read a couple Roald Dahl books. They always have a nostalgic placebo effect on me.

And I don't even know how many times I tried to move things with my eyes when I was a kid. I never managed to tip any water jugs, but I did get a fair few whopping headaches.
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morninggloria
07/30/09

In reply to The Wonderful Story Of Roald Dahl...
Why would Macho Man Randy Savage write to Roald Dahl?
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magnets
07/30/09

In reply to The Wonderful Story Of Roald Dahl...
I suspect that the Seven Sisters schools just cash your check and throw your application on a bourgie bonfire if something within you was not stirred by Matilda, as a child
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wtfox?!
07/30/09

In reply to The Wonderful Story Of Roald Dahl...

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me!!!! I always wanted to ride in Pelly's mouth, like Billy does.
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Edited by wtfox?! at 07/30/09 6:07 PM wtfox?! was starred wtfox?! was unstarred

A Small Turnip
07/30/09

@wtfox?!: Oh, this was the best, wasn't it? I have dreamed of those fabled sweets from the Land of the Midnight Sun for twenty years now. I imagine they taste like snow and strawberries. Please don't tell me they're not real.
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wtfox?!
07/30/09

@A Small Turnip: I wanted to own Billy's candy shop SO BAD. The Grubber sounded like heaven to me.

And they have to be real. I refuse to accept the alternative.
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Penny
07/30/09

In reply to The Wonderful Story Of Roald Dahl...
Favorite children's book author, hands down.

No one ever seems to like (or know of) my favorite of his books.....but I bet some Jezzies will!

Danny, the Champion of the World! I love it and still read it occasionally.
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gherkinfiend
07/30/09

@Penny: I have always wanted to know if pheasants really do love raisins...
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Penny
07/30/09

@gherkinfiend: I know I would love some raisins with crushed up sleeping pills inside.
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willwriteforfood
07/30/09

@Penny: I stole my brother's copy and to this day have denied any knowledge where it went.

Seriously, THE most awesome children's book ever. My mouth waters just thinking about the cold meat pie the doctor's wife make for Danny, with the eggs in it like hidden little jewels...
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Uncommon Whore
07/30/09

@Penny: I love that one!!!

I love Henry Sugar as well. And sleeping pills.
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Mary McCarthyite
07/30/09

In reply to The Wonderful Story Of Roald Dahl...
"The guy who owns the letters is old and very keen to stay out of the limelight."

So, Salinger owns them?
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AJ
07/30/09

@Mary McCarthyite: Or Thomas Pynchon.
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Edited by AJ at 07/30/09 5:41 PM AJ was starred AJ was unstarred

Raederle
07/30/09

@Mary McCarthyite: Or Edward Cullen.
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lilbobbytables
07/30/09

In reply to The Wonderful Story Of Roald Dahl...
I do love Roald Dahl. His books are still some of my favorites - Matilda FTW!
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AJ
07/30/09

@lilbobbytables is a la-di-da feminist: Matilda and The Witches were two of my favorites. And they were both turned into decent film adaptations...especially The Witches. Angelica Houston scared the crap out of me as the head witch.
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thegogglesdonothing
07/30/09

In reply to The Wonderful Story Of Roald Dahl...
Do the letters cover the part of his life when he was a sex spy for the British in WWII?
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Penny promoted this comment Edited by thegogglesdonothing at 07/30/09 5:32 PM

Penny
07/30/09

@thegogglesdonothing: One of my friends read his erotic stories in college. I just pretended they didn't exist as to not taint my childhood memories.
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AJ
07/30/09

@Penny: Yeah, that would give a whole new meaning to James and the Giant Peach. I just don't want to let my mind go there.
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tomatoheart
07/30/09

@Penny:
"Switch Bitch" is one of the most amazing book of short stories i've ever read...and one of the most disturbing.
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IBleedGlitter: The High Priestess of Tinsel
07/30/09

@thegogglesdonothing: A sex spy? Man, I never get the good jobs.
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MediasBlue
07/30/09

@tomatoheart: Agreed! I've loaned my copy to a couple of people and I sure get some weird looks later...
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Glitterbug (likes life shaken, not stirred)
06/06/09

In reply to The Butler Hid It
This, for me, just equals one big SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
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notheretomakefriends
06/05/09

In reply to The Butler Hid It
OH MY GOD. I'm going to fan girl so bad. I might even give myself a paper cut.

kidding, this is good news for me though. full disclosure: I have read about 25 of her books
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YourScreenplaySucks
06/05/09

In reply to The Butler Hid It
I've only read "And Then There Were None" & want to check out one of Christie's books that feature a detective. Does anyone have a favorite?
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Bandersnatch42
06/05/09

@Your Screenplay Sucks: Murder on the Orient Express is a really awesome one, and a total classic at that. It features Hercule Poirot, everyone's favorite Belgian detective.
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FashionShowAtLunch
06/05/09

@Your Screenplay Sucks: Death on the Nile is one of my faves. I have to agree that Hercule Poirot is her best detective character.
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BellaTricks
06/05/09

@Bandersnatch42: I agree, Murder on the Orient Express is awesome. I also like Witness for the Prosecution.
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hatepaperdoll
06/05/09

@Your Screenplay Sucks: "Evil under the Sun" is one of my favorites, as much for the great descriptions of the habits of the upper class English on vacation as for the murder (spoiler! there's a murder!)

And for Miss Marple "Murder At The Vicarage" is a classic, as is "The Body in the Library"
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YourScreenplaySucks
06/05/09

@all: Cool, thanks for the suggestions. I saw & loved the movie version of "Death on the Nile" w/ Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury, & some awesome dude as Poirot, so I'll definitely check out the book too.
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notheretomakefriends
06/05/09

@Your Screenplay Sucks: when you're done with the current recommendations, and completely hooked (guaranteed!) check out: Peril at end's house, the Big Four, and Curtain
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Flackette Goes Retro
06/05/09

In reply to The Butler Hid It
!!!!!!!

That is all I have to say.
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lilbobbytables
06/05/09

@Flackette Goes Retro: I shall second with both a squee!! and a merry jig.
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BellaTricks
06/05/09

@Flackette Goes Retro: Not to create an echo chamber, but... agreed! Yay!
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Rosaxé
06/05/09

In reply to The Butler Hid It
I read that title as The Butler Hit It (That). Happy Friday, everyone.
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LadyFabulous
06/05/09

@Rosaxé: So did I, and I was kind of hoping it would be about me and Gerard Butler... *sigh* Back to my work day dreams I suppose...
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girlhowdy
05/29/09

In reply to Jezebooks: Sarah Waters
Fingersmith is my favourite of her first four books and can't wait for my copy of Little Stranger to arrive form Waterstone's any day now. Must admit I wasn't crazy about Night Watch--I didn't get the point of the reverse chronology, and I didn't enjoy spending time with the characters as much I did those of the other books. But Waters' b-game is still leagues ahead of most other writers' a-game.

Also, if you like novels of the Victorian underworld, I cannot recommend The Fiend in Human and White Stone Day by John McLaughlin Gray enough.
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emilyanne
05/29/09

@girlhowdy: ooh those two are among my favourites as well. I love me a good drunken journalist story as well as historical fiction.
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