Who doesn’t love a good murder “mystery”? I use the term mystery lightly when referring to this week’s story for Short Story Saturdays. Most of us (even those who aren’t avid readers) have probably heard of Roald Dahl. You know, the author of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, James & the Giant Peach, and The Witches. Of course, everyone has probably read or heard of one of the aforementioned books, but did you also know that Dahl wrote some interesting short stories, as well? Yep, he did! To be quite honest, I didn’t know this until I began teaching high school sophomore English. It was then that I discovered one of his short stories, “Lamb to the Slaughter.” It was even made into a video that premiered on Alfred Hitchcock Presents in 1958. So, what is this story about, you ask?
Short Story Saturdays (July 10)
Simple…Mary Maloney, pregnant wife of a police detective (who has apparently been having an affair and is planning on leaving Mary), comes home to find her husband has been murdered by a blow to the head. Hmmm…a good murder mystery is always popular, right? But what if I told you that the murder in this story isn’t a mystery? That’s right. We know who killed him. So…who was it? Why not read “Lamb to the Slaughter” and find out for yourself? Nope, I’m not going to reveal any more of the plot to you, but I will tell you that if you have never read this story, I highly recommend it. My students and I loved it! So, read it and comment with your thoughts on it.