As the title says, this is a selection of thirteen short stories. Originally selected for teenagers, adults can enjoy the read. These are not the type of stories usually associated with Roald Dahl. These are for an older audience, but they do have elements that can be found in his kids’ books. The unusual names and strange situations.

The title story revolves around a machine that could possibly do away with writers. It is a machine that can be given the mere basics and then write a full-blown novel!

Another story, “Katina,” is about a little Greek girl. It is April 1941, during the Greek campaign. The RAF are fighting to push back the Germans. A couple of the soldiers found a little girl sitting on a pile of rubble staring. She had a wound and they took her to the Doc for treatment.

Communication was difficult, as she didn’t speak English. Luckily there was a Greek interpreter with the troops to help find out about her. When asked why she was sitting where they found her, she told them her family was under the rubble. Katina becomes a part of the division. The soldiers try to teach her English, give her shelter and food. This story is one that has stuck in my head. Dahl makes her so alive, and at the same time paints how harsh war is.

Some of the stories I’d read in “Kiss, Kiss,” which is another short story collection. Each story has a strange twist, and interesting characters. They also show the strength of Dahl’s writing in unusual ideas and character development. ( )

Thirteen short stories, written by Roald Dahl between the 40s and 1980.
Only one- Katina- isnt a "Tale of the Unexpected." Dahl returns to his experience as a WW2 pilot, describing the bombardment of Greece, and an orphan of war who becomes a member of the Unit.; the most emotional of the stories.
Elsewhere we have a wife with a passive-aggressive husband, coming out on top.....a dangerous landlady....some weird and creepy bets. Loved cheating Mrs Bixby, whose plan to "introduce" the costly fur her lover has given her into the home without awakening suspicion goes awry..
Very readable and entertaining. ( )

short stories. For adults. I enjoyed them very much. Psychological thriller, ironies, etc. Dahl has a very sharp mind and cutting wit. ( )

The Great Automatic Grammatizator is a collection of short stories by Roald Dahl. Published in 1997, it is known as The Umbrella Man and Other Stories in the US.

The book contains thirteen stories, The Great Automatic Grammatizator, Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat, The Butler, Man From the South, The Landlady, Parson's Pleasure, The Umbrella Man, Katina, The Way Up to Heaven, Royal Jelly, Vengeance is Mine Inc., Taste and Neck. These stories were selected specifically for a teenaged audience. All the stories were published elsewhere originally.

Most of the stories have unexpected endings. Some of them are quite macabre and bizarre.

The eponymous The Great Automatic Grammatizator was a disappointment. It couldn’t really generate the chilling effect it was going for.

Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat, Vengeance is Mine Inc. and Taste I don’t care much for.

The Butler is a really short story with a twist ending. I loved the way Dahl manages to create a real surprise ending with so little to go upon.

Man From the South is perhaps the most famous of Dahl’s stories. The ending is what makes this story special.

The Landlady and Parson's Pleasure are both re-reads for me and are good stories with twist endings.

The Umbrella Man is a humorous story with an unexpected ending. I enjoyed reading it.

Katina is the only story in the book without an unexpected ending or any surprise elements in it. It’s supposed to be sad and heart warming but I didn’t feel anything. It was long drawn and boring.

The Way Up to Heaven is a real macabre tale. I find it grisly in spite of the fact that Dahl never actually describes what happens to Mr. Foster. This is the only story of the book where the wife is being abused by the husband and not vice versa.

Royal Jelly was kind of creepy but felt a little rambling.

I enjoyed the narrative style of Neck. But the protagonist is once again a man being unfairly treated by a wicked woman and he ends up turning the tables on her. And once again after Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat, the entire introduction to the story is unnecessary and in bad taste.

I’ve read a few of the stories from this collection before. Some of the stories like Man From the South, The Way Up to Heaven and Neck are still as fresh as when I read them the first time. But others like The Landlady and Parson's Pleasure are definitely not the kind of stories you read for a second time. Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat, Vengeance is Mine Inc. and Taste, I barely skimmed through.

The language is somewhat odd at places. The Great Automatic Grammatizator and The Umbrella Man are kind of strangely narrated.

Dahl comes across as a bit of a misogynist at times. His Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat is a big example of that. Granted Mrs. Bixby got her just desserts but the entire prelude to the story was totally unnecessary. It was just in bad taste. The same goes with the story Neck. And the whole betting scene in Taste is just too ludicrous. Seriously, women are not inanimate objects or someone’s property. I don’t think people (at least decent people) bet on their female relations.

My favourite stories are Man From the South, The Umbrella Man, The Way Up to Heaven and Neck. The Butler and Royal Jelly are pretty good. The Great Automatic Grammatizator, Katina and Vengeance is Mine Inc., I found really dull. I really disliked Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat and Taste.

The Great Automatic Grammatizator and Other Stories is a good introduction to Roald Dahl’s writings for an adult audience. An overall satisfying collection of short stories. ( )

Original and entertaining teen stories from Cardiff's best known author. ( )