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Roald Dahl
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Switch Bitch Paperback – January 1, 1989

by Roald Dahl (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 678 ratings
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These four stories are, by turns, funny, bawdy, touching, and outrageous. They are for lovers of tales that combine the macabre and the erotic with intriguing twists of plot.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    144 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Group USA
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1989
  5. Dimensions
    4.5 x 0.5 x 7.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0140041796
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0140041798
  8. See all details
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About the Author

Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was born in Wales of Norwegian parents. He spent his childhood in England and, at age eighteen, went to work for the Shell Oil Company in Africa. When World War II broke out, he joined the Royal Air Force and became a fighter pilot. At the age of twenty-six he moved to Washington, D.C., and it was there he began to write. His first short story, which recounted his adventures in the war, was bought by The Saturday Evening Post, and so began a long and illustrious career.

After establishing himself as a writer for adults, Roald Dahl began writing children’s stories in 1960 while living in England with his family. His first stories were written as entertainment for his own children, to whom many of his books are dedicated.

Roald Dahl is now considered one of the most beloved storytellers of our time. Although he passed away in 1990, his popularity continues to increase as his fantastic novels, including James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, The BFG, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, delight an ever-growing legion of fans.

Learn more about Roald Dahl on the official Roald Dahl Web site: www.roalddahl.com

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Group USA; Reprint edition (January 1, 1989)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 144 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140041796
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140041798
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.5 x 0.5 x 7.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 678 ratings

About the author

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Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl

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The son of Norwegian parents, Roald Dahl was born in Wales in 1916 and educated at Repton. He was a fighter pilot for the RAF during World War Two, and it was while writing about his experiences during this time that he started his career as an author.

His fabulously popular children's books are read by children all over the world. Some of his better-known works include James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox, Matilda, The Witches, and The BFG.

He died in November 1990.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
678 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Harry V. Cortez
5.0 out of 5 stars Was a great read for fellow seniors
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2022
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I knew of Roald Dahl, but was not familiar with his adult short stories until a senior resident at an assisted facility requested it of me, a volunteer to read it to him. It was a delightful experience reading "Switch Bitch" to my audience. The five stories covered a few of our human foibles in an ironic and black humorist style.
One person found this helpful
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Caitlin
4.0 out of 5 stars Great short stories
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2022
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The only reason I give this 4 stars is cuz the stories were good but not amazing lol the product itself is great! The book was nice quality and arrived super quick.
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Eric K.
5.0 out of 5 stars Dahl for Adults
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2011
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Until recently, I didn't realize that Roald Dahl -- the famous writer of such children's classics as  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , James and the Giant Peach , and the  Fantastic Mr. Fox  -- wrote adult-oriented stories as well. It was probably as surprising as when I found out Judy Blume wrote novels like  Wifey .

I decided to see what these stories were like and ordered SWITCH BITCH. SWITCH BITCH is a collection of four short stories of Dahl's. While I enjoy and appreciate the short story form, I typically don't read short story collections because too often I feel a bit cheated. I invest my time in getting to know the characters, begin to like and understand them, and then before I know it, the story ends and the characters are gone. Forever. This is not a reason to not read (or write) short stories, but it can sometimes be disappointing to a reader to get involved again and again with different characters so quickly.

The title of this short story collection comes from combining the titles of two of the included short stories: "The Great Switcheroo" and "Bitch." Also included are "The Visitor" and "The Last Act." "The Visitor" and "Bitch" are stories about the fictitious oversexed  Uncle Oswald . Apparently, Dahl wrote a lot of short stories involving this character's travels and exploits. "The Great Switcheroo" involves something of a Twilight Zone-like story where two men plot to have sex with the other man's wife without her knowledge. "The Last Act" involves a lonely widow who tries to move on after the death of her beloved husband.

There are consistent themes throughout the four short stories included in SWITCH BITCH. Each of the four short stories included in this collection have a bit of suspense to them. It's not in a thriller sort of way, mind you, but once I read one story and realized the technique Dahl was using to write each story, I found myself a bit hooked, very curious, and rushing toward the end to see what happens. Additionally, each story has a twist at the end, and I found myself trying to guess what was going to happen, much like an  O. Henry  short story. Lastly, each story introduces some sort of scientific theory that is relevant to the story. Whether they're true or not is anyone's guess, but they're interesting enough to believe for the sake of the plot.

Ironically, the introduction says that these short stories were originally published in -- of all places -- Playboy magazine; however, details of the sexual encounters are glossed over, and the narrator always says, "I won't bore you with the details..." or "I'm sure you can guess what happened next..." Hello, it's Playboy! I guess now I can honestly say that I read Playboy just for the articles.

I was quite entertained by Dahl's short stories in this small collection. So much so, that I'll probably look into buying and reading more. They really held my attention and seem to withstand the test of time.
18 people found this helpful
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Judith
3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2013
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This is a rather disappointing collection of four short stories. I'd expected more because My Uncle Oswald, Roald Dahl's novel for adults, was so funny and entertaining. The theme of all of the stories is sexual encounters that don't work out like the characters intended. The first story is an Uncle Oswald story, featuring Oswald finding himself as a houseguest trying to seduce his host's lovely wife and/or his beautiful daughter. This could have been a clever story, but it was too long and slow moving. It should have been half as long. In the second story a louse tricks his neighbor into switching beds in the middle of the night so they can have sex with one another's wife. The premise was not believable, but I kind of liked the way this didn't work out for him. The third story was a non story about a woman's first attempt at getting back into dating after the death of her husband. In the other stories the main character deserves the comeuppance he gets. This woman didn`t deserve what happened to her. The fourth story was another Uncle Oswald Story. In this one, Oswald has a drug that drives men into a sexual frenzy. That story was a dud. This book was good enough to finish, especially since it was short. However, I was sorry I bought it.
12 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2022
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Even though the twists were a bit predictable, Roald Dahl’s magnificent narrative, story telling and imageries makes you dive deep in the book and get lost in it.
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Ryan Leack
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have Short Story Collection
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2007
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This is quite possibly the most entertaining a hilarious collection of short stories I have ever read. Dahl's humor is flawless and he leaves you on the edge throughout every strangely sexual tale in this book. I didn't know what I was getting into when I began reading this for my Comedy in the United States class, but I have never read an author with more style and wit, comparable to Mark Twain, and who never failed to keep me interested throughout the entirety of this collection. It simply leaves you wanting more.
7 people found this helpful
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Isabella Roland
4.0 out of 5 stars 4 Stories that Leave You WTF'ing (In a Good Way)
Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2014
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1. The Visitor is perhaps the most interesting perspective I've read from in a long time. The narrator is a narcissist, a hypochondriac, and a player. In this story we are reading a man's diary that he has written in the first person of his chronicles of seduction. He has a fondess for all things elegant, unusual, and upperclass. Rarely do I meet such a character that I seemingly detest and admire at the same time. This short story will have you laughing, wondering, and feeling completely out of place in the world of Mr. Oswald Cornelius.

2. The Great Switcheroo is a short, funny read about two neighbors conspiring to have sex with each other's wives. With every detail carefully planned, their strategy is too foolproof to go wrong. This read will have you questioning your own performance skills for sure.

3. The Last Act portrays what it is like for a woman to lose her husband and everything else that made her life stable. It is fairly realistic in how she considers ending her own life on many occasions after her husband's death. The kicker to this story like most other's by Dahl is the horrific ending.

4. Bitch! What a tale! Now this one really caught me off guard. There have been many times when I questioned the affects of my perfumes on men. This story explores human sexuality in the most primal sense.
16 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Cliente Kindle
5.0 out of 5 stars Contos surpreendentes.
Reviewed in Brazil on December 6, 2018
Verified Purchase
Ótimos contos, aliá como todos os do Roald Dahl
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Didn’t expect that!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 5, 2020
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Well Roald is truly a master of words! I loved his books as a child. I watched a documentary on his life which said he wrote books that we for adults, not realising they were a little raunchy! If your not shy then give it a go, you have to appreciate the talent!
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hRIShIKESh Yadav
5.0 out of 5 stars An adult story book with unexpected twists.
Reviewed in India on October 26, 2018
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Every story is full of seductions and suspense. Go for it you would not regret.
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dairoku
5.0 out of 5 stars なんとも面白い！
Reviewed in Japan on October 26, 2020
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ダールの艶笑譚ですが、下品にならずウィットが効いているのはイギリス流！
やはり、短編の匠です。
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Oker
3.0 out of 5 stars good
Reviewed in Spain on November 13, 2014
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But not a patch on Kiss, kiss. Much less gripping and, I'm sorry to say, a little disappointing. Pity, I had been looking forward to reading something by Dahl I had not read before.
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