The Wish (A Roald Dahl Short Story) — Content Guide for Parents
Themes present
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Content themes
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Religious themes
PRESENTContains references to prayer and church attendance. A minister character plays a supporting role in two chapters.
About this book
The Wish is a short, sharp, chilling story from Roald Dahl, the master of the shocking tale
In The Wish, Roald Dahl, one of the world's favourite authors, tells a sinister story about the darker side of human nature. Here, an imaginative boy plays a game that quickly gets out of hand . . .
The Wish is taken from the short story collection Someone Like You, which includes seventeen other devious and shocking stories, featuring the wife who serves a dish that baffles the police; a curious machine that reveals the horrifying truth about plants; the man waiting to be bitten by the venomous snake asleep on his stomach; and others.
'The absolute master of the twist in the tale.' (Observer )
This story is also available as a Penguin digital audio download read by the sublime Stephen Mangan.
Roald Dahl, the brilliant and worldwide acclaimed author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and many more classics for children, also wrote scores of short stories for adults. These delightfully disturbing tales have often been filmed and were most recently the inspiration for the West End play, Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales by Jeremy Dyson. Roald Dahl's stories continue to make readers shiver today.
Frequently asked questions
Is The Wish (A Roald Dahl Short Story) appropriate for a 7-year-old?
No explicit violence is described in the book 'The Wish'. The narrative is characterized as chilling and suspenseful, but there are no indications of physical violence between characters. The story is described as chilling and suspenseful, indicating elements that could be considered scary, particularly as it explores the darker side of human nature. However, the specific details of what may be frightening are not elaborated in the search results.
Does The Wish (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have violence?
No explicit violence is described in the book 'The Wish'. The narrative is characterized as chilling and suspenseful, but there are no indications of physical violence between characters.
Does The Wish (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have scary content?
The story is described as chilling and suspenseful, indicating elements that could be considered scary, particularly as it explores the darker side of human nature. However, the specific details of what may be frightening are not elaborated in the search results.
Does The Wish (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have religious themes?
No religious content in the book itself. The search results mention Roald Dahl's background and opinions on religion but do not indicate any religious themes or practices in 'The Wish'.
Does The Wish (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have racial/cultural content?
No explicit racial themes or discussions are present in 'The Wish'. The search results do not indicate that race is a central theme or plot point in this story.
Does The Wish (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have profanity?
No profanity is present in 'The Wish'. The search results do not mention any inappropriate language or swearing in the context of this story.
Does The Wish (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have climate change?
No climate themes or environmental discussions are present in 'The Wish'. The search results do not indicate any content related to climate issues.
Does The Wish (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have sexual identity?
No sexual content in 'The Wish'. The search results reference other works and films with sexual themes but do not indicate any such content in this specific story.
Does The Wish (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have gender roles?
The book does not actively discuss or critique gender roles. The search results focus on other works by Roald Dahl and general discussions about gender but do not indicate any specific content related to gender roles in 'The Wish'.
Does The Wish (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have lgbtq+ themes?
No LGBTQ+ themes or characters mentioned in the book 'The Wish'. The search results focus on general discussions about LGBTQ+ literature and do not provide any specific content related to this story.
