100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

Thanks for supporting our 100% NZ-owned independent bookstore ❀️ Open Sat & Sun until 5pm

Cruelty

By Roald Dahl
Series: Penguin Picks
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.68 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 1,250 ratings, 144 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Cruelty by Roald Dahl is a collection of short stories that delves into the darker aspects of human nature and morality. Each tale explores themes of vengeance, betrayal, and the unexpected twists of fate, often highlighting the thin line between harmless pranks and intentional malice. The stories are engaging and thought-provoking, showcasing Dahl's unique blend of macabre humour and sharp insight into the human psyche.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of Cruelty. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

If you enjoy gripping tales with unexpected twists and a focus on the darker aspects of human nature, this collection of Roald Dahl's stories might intrigue you. Known for their sharp narratives and clever surprises, these tales often explore the theme of cruelty in a thought-provoking manner, delivering a blend of suspense and wit.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Cruelty consists of ten creepy tales by the master storyteller Roald Dahl, included in the New Popular Penguin Picks.

'Cruelty has a human heart . . .'

Even when we mean to be kind, we can sometimes be cruel. We each have a streak of nastiness inside us. In these ten tales of cruelty, Roald Dahl explores how and why we make others suffer.

Among others, you'll read the story of two young bullies and the boy they torment, the adulterous wife who uncovers her husband's secret, the man with a painting tattooed on his back whose value he doesn't appreciate, and the butler and chef who run rings around their obnoxious employer.

Series: Penguin Picks

View all
  • The Brightest Star in the Sky
    From the bestselling author Marian Keyes comes an enchanting novel that intertwines romance, mystery, and the essence of human connection. The Brightest Star in the Sky takes readers on a journey through the lives of the residents of 66 Star Street in Dublin, weaving a tapestry of emotions and secrets that lie just beneath the surface. On a seemingly ordinary...
    By Marian Keyes
    Paperback
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The One Plus One
    The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes is now one of Eight New Popular Penguin Picks. One eternal optimist... Jess Thomas, with two jobs and two kids and never enough money, wears flip flops in the hope of spring. And when life knocks her down, she does her best to bounce right back. But no one told her it's okay...
    By Jojo Moyes
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Angels
    Another captivating bestseller from the superstar of women's fiction. 'I'd always lived a fairly blameless life. Up until the day I left my husband and ran away to Hollywood . . .' Unlike the rest of her family, Maggie Walsh has always done everything right. At thirty-three, she has a proper job, is happily married to Garv, and never puts...
    By Marian Keyes
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Fry Chronicles
    National Treasure - noun - someone or something regarded as emblematic of a nation's cultural heritage, such as Stephen Fry (OED 2010). Spanning 1979-1987, The Fry Chronicles charts Stephen's arrival at Cambridge up to his thirtieth birthday. 'Heartbreaking, a delight, a lovely, comfy book' β€” The Times 'Perfect prose and excruciating honesty. A grand reminiscence of college and theatre and...
    By Stephen Fry
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Cruelty
    Cruelty consists of ten creepy tales by the master storyteller Roald Dahl, included in the New Popular Penguin Picks. 'Cruelty has a human heart . . .' Even when we mean to be kind, we can sometimes be cruel. We each have a streak of nastiness inside us. In these ten tales of cruelty, Roald Dahl explores how and why...
    By Roald Dahl
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Black-Eyed Susans
    A twisted serial killer is among the Eight New Popular Penguin Picks. A chilling new thriller that gets into the heart and mind of the killer, and the victim... Seventeen-year-old Tessa, dubbed a Black-Eyed Susan by the media, became famous for being the only victim to survive the vicious attack of a serial killer. Her testimony helped to put a...
    By Julia Heaberlin
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241390795

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 25 July 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 15.0mm

Width: 111.0mm

Height: 180.0mm

Weight: 135g

Pages: 240

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books Roald Dahl Series: Penguin Picks

About the Author

Roald Dahl, the brilliant and worldwide acclaimed author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and many more classics for children, also wrote scores of short stories for adults. These delightfully disturbing tales have often been filmed and were most recently the inspiration for the West End play, Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales by Jeremy Dyson. Roald Dahl's stories continue to make readers shiver today.

Also by Roald Dahl

View all
  • Roald Dahl Complete Collection (16 Copy Slipcase)
    Roald Dahl Complete Collection (16 Copy Slipcase)
    Discover the wonderful world of Roald Dahl with the Roald Dahl Complete Collection (16 Copy Slipcase). This beautifully designed slipcase includes 16 of Roald Dahl's most beloved stories, providing endless hours of reading entertainment for children and adults alike. From the mischievous adventures of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to the magical tale of The BFG, Dahl's imaginative storytelling has...
    By Roald Dahl
    Paperback
    $13000
    Elsewhere:
    $16500
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Roald Dahl Puzzle Fantastic Mr Fox - 100pc Puzzles
    Roald Dahl Fantastic Mr. Fox 100-piece jigsaw puzzle. Packaged in a keepsake book-shaped box. Printed with vegetable-based inks. Ages 6+.
    100 Piece
    By Roald Dahl
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Roald Dahl Charlie & Chocolate Factory - 100pc Puzzle
    Roald Dahl Charlie & Chocolate Factory - 100pc Puzzle
    Enjoy the whimsical world of Roald Dahl with this 100 piece jigsaw puzzle featuring iconic scenes from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". Published by Abrams & Chronicle in 2020, this puzzle is a delightful addition to any fan's collection. With dimensions of 15.0 cm in length, 13.1 cm in width, and 3.4 cm in height, this puzzle is sure to...
    100 Piece
    By Roald Dahl
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Matilda (Colour Edition)
    Phizzwhizzing new cover look and branding for the World's NUMBER ONE Storyteller! Matilda Wormwood's father thinks she's a little scab. Matilda's mother spends all afternoon playing bingo. And Matilda's headmistress, Miss Trunchbull? Well, she's the worst of all. She is a big bully, who thinks all her pupils are rotten and locks them in the dreaded Chokey. As for Matilda,...
    By Roald Dahl
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Matilda
    The much-loved Roald Dahl story, updated for a whole new generation of readers with an exciting new interior design and cover look. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: you are not alone. Matilda is a brilliant child with a magical mind. But her parents have decided she's just a nuisance who wastes too much time on reading...
    By Roald Dahl
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • tonies: Roald Dahl - The Enormous Crocodile Tonie Audio Character
    tonies: Roald Dahl - The Enormous Crocodile Tonie Audio Character
    The Enormous Crocodile might like to eat children, but children love listening to The Enormous Crocodile. Let them pop him on top of their Toniebox and they’re set to dive into the delicious world of Roald Dahl, with all its wonderful wordplay and memorable characters. Oh, and tell your chiddlers not to worry – greed is never good, and there...
    5 years or older / School-age children
    By Roald Dahl
    $3499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Colour Edition)
    Phizzwhizzing new cover look and branding for the World's NUMBER ONE Storyteller! Mr Willy Wonka is the most extraordinary chocolate maker in the world. And do you know who Charlie is? Charlie Bucket is the hero. The other children in this book are nasty little beasts, called: Augustus Gloop - a great big greedy nincompoop; Veruca Salt - a spoiled...
    By Roald Dahl
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • My Mum is Magnificent
    Inspired by the wonderful world of Roald Dahl, this is the perfect Mother's Day gift. The perfect gift for your MAGNIFICENT mum this Mother's Day! A read-aloud, read-again rhyming board book that celebrates the brilliance of mums everywhere - ideal for parents and chiddlers to read and share together. Look out for more marvellous board books for titchy toddlers: My...
    By Roald Dahl
    Board book
    $1600
    Elsewhere:
    $1799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
    Phizzwhizzing new cover look for this iconic story by the World's NUMBER ONE Storyteller! Willy Wonka is the most extraordinary chocolate maker in the world, and he's given five children golden tickets to visit his famous chocolate factory. Augustus Gloop - a great big greedy nincompoop. Veruca Salt - a spoiled brat. Violet Beauregarde - a repulsive little gum-chewer. Mike...
    By Roald Dahl
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • James and the Giant Peach
    The much-loved Roald Dahl story, updated for a whole new generation of readers with an exciting new interior design and cover look. Bigger and bigger grew the peach, bigger and bigger and BIGGER. James and the Giant Peach follows James Henry Trotter as he embarks on the adventure of a lifetime. James lives with his awful Aunt Sponge and Aunt...
    By Roald Dahl
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Twits
    The much-loved Roald Dahl story, updated for a whole new generation of readers with an exciting new interior design and cover look. The Twits tells the tale of Mr Twit, a foul and smelly man who always has bits of cornflake and sardine in his beard, and Mrs Twit, who is scheming and sly, always thinking of the next horrible...
    By Roald Dahl
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • tonies: Roald Dahl - The Twits Book Tonie
    tonies: Roald Dahl - The Twits Book Tonie
    If your kiddo loves all things gruesome, it's time to introduce them to The Twits. All they have to do to enjoy this disgustingly funny tale is pop the Book Pocket Tonie on their Toniebox and get ready for Mrs. Twit’s endless scheming, Mr. Twit’s smelly, sardine beard and clever Muggle-Wump monkeys who are about to escape and put an...
    6 years or older / School-age children / 5 years or older
    By Roald Dahl
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

More from General Fiction

View all
  • The Wedding People
    'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people β€” but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...
    By Alison Espach
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Throne of Glass Box Set (Paperback)
    Enter the realm. Unleash the darkness. Live the legend. Discover the worldwide phenomenon of the #1 New York Times-bestselling Throne of Glass series in this gorgeous 8-book box set! In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Set
    $12400
    Elsewhere:
    $15500
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Goal
    Welcome to Briar U!Get ready for your newest obsession . . . Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy!Read The Goal now for the perfect forced proximity romance! She's good at achieving her goals . . . College senior Sabrina James has her whole future planned out: graduate from college, kick...
    By Elle Kennedy
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Score
    Welcome to Briar U! Get ready for your newest obsession... Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy! Read The Score now for the perfect friends with benefits romance! He knows how to score, on and off the ice... Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn't have...
    By Elle Kennedy
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Yesteryear
    A BOLD AND BITING SATIRE. WILL HAVE YOU GASPING TO THE FINAL PAGE β€” Nita Prose WICKEDLY FUNNY, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND FRIGHTENINGLY PERCEPTIVE β€” Abigail Dean INVENTIVE, ADDICTIVE, A WILD RIDE β€” Ashley Audrain SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR AND LACED WITH DARKNESS β€” Clare Mackintosh The Stepford Wives meets The Handmaid's Tale β€” Hannah Deitch My name was Natalie Heller...
    By Caro Claire Burke
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    The Ballad of Falling Dragons [Special Deluxe edition]
    The No.1 Sunday Times bestselling sensation When the Moon Hatched continues with the second book in The Moonfall Series, The Ballad of Falling Dragons… Raeve’s thirst for vengeance continues to burn, as does her love for Kaan Vaegor – a staunch beacon from a past she’s yet to face. With Rekk’s blood still fresh on her hands, she learns the...
    By Sarah A. Parker
    Hardback
    $5999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Dylan's Pick Dylan's Pick
    Theo of Golden
    THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON'For anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. Nothing is what it's supposed to be if love is not at the core.' One morning, a stranger arrives in the town of Golden. No one knows who he is or where he came from…His name is Theo and he's arrived there by chance –...
    By Allen Levi
    Paperback
    $2899
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    (5)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Golden Son
    ENDER'S GAME meets THE HUNGER GAMES in this, the second in an extraordinary trilogy from an incredible new voice.'I'm still playing games. This is just the deadliest yet.' Darrow is a rebel forged by tragedy. For years he and his fellow Reds worked the mines, toiling to make the surface of Mars inhabitable. They were, they believed, mankind's last hope....
    By Pierce Brown
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Mistake
    Welcome to Briar U! Get ready for your newest obsession . . . Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy! Read The Mistake now for the perfect second chance romance! He's a player in more ways than one . . . College junior John Logan can get any girl he wants....
    By Elle Kennedy
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Carl's Doomsday Scenario
    Join Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat Princess Donut as they fight fantastical creatures and deadly mobs in the second book in the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl series -now with bonus material exclusive to the print edition Now on the third floor, Carl and Donut have to fight harder than ever. They've already proven that a Coast Guard vet and once-and-forever...
    By Matt Dinniman
    Hardback
    $4699
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Project Hail Mary
    Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, the SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of The Martian, offers a gripping new adventure in hard science fiction. With endorsement from notable figures such as Barack Obama and a slew of five-star reviews, this novel promises a thrilling and intellectually stimulating journey. Ryland Grace, a lone astronaut, finds himself on a...
    By Andy Weir
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    (4)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    On Mystic Lake
    One of the greatest storytellers of our time - Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing Annie Colwater's only child has just left home for school in England. On that same day, her husband of twenty years confesses that he's in love with a younger woman. Left alone in the beautiful California house which was once a home, Annie...
    By Kristin Hannah
    Paperback
    $3100
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

General Fiction lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all