The Great Auto Grammatizator And Other Short Story: Book Review

The great auto grammatizator and other short story: Book Review.

The story is written by Roald Dahl, What a fascinating man he was The passion with which he has lived his life is evident in the wonders he has performed as a war fighter and the excellence and perfection of his works as an author.

Stories in long novels could be a bit boring here and there, but they can get away with it because the overall story may be interesting. But a writer’s factual abilities, I feel, can be judged better from short stories.

About the short stories:

1. The Great Automatic Grammatizator(Sci-Fi): This story is about a young, ambitious and shabby scientist Knipe who invents a machine that makes stories and novels by the minute! The weird tale is about a wonderful machine that allows the ‘writer’ to select the main plot and sub plot. After all the setting, the machine levers produce rattling noises and print out pots of stories.

2. Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat(Thriller): Mrs. Bixby is a housewife, but not innocent. Mr. Bixby is a dentist, a workaholic at that. They are not too privileged to enjoy a lavish life. Since 8 years, she has been having an affair with a rich Colonel. While ending their long affair, the Colonel sends a parting gift- an expensive coat made of precious mink material. How will she take it back home and face her husband’s numerous questions? But throwing such a magnificent coat away is just out of the question. An idea strikes her which seems to promise that she may keep the coat after all.

3. The Umbrella Man(Humour): This story is about a respectable looking old man who approaches a lady and her child on a rainy day. They do not have an umbrella. He requests the lady for a one- pound note to reach home by cab. For the favour, he is ready to give his silk umbrella to the lady. After some wary questions, the lady eventually decides that the gentleman genuinely needs the money and gives it to him and takes the umbrella.The man then shoves his way fast through the crowd and enters a bar for a drink! After spending his ‘hardly’ earned money, he casually picks up another umbrella from the bar and moves out to find his next prey.

4. Parson's Pleasure(Humour): Mr. Boggis is bogus! He owns a furniture shop and has his way of obtaining his stuff for sale. He buys all his furniture from the homes of simpletons of the country! He exhibits his expert advice and oratory skills in such a way that people in the country are eager to part with their own furniture in less than a tenth of the actual worth of the stuff.He carefully manages to tighten his noose around the unsuspecting family. He mentions schemes to people.

5. The Way Up to Heaven(Mystery): Settled in New York, Mrs. Foster, a middle-aged lady, has no futher ambition in life than to serve her husband Mr. Foster and wait for their grandchildren’s photos sent from Paris regularly by their only daughter. Mrs. Foster has just one problem to her personality - the phobia of missing buses, trains, flights or even any show star. And what’s worse, Mr. Foster seems to deliberately delay things in order to oppose her. It seemsto give him pleasure. A day comes when she has to catch a flight to Paris- her first trip alone to her daughter! Will she make it?

6. The Landlady(Non supernatural Horror): A young traveler is in search of a hotel to spend the night. He spots the nearest bed- and – breakfast and is welcomed by a sweet elderly looking lady. He is a bit surprised to find that no one else is staying at the place and that the pets he saw sleeping at her home are actually stuffed and not alive. There are only 2 names in the register entered many months back. The story ends with the lady expressing that the 2 visitors she received the last year had been stuffed by her! This she reveals only after the poor victim is half-way through his cup of tea. This story is funny but goofy.