Roald Dahl - Novelist, Screenwriter

[PvN73]

I loved his books growing up, they were just so fantastical and let your imagine run wild.

As an adult, his short stories are amazing. He was a brilliant writer with the most vivid and amazing imagination. I love his tales of the unexpected just mind boggling.


I would love to know what he thought of Tim Burton's adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I like to think he would have enjoyed it (I know I did) though he disowned the original one.


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Wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roald_Dahl



Roald Dahl died in November 1990 at the age of 74 of a rare blood disease, myelodysplastic anaemia (sometimes called "pre-leukemia"), at his home, Gipsy House in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, and was buried in the cemetery at the parish church of Saints Peter and Paul. According to his granddaughter, the family gave him a "sort of Viking funeral". He was buried with his snooker cues, some very good burgundy, chocolates, HB pencils and a power saw. In his honour, the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery was opened at Buckinghamshire County Museum in nearby Aylesbury.

[Ms. Black]

I love his books too. I remember reading "Matilda" over and over when I was a kid.

[FannyB1923]

I like to remember him as the kind compassionate husband of Patricia Neal, who while pregnant, had a stroke. There were lovely pictures of their home and the little ones in magazines at that time. It was sad when they split up and such a cliche at that- he was having an affair with her best friend. Phoo!

Mr. Dahl did Intelligence work in WWII. That doesn't surprise me- an intelligent gregarious fellow can find out all sorts of things! There's a new book out with anecdotes about what a playboy he was back in the day.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/0..._n_122817.html

[Ghoulie Girl]

He, along with Shel Silverstein are are always included in my Grades 3, 4 & 5 Language Arts Curriculum, great to see them both included in this forum!

[Mrs Tingles]

I loved his books growing up too. The BFG, witches, matilda, charlie, fantastic mr fox..the list goes on and on It was a sad day when he died. I wonder what he was like as a person? I've heard positive and negative things about him. I like to focus on the positive

[Guest]

I still love his stuff - recently watched 'James and the Giant Peach'

[kandykisses]

I love his stuff too. He was so imaginative. I loved Matilda too.

[JimC]

I loved his books growing up, they were just so fantastical and let your imagine run wild.

Never heard of him, P.

I will be looking into it; as he sounds like an author I would enjoy.

Wild imaginations...I think we share that with many people here.

[hoxharding]

I recall his short stories-like the one where the vegetarian eats meat. Then he ends up in a slaughter house and is slaughtered like a cow.
Then, the one where a wife looks at her husband who is just a brain and an eye(science experiement) She blows cigarette smoke in his eye.
Another one was about a boarding house and all the people who live there are dead and stuffed.

[Ms. Black]

I recall his short stories-like the one where the vegetarian eats meat. Then he ends up in a slaughter house and is slaughtered like a cow.
Then, the one where a wife looks at her husband who is just a brain and an eye(science experiement) She blows cigarette smoke in his eye.
Another one was about a boarding house and all the people who live there are dead and stuffed.

Yeah, along with all the classic children's stories he wrote, he was one freaky ass horror writer too.

[John Connor]

Apparently the character of Sophie in The BFG is based on his grand daughter Sophie Dahl, the model and writer. I read her autobiographical book, Playing With the Grown Ups. It wasn't bad.

[RubySlippers]

i liked the adaptation. it was true to the book. maybe that is why he didn't like the original. perhaps he woulda liked the Johnny Depp one more.

[Andrea]

I loved his books as a child and used to get one for my birthday. "Danny The Champion of The World" was a favorite. They were fun to read and there was always a dark undercurrent going on.

Andrea

[Demgirl]

I like to remember him as the kind compassionate husband of Patricia Neal, who while pregnant, had a stroke. There were lovely pictures of their home and the little ones in magazines at that time. It was sad when they split up and such a cliche at that- he was having an affair with her best friend. Phoo!

Mr. Dahl did Intelligence work in WWII. That doesn't surprise me- an intelligent gregarious fellow can find out all sorts of things! There's a new book out with anecdotes about what a playboy he was back in the day.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/0..._n_122817.html

I hate to be critical, he's a great writer with a fantastic imagination. But I read Patricia Neal's autobiography a few years ago, and she describes him as anything but nice.

While he stayed home during the years she was recovering from a stroke, he was not much help to her. He could be cruel and demeaning, often criticizing her for not recovering faster. He also ridiculed and humiliated her, growing impatient with her recovery (she was the breadwinner in the family, and the longer she was out of work, the more time he had to spend writing and selling stories).

He ended up screwing around with the caregiver he hired to take care of PN and later their children when she returned to the US to work. IIRC he ended up eventually leaving PN for the nurse and turned the younger children against PN.

Overall, my impression was that he was a lot like the Gene Wilder character in Willy Wonka. Cruel, strange and manipulative.

[tuesdays_jupiter]

Roald Dahl is my hero. . . nuff' said!

[Nessa]

I'm ashamed to say I've only read James and the Giant Peach, although I have an old hardbound copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory I need to read!

[GoldwynGal]

I have heard similar stories about him. I guess sometimes it better to not know what your heroes are really like.

I've found that the most creative, fascinating and talented people are generally the biggest assholes or the most damaged creatures on earth. I've no doubt that the same thing goes for children's authors. Mr. Dahl was probably not any exception, assuming there is truth to the stories. Luckily most of the kids he fascinates will never know.

[KarmaKat]

I think we just always have this impression of our childhood idols (whether it be athletes, authors, actors, firemen etc) as super sweet, candy giving all round nice guys.
Unfortunately this is not always the case. Childhood naivity is what childhood is all about. As long as the kids never hear the bad parts everything will be lollipop kisses and rainbows.

[DeadRinger]

I recall his short stories-like the one where the vegetarian eats meat. Then he ends up in a slaughter house and is slaughtered like a cow.
Then, the one where a wife looks at her husband who is just a brain and an eye(science experiement) She blows cigarette smoke in his eye.
Another one was about a boarding house and all the people who live there are dead and stuffed.

That's his collection of short stories called Kiss Kiss. The stories are Pig, William And Mary and The Landlady.

Read his short story Genesis And Catastrophe (Google it, you'll find a copy) and then tell me this man wasn't a genius.

[Long Gone Day]

I hate to be critical, he's a great writer with a fantastic imagination. But I read Patricia Neal's autobiography a few years ago, and she describes him as anything but nice.

While he stayed home during the years she was recovering from a stroke, he was not much help to her. He could be cruel and demeaning, often criticizing her for not recovering faster. He also ridiculed and humiliated her, growing impatient with her recovery (she was the breadwinner in the family, and the longer she was out of work, the more time he had to spend writing and selling stories).

He ended up screwing around with the caregiver he hired to take care of PN and later their children when she returned to the US to work. IIRC he ended up eventually leaving PN for the nurse and turned the younger children against PN.

Roald..Dahl..is..one..of..my..favorite..writers...and..one..whose...extensive
body..of..work..does..not..get..the..recognition..it..deserves.....He..is..also
a..favorite..of..my..father..who..ironically..is..currently..in....
the..hospital...(over..Thanksgiving..and..now..it..looks..like..Christmas)
with..the..same..disease..as..Roald.....Myelodisplastic..Anaemia.....His
platelet..count..continues..to..drop..to..9,000..and..they..have..been
giving..him..plasma..transfusions.......He..continually..talks..about..My.
Uncle..Oswald..so..I..have..brought..him..the..book..so..he..can..reread..
the..story..that..gave..him..so..much..joy.....My..father..is..also..a..severe
bi-polar..but..a..creative..genius..and..treated..my..mother..in..much..the
same..way..as..Roald..treated..Patricia..Neal....It..tore..our..family..apart
but..I..have..been..taking..care..of..him..since..2003..when..I..rescued..him
from..Elmira..State..Psychiatric..Hospital..and..brought..him..down..here
to..live..with..me..until..he..was..too..ill.to..stay..in..an..apartment....I..
wonder..if..Roald..also..might..have..been..bi-polar.....I..love..my..father
very..much..
.
.
.
.

Overall, my impression was that he was a lot like the Gene Wilder character in Willy Wonka. Cruel, strange and manipulative.

[Elizabeth]

I think we just always have this impression of our childhood idols (whether it be athletes, authors, actors, firemen etc) as super sweet, candy giving all round nice guys.
Unfortunately this is not always the case. Childhood naivity is what childhood is all about. As long as the kids never hear the bad parts everything will be lollipop kisses and rainbows.

Orenthal James Simpson comes to mind here.....when I was growing up, the Juice was Da Man, doing the Avis commercials running through the airport, making "Towering Inferno" and generally being a great guy.....

I am sure Nicole would disagree.....

[Jangles]

I recall his short stories-like the one where the vegetarian eats meat. Then he ends up in a slaughter house and is slaughtered like a cow.
Then, the one where a wife looks at her husband who is just a brain and an eye(science experiement) She blows cigarette smoke in his eye.
Another one was about a boarding house and all the people who live there are dead and stuffed.

I remember reading those short stories, we had a hardcover edition of his stories when I was growing up. I wish I still had it.

I remember one about a wife who killed her husband using a frozen leg of lamb. The cops arrived shortly afterwards and she invited them to stay for a meal since the leg of lamb might otherwise go to waste. As they were eating one of the cops said, "The evidence is probably right under our noses," or words to that effect. I thought it was absolutely hysterical.

The one about the man being a living brain and eye creeped me out at the time! I'd love to re-read it, as well as some of the other stories in that book.

[pattykad]

I hate to be critical, he's a great writer with a fantastic imagination. But I read Patricia Neal's autobiography a few years ago, and she describes him as anything but nice.

While he stayed home during the years she was recovering from a stroke, he was not much help to her. He could be cruel and demeaning, often criticizing her for not recovering faster. He also ridiculed and humiliated her, growing impatient with her recovery (she was the breadwinner in the family, and the longer she was out of work, the more time he had to spend writing and selling stories).

He ended up screwing around with the caregiver he hired to take care of PN and later their children when she returned to the US to work. IIRC he ended up eventually leaving PN for the nurse and turned the younger children against PN.

Overall, my impression was that he was a lot like the Gene Wilder character in Willy Wonka. Cruel, strange and manipulative.

That's what I remember about him too.

[deathpool]

I loved some of the adaptations of his books on tv. The Wiches with Angelica Heuston & Danny the Champion of the World with Jeremy Irons. I thought they were good.

[hoxharding]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southeast...oalddahl.shtml

[hoxharding]

There is a website for a Roald Dahl Day and they have free downloads(calendars and a few things like that)

http://www.roalddahlday.info/Treats.aspx

[Bidmor]

Back around 1970 or so there was a syndicated half-hour show that was aired after the late news on Sunday nights. I don't recall the entire title but it was Roald Dahl's something or other...fascinating stories.

I remember an episode and I believe it was from that series. The story is set in the 1800's in a rural European county house. A poor couple is about to become parents and a doctor is summoned. Their names are never mentioned. The father is drunk and abusive. The birth is difficult but successful and the baby is a boy. The final scene is the clincher. The doctor rangles the father long enough in order to fill out the birth certificate. As I recall, it went like this...
Doctor: What is to be the child's Christian name?
Father: Adolph
Doctor: ...and your surname is?
Father: Hitler

[Heavenly Tiger]

Beautiful woman. Him and her in happier times I guess.

[suzycreamcheese1]

That's his collection of short stories called Kiss Kiss. The stories are Pig, William And Mary and The Landlady.

Read his short story Genesis And Catastrophe (Google it, you'll find a copy) and then tell me this man wasn't a genius.

[suzycreamcheese1]

kiss kiss is one of my faves

[Mansfield67]

Watch the film To Olivia about their life together. He could be very cruel.

[theotherlondon]

I hate to be critical, he's a great writer with a fantastic imagination. But I read Patricia Neal's autobiography a few years ago, and she describes him as anything but nice.

While he stayed home during the years she was recovering from a stroke, he was not much help to her. He could be cruel and demeaning, often criticizing her for not recovering faster. He also ridiculed and humiliated her, growing impatient with her recovery (she was the breadwinner in the family, and the longer she was out of work, the more time he had to spend writing and selling stories).

He ended up screwing around with the caregiver he hired to take care of PN and later their children when she returned to the US to work. IIRC he ended up eventually leaving PN for the nurse and turned the younger children against PN.

Overall, my impression was that he was a lot like the Gene Wilder character in Willy Wonka. Cruel, strange and manipulative.

Thank You for saying this, a lot of famous people are big time jerks.