Rediscovering the Classics

Can you believe it took me clear into adulthood before I discovered the wonderful stories Roald Dahl wrote for children? Oh, sure I knew of them as a child. My first exposure was to the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Now I know there are some great fans of this film out there, but I was not one of them. I have friends and family members who loved the film, but I could not stand it. So I carried these feelings over to Dahl’s books. As a child I didn’t read any of his books, nor did any of my school teachers introduce me to the books. It wasn’t until after high school that I read the first one, The Twits, which I didn’t actually read—a friend read it to me. It was fun, but Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was still a black cloud blocking me from the world of Roald Dahl. Later, I happened upon the 1996 film Matilda, which I loved and the cloud slowly began to break up. When the 2005 film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was released I went, but with hesitation. I loved it. It was then that I knew I would start reading Roald Dahl. While I do have to be in the mood for a children’s story, I thoroughly enjoy reading his books. They are creative, fun and downright silly, but this certainly does not to mean that they are devoid of meaning. I’m currently working on The BFG, which I’m enjoying very much, especially the vocabulary and the speech of the BFG himself. Read more about Roald Dahl by looking him up in the BookLetter's Authour Directory. Give these books a try for the first or the second time, especially if you need a laugh.

Elizabeth