Poison (story)
"Poison" is a short story written by Roald Dahl that was originally published in June 1950 in Collier's.
Plot summary
The story is set in
After the initial panic, Ganderbai inquires whether Harry is certain that there actually was a snake. Harry, believing that Ganderbai is calling him a liar, calls the doctor names including racial slurs and shouts at him. As Ganderbai walks out of the room, Timber thanks him and apologizes for Harry's behavior. Timber tells him not to listen to Harry because of the chloroform that has changed the way he acts. When Dr. Ganderbai walks out of the home he tells Timber the only thing Harry needs is a good holiday.[1]
Adaptations
In 1950, it was adapted for the radio programme Escape. In 1958, it was turned into an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, directed by Alfred Hitchcock himself.[2] In 1980, it was adapted as the fifth episode of the second series of Tales of the Unexpected.[3] Director Wes Anderson in 2023 adapted the story as a short film for Netflix,[4] starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Harry, Dev Patel as Timber, and Ben Kingsley as Dr. Ganderbai.
References
- ISBN 978-1-55742-013-8. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
- ISBN 978-1-57806-562-2. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
- ^ ""Tales of the Unexpected" Poison (TV Episode 1980) - IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ "Wes Anderson Speaks Out Against Roald Dahl Book Censorship in Venice". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 3 August 2023.