Kiss Kiss is a collection of short stories by Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...

, first published in 1960 by Alfred Knopf

Alfred Knopf

Alfred Knopf is the name of:*Alfred A. Knopf, Sr. , founder of Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., the publishing company*Alfred A. Knopf, Jr. , son of Alfred A. Knopf, Sr.*Alfred A. Knopf or Knopf Publishing Group, subsidiary of Random House...

. Most of the constituent stories had been previously published elsewhere.

It contains the following short stories:

• "The Landlady
  The Landlady
  The Landlady is a short story by Roald Dahl.-Plot summary:The story focuses on a young and bright man named Billy Weaver who has just stepped into the world of work. Arriving in Bath for a business trip, he looks for a place to stay, and is recommended to the Bell and Dragon...
  
  "
• "William and Mary
  William and Mary (short story)
  "William and Mary" is a short story by Roald Dahl, included in his 1960 collection Kiss Kiss. It was later adapted into episodes of Way Out and Tales of the Unexpected.-Plot summary:...
  
  "
• "The Way Up to Heaven
  The Way Up to Heaven
  "The Way Up to Heaven" is a macabre short story by Roald Dahl, included in his 1960 collection Kiss Kiss. It was originally published in the 27 February 1954 edition of The New Yorker.-Plot summary:...
  
  "
• "Parson's Pleasure
  Parson's Pleasure (short story)
  Parson's Pleasure is a short story written by Roald Dahl, first published in the April 1958 issue of Esquire. It is included in Dahl's 1960 short story collection Kiss Kiss.-Plot summary:Mr Cyril Boggis is an antique dealer in Chelsea, London...
  
  "
• "Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat
  Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat
  "Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat" is a story by Roald Dahl which first appeared in the 1959 issue of Nugget.-Alfred Hitchcock Presents Version:...
  
  "
• "Royal Jelly"
• "Georgy Porgy"
• "Genesis and Catastrophe: A True Story
  Genesis and Catastrophe: A True Story
  "Genesis and Catastrophe: A True Story" is a short story written by Roald Dahl included in his 1962 book Kiss Kiss. It is a fictionalized account based upon a true historical incident. It is also known as "A fine son".-Plot summary:...
  
  "
• "Edward the Conqueror
  Edward the Conqueror
  "Edward the Conqueror" is a short story written by Roald Dahl and first published in the 31 October 1953 issue of The New Yorker.-Plot summary:...
  
  "
• "Pig
  Pig (short story)
  "Pig" is a macabre short story by Roald Dahl that was published in Dahl's 1960 collection Kiss Kiss. The world it presents is one that is cruel and violent...
  
  "
• "The Champion of the World"

Without becoming horror, these are some of Dahl's most macabre stories. Delicately, the naive punish the wicked, but also the other way around.

Most of the stories are presented as typical narratives, albeit with imaginative characters. The horror of each story is built around implication, and many horrific endings, involving death or unpleasant situations, can only be implied, since nothing is directly stated.

"The Champion of the World" is a condensed version of the story that would become Dahl's 1977 children's book, Danny the Champion of the World.

Editions

• Knopf
  Alfred A. Knopf
  Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. is a New York publishing house, founded by Alfred A. Knopf, Sr. in 1915. It was acquired by Random House in 1960 and is now part of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group at Random House. The publishing house is known for its borzoi trademark , which was designed by co-founder...
  
  , New York, 1960, 309 pp
• McCleland, Toronto, 1960
• M. Joseph, London, 1960, 255 pp
• Hayakawa, Japan, 1961, Paperback
  Paperback
  Paperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
  
  , Japanese as Tales of Menace 1
• Dell
  Dell Publishing
  Dell Publishing, an American publisher of books, magazines and comic books, was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte, Jr.During the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, Dell was one of the largest publishers of magazines, including pulp magazines. Their line of humor magazines included 1000 Jokes, launched in...
  
  :F128, New York, 1961, 288 pp, Paperback
  Paperback
  Paperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
  
  
• Bonnier, Stockholm, 1961, Swedish as Puss puss
• Penguin
  Penguin Books
  Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
  
  :1832, Harmondsworth, 1962, 233 pp, Paperback
  Paperback
  Paperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
  
  , ISBN 0-14-001832-8 (1973 reprint)
• Feltrinelli, Milano, 1964, 276 pp, Italian as Kiss Kiss: 11 storie macabre (con humour)
• Rowohlt
  Rowohlt
  Rowohlt Verlag is a publishing house based in Reinbek and also Hamburg and Berlin, part of the Georg von Holtzbrinck Group . The company was created in 1908 in Leipzig by Ernst Rowohlt.- Parts of the company :* Kindler Verlag...
  
  , Reinbek, German as Küßchen, Küßchen