''Switch Bitch'' (1974) is a book of adult

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

by British writer Roald Dahl. Four stories, originally published in ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...

'' between 1965 and 1974, are collected. They are linked by themes of

rape by deception Rape by deception is a situation in which the perpetrator deceives the victim into participating in a sexual act that they would otherwise not consent to. Deception can occur in many forms, such as false statements or actions. Notable cases Un ...

: in each one some major act of cunning, cruelty, or hedonism underpins the sexuality. The book is notable for its introduction of the

Uncle Oswald Oswald may refer to: People * Oswald (given name), including a list of people with the name *Oswald (surname), including a list of people with the name Fictional characters *Oswald the Reeve, who tells a tale in Geoffrey Chaucer's '' The Canterb ...

character, a wealthy

hobbyist A hobby is considered to be a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure time. Hobbies include collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing sports, or pursuing oth ...

and gadabout who stars in both the first and last stories. (Although the first story seemingly presages his imminent decline and death.) He later appeared in Dahl's

comic novel A comic novel is a novel-length work of humorous fiction. Many well-known authors have written comic novels, including P. G. Wodehouse, Henry Fielding, Mark Twain, and John Kennedy Toole. Comic novels are often defined by the author's literar ...

for adults, ''

My Uncle Oswald ''My Uncle Oswald'' is a 1979 adult novel written by Roald Dahl. The novel stars Uncle Oswald, a character who previously appeared in " The Visitor" and " Bitch", two short stories also written by Roald Dahl (and which can both be found in th ...

''. Oswald is a male fantasy figure described as "the greatest fornicator of all time", his adventures recounted by a nephew who inherits his diaries and decides to edit them for publication. Despite the stories in ''Switch Bitch'' being dark and cynical in tone, the Oswald tales are also humorous and satirical, resembling crude comic anecdotes.

Contents and introductions

" The Visitor"

Wealthy gadabout Oswald Hendryks Cornelius is stranded in Cairo when a Syrian businessman picks him up by the side of the road and offers him a room for the night in his desert mansion. While there Oswald meets the man's wife and daughter, both of whom are extremely beautiful. A midnight liaison occurs and Oswald wonders whom it was he spent the night with, when the businessman reveals to him new information that could be fatal.

" The Great Switcheroo"

Two middle-class suburban men at a neighbourhood party devise a ruse whereby each can sleep with the other's wife, without either wife realising the deception. They compare sexual techniques beforehand, and one receives a rude awakening the morning after.

" The Last Act"

After being widowed a woman reconnects with the man she left for her late husband years ago. The man is a gynaecologist, recently separated, and unbeknownst to the woman still harbours a grudge for her breaking off their relationship. He begins to seduce her, and a terrible revenge ensues.

" Bitch"

Oswald Cornelius becomes entangled with a Belgian olfactory expert who claims to have discovered an eighth smell-related nerve that, when stimulated, unlocks certain aspects of human sexual experience. The expert develops a perfume to stimulate the nerve, causing chaos when it is exposed during a high society dinner for an American women's movement that Oswald is attending.

Reception

The stories have been criticised for their cruel and misogynistic elements. The central conceit of "The Last Act", in particular, has been described by Jeremy Treglown, Dahl's biographer, as having "no purpose as a mechanism other than to lead to a crudely sensationalist conclusion", and by British novelist Zoe Heller as describing "in obscene detail the rape of a menopausal woman by a gynecologist." In the same article for ''

The New Republic ''The New Republic'' is an American magazine of commentary on politics, contemporary culture, and the arts. Founded in 1914 by several leaders of the progressive movement, it attempted to find a balance between "a liberalism centered in hu ...

'' she commented generally on Dahl's later adult stories: "the sexual sadism is at its crudest and the “wit” at its most vestigial theyare almost unbearable to read." Despite this negative reception, the stories have also been praised. Alfred Hitchcock, for whose

television programme A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed bet ...

Dahl's story " Man from the South" was adapted, was fond of "The Visitor" and in later life recounted its plot on American talk shows as a dark joke.

References

{{Roald Dahl Short story collections by Roald Dahl 1974 short story collections Michael Joseph books Thriller short story collections Obscenity controversies in literature