Final caca

Una de las cosas buenas de Goodreads (seguramente lo mejor) es que a través de personas que vas conociendo aquí llegas a saber algo de libros como este, a los que, de otra forma, tal vez nunca le hubiese echado un vistazo.
Cuando leí la valoración de Xan lo apunté en mi lista de pendientes y enseguida me hice con un ejemplar. La historia es sorprendente y a las pocas páginas ya había soltado algunas carcajadas y tenía una sonrisa casi permanente durante su lectura.
Algunas de las valoraciones del libro critican lo que llegan a calificar de "cultura de la violación" y de humor de "sal gruesa", pero personalmente me ha gustado más que el típico humor inglés de otros autores, como Wodehouse con su famoso personaje Reginald Jeeves, que me parece bastante soso.
Las numerosas referencias sexuales están tratadas con el suficiente desenfado y desparpajo como para provocar más humor que escándalo pero, desde luego, los seguidores habituales de Roald Dahl se llevarán una buena sorpresa si esperan encontrar aquí algo como "Charlie y la fábrica de chocolate" o "James y el melocotón gigante".

Odd.

The nameless narrator has revealed snippets of the lovable, lascivious Uncle Oswald's life in other collections ("Taste" and "Switch Bitch"), but this is the only novel--brief though it is--dedicated solely to the diaries of "the greatest fornicator of all time."

I've said it once and I'll say it again, there is simply a shortage of good books focused on erotic humor. This story is rather a caricature of all sexual values that have ever existed. The story's main person, Oswald Cornelius (who is called "Uncle" because the whole story is quoted from his "diaries" by a nephew), is, according to Dahl, "the greatest rogue, bounder, connoisseur, bon vivant and fornicator of all time". He seems to get every lady, not regarding age or whatever else, into bed with utmost ease. This gentleman comes across a lot of absolutely ridiculous adventures that are all described in this wicked book.

This story takes place around 1912, when Oswald is barely seventeen. In spite of his young age, he is already a great diplomat and communicator. When he hears about a mysterious African Sudanese beetle that--when stamped to powder--increases a man's potency highly, he's the first to go on expedition to Africa and get hold of some of these beetles. He accomplishes his mission and gets back to Europe where he sells his "high-potency pills" at exorbitant prices to people from all over the world.

What struck me about him was that although he had a rule never to sleep with a woman more than once, he was remarkably equalitarian in his relations with a partner. When he meets the beautiful Yasmin Howcomely, she becomes an equal partner in his ventures. They sleep together twice, but there are no regrets that the relationship does not continue. Oswald never "uses" a woman for pleasure, he merely enjoys the company they give, never forcing more than is desire by the woman.

The life of a commercial sperm broker has a few surprises even for a sophisticated bon vivant, and Dahl manages his signature sting-in-the-tail ending even in one of his lightest comic works. I can absolutely recommend this book for anyone who likes a very lucid and deliciously weird story.


Book Details:

Title My Uncle Oswald
Author Roald Dahl
Reviewed By Purplycookie