Roald Dahl, the UK’s number 1 storyteller of all time according to a 2017 poll, diverges from children’s stories with macabre short story “Skin”, an unexpectedly dark story that sets the mood for Halloween. 

Drioli is an old man who has lost nearly everything, but when he passes by an art gallery, the sight of a single painting makes his memories come rushing back. Drioli reminisces about Soutine, a boy he adored for his beautiful paintings and their shared hometown. Soutine, an unhappy rebel at heart, leaves while Drioli is gone in WWI, but not before he leaves a permanent reminder of his art on Drioli. One celebratory night, Drioli, a tattoo artist, convinces Soutine to paint a masterpiece on his back and tattoo over it. 

But then, Drioli loses his wife, Josie, to WWII, and his business and the life he’s built quickly follows without her. However, when he sees the painting in the art gallery and remembers Soutine—a now acclaimed artist boasting many highly-sought after pieces—the memory of his old life, his old friend, and the art he left on him sparks something: a craving to be closer to that old life once more. 

But when he enters the gallery and proves that he ‘deserves’ to be there, desperate to be close to the art he once cherished so much, again, the story takes a quick dark turn. Drioli’s desperation is evident—just as much as his physical weakness after losing everything. He’s offered a dangerous deal, but it’s one that sounds like heaven in his state. The chilling decision to make is a heavy one. 

Although controversial, potential reasons for why Roald Dahl was voted the top storyteller of all time in the UK are clear in the “Skin”. Despite the story’s length limiting it, Drioli’s character and life are well developed. Roald Dahl delivers powerful themes of greed, classism, and objectification through a story that explores the cruelty that something as beautiful as art can inspire.