Let's Bust a Recap : Roald Dahl

Well, I've gotten a couple more Dahls under my belt so it's time for a recap, but unfortunately, these are the first two of Roald's books that have fallen slightly flat for me. I read both of these aloud with my nephew, and they were funny but they're just not on the same level with the rest of his work. (At least his work that I've read so far.)

In Dahl's 1970 Fantastic Mr Fox, our titular character—Mr Fox—spends his days cleverly stealing from three loathsome farmers—Boggis, Bunce, and Bean—to feed his wife and four children. Eventually, the farmers get fed up with this and determine to kill Mr Fox, but he still manages to outsmart them by burrowing his way to their goods and continuing to steal from them to help his own family and all the other underground creatures to survive. The book ends with the three farmers sitting outside Mr Fox's hole still, waiting for him to surface so they can blow him to smithereens. 

In Dahl's 1990 Esio Trot—the last book to be published in his lifetime—our lonely protagonist Mr Hoppy comes up with a devious plot to win the heart and hand of his downstairs neighbor Mrs Silver, a widow he's been smitten with for years but has been too shy to ever do more than speak to her from his upstairs balcony. Mrs Silver's entire life centers around her small pet tortoise Alfie but she's concerned that he's not growing so Mr Hoppy convinces her to speak to Alfie in tortoise language three times a day to help him grow faster. (Tortoise language is just regular English backwards; hence "Esio Trot" is an anadrome of "tortoise".) She, of course, gives this a try but what Mr Hoppy actually does is steal Alfie and replace him with a slightly larger tortoise...which he continues to do until "Alfie" can no longer fit through the door of his little tortoise house and Mrs Silver realizes the "magic words" worked and is so delighted with Mr Hoppy that they get married. 

I mean, I think we can all agree that we're not out here reading Roald Dahl to learn any great moral lessons but can you see how these two might be a bit problematic? They're both silly and clever and certainly not meant to be taken seriously, but is it okay to steal from people if they're fat and ugly and stupid? Sure, it's in a fox's nature to hunt, but in Fantastic Mr Fox we've anthropomorphised him so it begs the question. And is it ever okay to trick a woman into marrying you by means of stealing her beloved pet? A living animal, I might add? Granted, Dahl assures us that the real Alfie ends up living happily ever after with a little girl called Roberta Squibb, but does Mr Hoppy ever come clean with Mrs Silver? And can a relationship based on deception possibly turn out all right? These books can provide a great jumping off point for some important conversations but for sheer entertainment value's sake? They miss the mark. 

So no, these wouldn't be the first Roald Dahl books I'd recommend, but if you're ready to have a low-pressure philosophical conversation with your child after a few laughs, these might be just the ticket. 

As for my journey through Dahl's work, I'm now over halfway through my lovely box set of his books and have six left to go. What should come next?

Let's Bust a Recap : Roald Dahl

Moving right along in my quest to discover the delights of Roald Dahl as an adult (since my only exposure to his work in childhood was watching Matilda with my best friend over and over again), this year I decided to hit two of his most beloved works: James and the Giant Peach and The BFG. And guess what: The Witches—which has been holding the #1 spot as my personal favorite since 2020—has been ousted by The BFG which immediately stole the coveted top spot as I read it aloud with my nephew this summer. 

I ended up reading Dahl's 1961 novel James and the Giant Peach in May. I've always been a bit uneasy about James and the Giant Peach after seeing just enough of the 1996 film adaptation as a child to really creep me out. (I think I pretended to fall asleep at my best friend's house one night shortly after she started the movie for us because I didn't like it.) But as it turns out, I think James and the Giant Peach may be the sweetest Roald Dahl novel I've read to date. That's not to say there are no scary elements to this story. It begins with poor James' lovely parents being eaten whole by an escaped rhinoceros on the rampage. James has to go live with his two nasty aunts, Sponge and Spiker, and they treat him abominably. Throughout the course of this fun novel, James ends up escaping his horrible aunts (who get their just deserts when the Giant Peach rolls over and crushes them) by climbing inside a magically altered peach and having the adventure of a lifetime with the seven magically altered insects also inside.

I loved our seven year old protagonist James Henry Trotter, and I loved how the magical insects befriended and cared for him. I couldn't help laughing and rolling my eyes at the obnoxious Centipede who bragged about his hundred legs (even though he actually only has 42) and the way the rest of the insects respond to his loud, bossy ways. Their escapades in crossing the Atlantic Ocean inside the Giant Peach were action-packed and a lot of fun to read about, and learning that James has settled in Central Park in the peach pit of the Giant Peach and has written this book himself in response to his fame was a satisfying ending.

Now let's talk about The BFG. Where to even begin? The BFG (short for Big Friendly Giant) was published in 1982 and is actually an expansion of a short story in Dahl's 1975 novel Danny, the Champion of the World (which is also in my box set but I haven't read it yet). Several of my friends who enjoyed Dahl in childhood said this was a favorite which is why it earned a spot on this year's book list, and when my brother and his family came for a visit last month, I sat down with my nephew on Night One of their visit and began reading this to him. 

We were both delighted. The story of the Big Friendly Giant kidnapping little orphan Sophie and taking her back to his cave after she accidentally observes him roaming the streets of England during the Witching Hour one night absolutely beguiled us. I carried The BFG around with me everywhere and we read a little more every chance we got. After Sophie realizes that the BFG truly is friendly—unlike the nine other ferocious giants he lives with—and has no intention of harming her, she learns that he spends his time catching dreams and giving the good dreams to sleeping children. The two of them come up with a plan to alert the Queen of England of the other man-eating giants and an ingenious plot to capture them so they can't eat any more human beans. 

I can't even tell you how much I enjoyed this lovely little novel. And reading it out loud with my five-year-old nephew elevated the experience one hundred percent. As he caught on to the BFG's silly way of speaking—since the BFG was never formally educated—his sudden interruptions to tell me, "Auntie Hannah, what he really means is this" delighted me to no end. And when we got to the chapter in which the BFG and Sophie have breakfast with the queen, my other nieces and nephew happened to be listening as well. When I tell you we all had a fit when the BFG whizpopped in front of the Queen (if you know you know), I'm telling you that is a memory that will bring a smile to my face for the rest of my days. I'm a little hesitant to watch the 2016 film adaptation because it could not possibly be as charming as the book, but I think I'll probably take the plunge and watch it soon.

All in all, two fabulous additions to my Roald Dahl repertoire. I have a hard time believing any of my remaining Roald Dahl books could displace The BFG as my favorite, but hey, we've still got eight more to go. 

Which two should I read next?

Let's Bust a Recap : Roald Dahl

A couple of years ago, my husband got me a colorful box set of sixteen of Roald Dahl's most loved children's books and thus began my journey of discovering the delight of Roald Dahl as a woman in my 30s. Children's lit is one of my favorite genres, and Matilda and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory were movies I watched over and over as a kid so I was excited to finally read the original words from one of the world's favorite authors for children. 

And thus far, I have not been disappointed. I started this venture reading The Twits and The Witches. Last year, I naturally selected Matilda and followed it with The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me. This year, it was a no-brainer to read the Charlie books so today we'll be talking all about Charlie Bucket and Wonka's wonderful chocolate factory. 

We first meet Charlie Bucket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which was originally published in 1964. Charlie and his poor parents and both sets of his ancient grandparents are struggling to stay warm and fed in their tiny shack of a house when Willy Wonka announces that he is inviting five children to come see his amazing chocolate factory which no one has been inside of for years. Charlie manages to win the fifth and final Golden Ticket and the next day, he and Grandpa Joe are on the adventure of their lives touring Willy Wonka's incredible factory. 

This was such a fun book, and I was tremendously pleased that the movie I grew up loving seemed to follow it so well. The horrid children who won the other four Golden Tickets were portrayed perfectly on screen. I haven't seen the newer remake starring Johnny Depp. Is it worth it?

We pick right back up with Charlie Bucket in the 1972 sequel: Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. To be honest, I had always assumed that they tried to squeeze this narrative onto the end of the movie I grew up watching because their ride in the Great Glass Elevator didn't quite seem to fit with the rest of the movie to me. But in fact, at the end of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, they are riding in the Great Glass Elevator, and in this super-fun sequel, we pick right back up in that same elevator. Charlie, his parents, and both sets of grandparents soon find themselves on a zany adventure in space when the elevator shoots into orbit. They manage to make it back to the chocolate factory only to accidentally minus Grandma Georgina when she takes too much of Wonka-Vite, a formula Willy Wonka's been perfecting for years to make people younger. 

I loved this follow-up to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, maybe even more than the first book. I think I liked it so much because I had no idea what to expect and the outrageous situations this little band of people found themselves in were so imaginative and wild and the solutions were clever. The Witches is still holding as my favorite Dahl book so far, but Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator is a very close second. 

Next year, I'm pretty set on reading James and the Giant Peach and The BFG, but if you'd like to recommend a different favorite, I'm all ears! 

Let's Bust a Recap : Roald Dahl

Well, I've decided to post my Roald Dahl recaps in twos, and on today's docket we have Matilda and The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me. 

After diving into the weird and wonderful world of Dahl last year with The Twits and The Witches, Matilda was the logical next choice for me having grown up watching the 1996 film adaptation starring Mara Wilson as the brilliant Matilda Wormwood. My best friend Amanda and I used to go around chanting Danny DeVito's condescending little monologue thinking we were hilarious.

Listen, you little wiseacre: I'm smart, you're dumb; I'm big, you're little; I'm right, you're wrong. And there's nothing you can do about it.

One of Roald Dahl's most beloved books, Matilda was published in 1988 and people have been voting it one of the best children's books of all time ever since. Opening his novel by explaining how mothers and fathers always think their own children are wonderful little geniuses despite any evidence to the contrary, Dahl then goes on to tell the story of Matilda Wormwood, a bonafide genius whose awful parents' can't be bothered with her at all. When Matilda starts to school under the atrocious headmistress Miss Trunchbull, she befriends her teacher Miss Honey who is amazed at Matilda's intellectual abilities, and after an extraordinary onset of powers, Matilda uses them to oust Miss Trunchbull.

Dahl had me laughing out loud straight out of the gate with his treatise on ridiculous parents and his thoughts on how he might behave if he were a teacher having to deal with such parents. I was enchanted with Matilda and her love for books, and I found myself cheering on the compassionate librarian Mrs. Phelps. Matilda's tricks on her neglectful and abusive parents were hilarious, and the retribution she finally doles out on Miss Trunchbull is altogether satisfying.  But by the very end of the book, even though Matilda and Miss Honey end up in a happily ever after together, I couldn't help feeling just a little sad for how awful Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood are and how they missed out on such a sweet daughter. Personally, I think the humor plays out a bit better on-screen where they're portrayed by the hilarious Danny DeVito and and Rhea Perlman. 

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me is a mere 73 pages long and tells the sweet story of Billy, who befriends the Ladderless Window-Cleaning Company (which is made up of the Giraffe, the Pelican, and the Monkey) after they buy the queer old wooden house not far from where Billy lives. Billy has always dreamed of one day owning the old house and restoring it to its former glory as a sweet-stop, and after an adventure with the Giraffe and Pelly and Monkey, the Duke of Hampshire, and a jewel thief, he eventually does get to fulfill his secret wish of running the sweet-shop. 

Published in 1985, this one kept me smiling at the antics of the Giraffe and Pelly and Monkey—especially all their clever little sing-songy rhymes. It was worth reading the whole book just for the Monkey's final farewell song to Billy (which I will feature on the blog on Wednesday). And the charming illustrations by Quentin Blake were a delight as usual. 

While The Witches is still holding as my favorite so far, both these books get my stamp of approval, and I'm looking forward to my next visit with Dahl. I think the two books featuring Charlie Bucket will be the next stop on my journey. 

What's your favorite Roald Dahl book?

Let's Bust a Recap : Roald Dahl

Today's post is a 2-for-1, a BOGO if you will, because I have finally read Roald Dahl, and I read both of these within a week of each other. 

Yes, I said finally. I grew up watching Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but I had never actually read a single book by Roald Dahl until just a few weeks ago. Because he has written some of the best-loved children's stories of the 20th century, he's been on my LIFE LIST for years, but because he has written so many hits I've always been a tad unsure of where to begin or which books I should add to my library. 

Well, my husband solved that problem for me by getting me a fun box set of sixteen of his books for my birthday, and my friend Courtney and her kids unanimously decided that I should begin with The Twits. So that's exactly what I did.

The Twits was originally published in 1980, and by that time, Dahl was already a well-known author of children's novels. In it, we meet the awful Mr. and Mrs. Twit who spend their days pulling nasty pranks on one another. They keep a family of pet monkeys called Muggle-Wumps which they also mistreat, and on Wednesday evenings they like to have bird pie for supper which they make out of the birds that Mr. Twit shoots after trapping them on his tree with Hug-Tight Sticky Glue. In this hilarious tale, the birds and the Muggle-Wumps finally give the Twits their comeuppance in one of the most delightfully funny endings ever. 

The idea for The Twits was triggered by Dahl's hatred of beards which he desired to "do something against." The beginning of the book goes into painstaking detail of how disgusting Mr. Twit and his enormous beard are. I think the fact that Dahl wrote an entire book solely because of his aversion to facial hair is almost as funny as the book itself. 

The Witches was published three years later in 1983, and I chose to read this one because my husband gave me the box set when it arrived (instead of making me wait till my birthday) and I thought The Witches would be fun to read on Halloween. (Spoiler: I was right.) In this one, we meet a little boy who has gone to live with his Norwegian grandmother after the death of his parents. The boy loves his grandmother and all her stories, but his favorite is the one about real witches. His grandmother warns him that witches live in every country in the world and it is their one goal in life to kill children. (Dahl's children's books are notoriously macabre and darkly comic, featuring villainous grown-up enemies of children.) When the boy and his grandmother uncover the Grand High Witch's evil plot to kill all the children in England (and eventually the world), they have to work together to stop it. 

The Twits was fun, but I loved The Witches. Both books were funny and a little dark, and I think I really would have enjoyed them when I was younger (especially The Witches). 2020 seems to be the year of children's classics for me, and I'm not mad at it. I usually incorporate children's books into all my reading lists, but this year in particular I seem to be reaching for all the books I missed out on as a kid. I read for the first time and fell in love with such gems as A Little Princess, Tuck Everlasting, Charlotte's Web, Ballet Shoes, and The Little Prince. Not to mention I read Pippi Longstocking for the first time in over 20 years and the entirety of James Herriot's Treasury for Children. It's definitely been a sweet reading year for me.

But back to the matter at hand: I would absolutely recommend Roald Dahl. I don't see how you could make it through a read-aloud with your kids without giggling your way through, and even if you don't have any kids in your life to read to, these are fun ones to giggle yourself through. I'm looking forward to diving into more of his work next year, and I think the next one I pick up has to be Matilda because I loved the movie when I was a kid. But if you want to suggest your favorite, let me know!

What's your favorite book by Roald Dahl? Do you read or re-read children's books when life starts to go sideways? What's one of your favorites?