Roald Dahl is, needless to say, best known as the author of books for children. This collection of short stories is easy on the whizzpopping, frumpets, and strawbunkies, but his subtly sinister grown-up world is equally enthralling.

The beauty of Dahl’s short stories is his innate talent for saying the most when he says nothing at all. Massive chunks of story line are told through every ellipsis, of which there are many. Rather than telling you exactly what is happening, Dahl creates the setting, throws in a few hints about his characters, and leaves you to deduce the rest.

Another aspect that makes these stories so enjoyable is his ability to impart a sense of impending doom for every character. They may have sinned, have misbehaved, but when their comeuppance comes a-calling, we cringe and gasp as they are served their just desserts.

Kiss Kiss also features the short story The Champion of the World, a precursor to his novel Danny, the Champion of the World. Re-reading the story with an adult edge, discovering where those notions and words were conceived, was like reading Danny for the first time all over again.

Though it is not part of this collection, you can read Dahl’s short story The Man From the South here. It’s a personal favourite and if you’ve seen Tarantino’s section of Four Rooms, you may well recognise it.

Book #24: ★★★★★

Perfume is the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, an orphan of 18th Century Paris. Rejected by many a wet maid, the solitary outcast finds his way through life as an apprentice and wanderer. His superior sense of smell soon leads him into the beguiling world of perfumery, with myriad consequences.

Süskind’s refreshing omnipresent narrator is not afraid to change angles, focusing on the story from a different character’s viewpoint. Similarly, when characters move in and out of the protagonist’s life, their sub-story is tied up, satisfying our curiosities and allowing us to move on with Grenouille. When events take place that involve him, it is often not mentioned explicitly but, through the eyes of our demi-protagonists, we can deduce his involvement.

Despite his incontrovertible aromatic talents, the ogre-esque Grenouille is an odourless outcast and near-servant whose passions are distilled into something more sinister. His homicidal tendencies are no secret (its subtitle is “The Story of a Murderer”), yet Süskind paints Grenouille with such subtle nuance that his actions never appear threatening, nor could we describe Grenouille as a sympathetic character.

True to its name, the book is replete with olfactory visions and odorous descriptions of the world that surrounds Grenouille. Guiding us through a sensory experience of life in Paris and beyond, Suskind expertly weaves together a storyworld of aromatic brilliance.

Book #23: ★★★★★

Day 8
Wednesday was a day of transitions – first-week guests left and second-week guests had not yet arrived, and the Filmhouse was like a ghost town as everyone took off to watch the World Cup.

Feeling listless after transcribing interviews for hours (lots to come, keep an eye out!), I caught the 5pm screening of Bored to Death. The HBO showcase featured 3 back-to-back episodes of one of their newest and best shows. Adapted from a short novel from writer Jonathan Ames, it’s the story of a novelist, aptly named Jonathan Ames (Jason Schwartzman) who is struggling to write his second book. His girlfriend has just left him, so he turns to Craigslist, advertising himself as an unlicensed private investigator.

The charming series set in Brooklyn and Manhattan co-stars Zach Galiafinakis and Ted Danson, and just wrapped its second season which will screen this autumn in the US. After the screening, Mr Ames was present to field questions from the audience. He discussed his previous work as an author and teacher and his transition into television. A film based on his novel, The Extra Man, is also screening at the festival. Look out for it!

It was a quiet day from there on out – I caught up with a few groups of friends for a drink and then dinner, and tottered off home for a well-deserved early night.

Day 9
Thursday was a little more eventful.

I began the morning with Ollie Kepler’s Expanding Purple World – a promising UK drama which the programme boasts as “Donnie Darko meets Billy Liar”. It’s a colourful film in which its protagonist, Ollie Kepler, is fascinated with star stuff. With beautiful colours and a strong first half-hour, it was a promising watch, but is a tough one to get through. Unfortunately it rather rambles through the middle, and loses track of its point as Ollie loses his marbles. Disappointing.

After work, I decided on a whim to catch a screening of the German picture My Words, My Lies – My Love, starring Daniel Brühl (Goodbye Lenin, Inglourious Basters) and acclaimed German actor Henry Hübchen. It’s a literary rom-com in which David (Brühl) goes from being a waiter to Germany’s biggest literary star – without ever writing a word. Though slightly predictable, it was an enjoyable film with plenty of giggles and an excellent cast. Good, light-hearted entertainment. Swiss director Alain Gsponer gave a Q&A session in which he discussed working with the stars of the film, the novel Lila Lila on which the film is based, and seeking distribution outside of Switzerland.

In the evening, I attended Nick Cave’s Irregular event held at Roxy Art House. Hosted by Canongate publishing house, the evening featured some poetry readings from the host Celena – whose work is both hilarious and sexy; a reading from BED; a performance from an excellent up-and-coming band who are currently called The Sea The Sea; and readings from Nick Cave from his upcoming novel. In association with EIFF, there were also screenings of 3 short films, including the hilarious award-winning The Archivist and a reading from Tilda Swinton. Not at all what I had anticipated, it was an unexpectedly excellent evening. There will be more Irregular events to come – I recommend you check one out.

As the festival begins to wind down, Day 10 (Friday) features Superhero Me and more.

As always, you can find my live updates on Twitter @robotnic.