I was watching Shutter the other day when the trailers featured two movies made of so much awesome that any self-respecting geek would wet his pants just at the thought.

No further words needed.

I don’t like Christopher Tolkien, no. His works, in my opinion, are a mere shadow’s shadow of his great father’s original books. Of course, he’s just continuing JRR Tolkien’s work, but they still fall flat.

It’s a pity that JRR Tolkien died when he did. I would have loved to have the chance to shake his hand, and talk shop (stories) with him. Videos like these are the only avenues left for literary fanboys like me.

     The last story from "A Taste of the Unexpected" is a sweet, simple story brimming with all the out-of-this-world strangeness from Roald Dahl.

The story, titled "The Landlady," is weird right off the bat. Seventeen-year old Billy Weaver is new in the town / city (I’m not really sure) of Bath, and is walking the half-mile to the nearest pub when he encounters a small bed and breakfast that charges five and sixpence per night. The story evolves from there.

The idea of a bed and breakfast that wills you to go in is outright strange in itself; but as the story develops, the true nature of the old lady is developed, and all of a sudden, the tale goes from unsettling to downright frightening / creepy.

A point of interest is the names of the two other guests in the old lady’s guestbook. If Dahl had taken those names from real-life events or not remains a mystery, but as far as the story is concerned, both Christopher Mulholland and Gregory Temple are plot devices employed by Dahl.

Another interesting - and obscure - plot device is the hint of bitter almonds in the tea, a smell that can only be detected by very few people due to the olfactory senses required to detect the scent being a genetic trait. This plot device is one used sparingly in whodunit stories, and any familiarity with the bitter almond scent would clear up a huge part of the story for the reader.

And now, here is a treat: a copy of "The Landlady" in html format. Enjoy the wicked wit of Dahl in what I personally consider to be an exemplary finish for the short story collection.