| "Mr. Botibol" | |
|---|---|
| Short story by Roald Dahl | |
| Publication | |
| Published in | More Tales of the Unexpected |
| Publisher | Penguin Books |
| Publication date | 1980 |
"Mr. Botibol" is a short story by Roald Dahl. Written in 1948, the story was not published until 1980, when it was included in Dahl's short story collection More Tales of the Unexpected .
Mr. Angel Botibol is a timid, middle-aged bachelor who feels he has achieved nothing in life. After selling his family business for £100,000 (equivalent to £542,000in 2023) and drinking heavily, Mr. Botibol pretends to conduct a radio performance of a work by Beethoven. Enjoying the experience, he constructs a miniature concert hall in his house where he conducts imaginary recitals to gramophone records. He also purchases a Bechstein grand piano with keys that do not emit musical notes when struck, fantasising that he is a great musician-composer as he "plays" the instrument. While purchasing the piano, he meets Miss Lucille Darlington, a fellow music-lover, who eventually accepts his invitation to play the role of pianist in a performance of Beethoven's Emperor Concerto . After the "concert", Lucille reveals that she is a piano teacher. The story ends with Lucille accepting Mr. Botibol's invitation to "perform" together again, saying "I've always wanted to be Horowitz. And could I, do you think, could I please be Schnabel tomorrow?" [1]
Although the main character bears the same unusual surname as the ill-fated protagonist of an earlier Dahl story, Dip in the Pool , the two stories are otherwise unrelated. Nevertheless, when these two stories were adapted for television's Tales of the Unexpected , the same actor, Jack Weston, played "Botibol" in both episodes. [2]
An independent short film loosely based on the story was released by Paisley Films in 2013. [3] [4]