Penguin Random House holds the rights to Dahl’s adult works. They frequently release digital editions. Searching for "Roald Dahl Someone Like You eBook" directly on their website will often lead to DRM-protected files that can be read on any major device.
"Taste" is one of Roald Dahl’s most celebrated adult short stories, originally published in the collection Tales of the Unexpected (1953). Unlike his famous children's books, this story deals with the dark side of human nature, specifically pride, deceit, and class rivalry.
The Plot Summary The story takes place at a dinner party hosted by Mike Schofield, a wealthy stockbroker. The guests include the narrator and a guest named Richard Pratt, a pretentious and arrogant wine connoisseur.
Mike and Pratt have a standing bet regarding Mike’s wine cellar. Each dinner, Pratt attempts to guess the vineyard and vintage of the wine being served. On this particular night, the stakes are raised significantly. Pratt bets that he can identify the specific origin of the wine being served with the fish. If he wins, he gets to marry Mike’s eighteen-year-old daughter, Louise; if he loses, he must hand over both his houses to Mike. roald dahl taste pdf
As the tension mounts, Pratt analyzes the wine with excruciating detail, noting the geography, the year, and the vineyard. Just as he prepares to deliver his final verdict, the family maid interrupts the gathering. She approaches Pratt and hands him a pair of spectacles, which he had inadvertently left in the study earlier that evening—right next to the decanted wine. The implication is clear: Pratt had cheated by sneaking a look at the label, and his "expertise" was nothing but a sham.
Themes and Analysis
The title is ironic. While "taste" refers to wine, it also refers to judgement. Pratt has a brilliant physical palate but zero ethical taste. Schofield has financial taste but no paternal instinct. The real "taste" in the story is the reader’s—the ability to taste the bitter irony in the final paragraph. Penguin Random House holds the rights to Dahl’s
The good news is that “Taste” is widely available. You do not need to pirate it. Here are the best legal options to get the story in digital format:
1. Buy the Kindle or E-book edition The most direct route is to purchase Someone Like You (Vintage Digital). It is usually priced between $9.99 and $13.99. You can read the Kindle version on your phone, tablet, or computer—no physical book required. This is the highest quality version with the original text intact.
2. Check your Library (Libby/Overdrive) If you want a free PDF-like experience, download the Libby app. Enter your local library card number. Search for “Roald Dahl Someone Like You.” You can borrow the e-book for 14-21 days and read it in the app. You can even export it to your Kindle. "Taste" is one of Roald Dahl’s most celebrated
3. The Complete Short Stories Collection If you are a collector, pick up The Complete Short Stories of Roald Dahl (two volumes). It is worth the investment. “Taste” is in Volume One.
Published in 1945 (and later collected in Someone Like You), “Taste” is a masterclass in tension. The plot is deceptively simple:
A wealthy food connoisseur, Richard Pratt, is famous for his arrogance and his palate. During a dinner party at a London townhouse, Pratt makes a bet with the host, Mike Schofield. The wager? Pratt claims he can identify not just the vintage, but the specific château and year of a Bordeaux wine served blind.
The stakes start at a case of claret, but soon escalate to something far more dramatic: two years of Mike’s daughter’s salary or even her engagement ring. As a third-party guest narrates, we watch Pratt go through his theatrical ritual—swirling, sniffing, and sipping—while Mike grows visibly ill.
Dahl does something brilliant here. He doesn’t write about murder or monsters. He writes about humiliation. The monster in this story is ego, and the weapon is a glass of red wine. The final twist is one of the most beautifully cruel endings Dahl ever wrote.