A British poll has named Charles Dickens the second greatest storyteller of all time . . . after Roald Dahl.
I am not happy.
It's not the second place that bothers me. Second greatest of all time is not bad. And if Dickens had been second to, say, Shakespeare, I would have accepted it gracefully. But I don't like Dahl. I know, I know, everyone likes Dahl. But I don't. Yes, he was talented and creative, but I sense a sour, sadistic streak in him that puts me right off — unlike our warmhearted, life-affirming, endlessly enthusiastic Inimitable.
Still, this is a poll where Stephenie Meyer shows up and Jane Austen doesn't, so we shouldn't take it seriously anyway.
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