Although I didn't enjoy it as much as the first time I read it (there are authors such that the less you know about their lives, the more you enjoy their work, especially the autobiographical one), it still seems to me a delicious read.

And it shows why Dahl was so successful in writing children's literature: he remembered very well how the world and adults look when you are a child.

And he tells it accordingly, making you feel as if you are on an incredible adventure.

Roald Dahl's works have a unique charm that can capture the hearts of readers of all ages. His vivid descriptions and imaginative stories transport us to a world full of magic and wonder.

Whether it's the BFG or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, each of his books is a delight to read.

Even if you've read them before, you can always discover something new and exciting on each reread.

So, if you haven't read any of Dahl's books yet, I highly recommend that you give them a try. You won't be disappointed!

A lot of adventures and quite a few frights awaited a boy in a British public school during the 1920s and 1930s.

It was astonishing that Dahl would so vividly and directly describe the brutality of his headmaster. This man, Geoffrey Fisher, later became the Archbishop of Canterbury and crowned Queen Elizabeth II. The quote was rather melancholy: “It was all this, I think, that made me begin to have doubts about religion and even about God. If this person, I kept telling myself, was one of God’s chosen salesmen on earth, then there must be something very wrong about the whole business” (146).

However, much of the story is filled with joy and humor. The episodes that inspired scenes from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory were immediately recognizable. I adored his account of summer visits to his mother’s extended family in Norway - the delicious food, the unique traditions, the breathtaking scenery, and even the prank played on his sister’s fiancee. His enthusiasm at the end for his first adult job in East Africa was contagious. You truly get a sense of the thirst for adventure, activity, and new experiences that the young Dahl carried with him from childhood into adulthood. Moreover, the book definitely gives you an understanding of his close-knit family and his deep love for his mother, and hers for him.

It is a highly readable coming-of-age story, complete with photographs and snippets from his letters home that enhance the narrative and convey a wonderful sense of the time and place.

I truly relished listening to the audio version with Dan Stevens as the narrator!

His narration brought the story to life in the most captivating way. It was an absolute delight to have his voice guiding me through the pages.

Now, I have a much better understanding of where he derived all those crazy and wonderful ideas for his books.

It's as if I've been granted a peek into his creative mind.

As for the 2019 Popsugar Challenge, this book fulfilled the requirement of being a book that I saw someone reading on TV or in a movie. In this case, it was from the charming film "You've Got Mail".

It was interesting to then seek out and experience the book for myself.

The connection between the on-screen portrayal and the actual book added an extra layer of enjoyment to the whole experience.

I'm so glad I took on this challenge and discovered this amazing book with the help of Dan Stevens' narration.

It's definitely a reading experience I'll cherish.

Today, after an hour of rather sleepy studying, I found myself hovering around the school library. As I was browsing the shelves, my eyes landed on a Roald Dahl book. Without hesitation, I grabbed it. After reading just a few paragraphs, I thought, "That's it!" The librarian was observing me with a big, funny smile on her face. So, I had no other option but to walk towards her, trying to look like a real senior preparing for the university entrance test, while secretly hoping she wouldn't notice that almost every book I picked up in the school library was a children's book. Sigh.

I know this isn't a proper review. But really, what's the point of writing one? To be honest, I'm kind of attached to "Boy". You can sense the sincerity in every single phrase. (I'm actually reading a Persian translation, but trust me, it's just as great.) As I was reading the last few pages, I seriously considered it a crime not to give it a fifth star. It was truly AMAZING.

I can't wait to explore more of Roald Dahl's works and see what other wonderful stories he has to offer.

This (These) books surprised me like not many have ever before.

#theguywiththebookreview presents Boy And Going Solo by Roald Dahl.

As Dalton characteristically mentions in the preface of the book (1984), he did not write an autobiography, but a fictional story composed of memories that he retrieved from his subconscious. These memories begin at the age of 6 and end at the age of 20, in 1936.

The reader will laugh, be moved, and be amazed by the author's terrible adventures, which start with the death of his father at only 57 years old, continue with the imposition of strict educational methods in British schools and colleges, and, at the same time, the constructive relationship of Dalton with his mother and his eventful intuition are impressive.

The title of the book comes from the way he completed his numerous letters to his mother (he did not write his name, but the word 'Boy').

One of the most original books of Dalton, where a large part of the European culture of the 1920s and 1930s is reflected.

Rating: 4.3/5 or 8.6/10.

**Roald Dahl's Childhood: A World of Magic and Mayhem**

Roald Dahl's childhood was a tapestry of experiences that would later inspire his remarkable body of work. To commemorate the centenary of his birth, BBC Radio 4 presents a full dramatization of his childhood tales. These stories, sometimes magical and sometimes grotesque, are as true as they are captivating.

Dahl himself said, "An autobiography is a book a person writes about his own life. It is usually full of all sorts of boring details. This is not an autobiography." And indeed, his childhood was anything but boring. It was filled with excitement, wonder, terror, and great sadness.

We learn of his experiences at cruel boarding schools, where he endured the harsh treatment of teachers and the bullying of classmates. But there were also moments of joy, such as his daring Great Mouse Plot and his time as a chocolate taster. The local sweetshop was a source of both pleasure and pain, as he struggled to resist the temptation of its delicious treats.

Patrick Malahide provides the voice of Dahl in a colourful adaptation by Lucy Catherine. Directed by Helen Perry, this BBC Cymru/Wales production brings Dahl's childhood to life in a way that is both engaging and entertaining. It is a must-listen for fans of Dahl's work and anyone interested in the power of the imagination.

From BBC Radio 4 - Drama:
To celebrate the centenary year of Roald Dahl's birth, a full dramatization of tales from his own childhood. Sometimes magical, sometimes grotesque but always true, Dahl's boyhood stories are as remarkable as the acclaimed fiction he would go on to write as an adult.
"An autobiography is a book a person writes about his own life. It is usually full of all sorts of boring details. This is not an autobiography."
The story of Roald Dahl's childhood is filled with excitement and wonder but also terror and great sadness. We learn of his experiences at cruel boarding schools, his daring Great Mouse Plot, the dangers of Boazers, the pleasure/pain of the local sweetshop and his time as a chocolate taster. Just some of the marvellous, extraordinary events that no doubt went on to inspire his best-selling books.
Patrick Malahide provides the voice of Dahl in a colourful adaptation by Lucy Catherine.
Dramatised by Lucy Catherine
Directed by Helen Perry
A BBC Cymru/Wales Production.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07hwhgc

Boy is the autobiographical novel of one of the greatest children's writers of all time. To discover the genesis of Roald Dahl's genius and of many of his most successful characters, this is a must-read.

Roald Dahl, who lived from 1916 to 1990, had a very eventful life. Born in Llandaff, a small town in Wales, to Norwegian parents, he lost his father at a young age. However, he was fortunate to grow up with a brave and very practical mother who took care of her large extended family (in addition to the four biological children, there were two daughters inherited from her husband's previous marriage, and among them was the decrepit stepsister). She educated him in the best way, exposing him to fantastic life experiences, such as surely the summer vacations in Norway, but also ensuring that he received an excellent education in an English school, as desired by her husband before he died.

And it will be precisely the school - with its extremely strict teaching methods, corporal punishments, bullying classmates, and ridiculous uniforms - that will provide first-rate material for some of the unforgettable characters in his novels. The terrible Supervisor of his school cannot but immediately recall the perfidious headmistress Trunchbull of Matilda, just as the anecdote of the chocolate bars given by the Cadbury company to the students to be tasters will be the inspiration for writing his most famous book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

In our hands, we have a diary-like book that makes us smile, albeit with small hints of melancholy in the saddest episodes that marked his growth. It is written with the lively and original style that has always characterized his works and enriched with numerous period photos, beautiful illustrations by the great Quentin Blake, and many cuttings of the letters written to his mother (for me, perhaps the most intimate aspect of this autobiography). Highly recommended!

Lovely book!

I had to read this to help my little sister with her homework. It was quite an interesting experience. As I delved into the pages, I found myself getting engaged in the story too. I realized that this book wasn't just for my sister's academic needs but also had the power to capture my attention. It made me feel good to be able to assist her in this way. I'm such a great sister, aren't I? I'm glad I took the time to read along with her and help her understand the concepts better. This book has definitely left a positive impression on both of us.

I don't usually read children's or young adult books, but I had to make an exception for this one. I must have read numerous books in my childhood as I was a voracious reader, and some things haven't changed much. However, the three books that have remained with me the longest and most vividly are Beverly Nichols' 'The Tree that Sat down', Nina Bawden's 'Carrie's War', and Roald Dahl's 'Danny the Champion of the world'. I remember the latter with such affection that although I wasn't necessarily a huge Dahl fan, I always regarded him and his work as something precious, something from a time when life was simpler.

Many years later, during a literacy lesson at the school where I am a teaching assistant, the children were played an extract from a DVD with a voice-over of Roald Dahl reading from "Boy". I decided that I must read this book at some point as I would have considered myself a little past the natural age for Roald Dahl when this was first published. Well, recently a copy of this book and his other autobiographical volume "Going Solo" came my way, and so I had the chance.

At first, just for a few pages, I was irritated by the heavy "elderly adult talking to child" voice that pervades the first few pages as Dahl explains his parents' Norwegian background. It was an unreasonable irritation on my part as the author was only writing for his usual audience, and I am not it. However, I quickly settled into the charming and often shocking anecdotes of Dahl's early years. Of course, the treatment of children during the 1920s was rather different from today, but the harsh treatment of children by adults, including violence, I found horrifying. I can easily see where Dahl got his inspiration for much of his fiction from. So many of Dahl's children's stories seem to pit children against terrible adults. Dahl's home life was blissfully happy, but as so many other boys of his age did, he frequently fell foul of the schoolmasters and the older boys (Boazers at Repton) who held positions of some power over him. Roald Dahl's well-known humor comes out in these stories of his childhood, which would, I am sure, delight all fans of Roald Dahl, whatever their age. Overall, I found this a thoroughly charming read.

It's not so much a review as an explanation of my journey with this book.

The vivid descriptions and engaging stories made me feel as if I was right there with Dahl, experiencing his childhood along with him.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone, whether they are a fan of Roald Dahl or just looking for an interesting and entertaining read.

If I were to say, one of the reasons I fell in love with reading and wasn't overwhelmed was Roald Dahl. I think I read "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" for the first time when I was twelve years old, and at that time, this book, which cost 1600 tomans, was one of my most precious possessions.
The magical creator of Charlie and the chocolate factory, Matilda, and the friendly giant in this book take the reader back to their childhood and tell them about the interesting, amazing, and even bitter experiences they had while growing up. For me, at the age of twelve, the stories in this book were a window to a different time and culture, in the early 20th century in England.
Now, after all these years, when I read it for the umpteenth time, its appeal has not diminished for me at all. I can only see the stories from a different perspective, which makes them more poignant than funny. But the bitterness that always lies beneath the tongue of adults and is unnoticed. On the other hand, more than ever, I can see the role of childhood experiences in the stories he later wrote.
The version I listened to this time was a performance and was produced by a voice-over team. The obvious result was excellent. Of course, this version is approximately one-third of the original book.
You can download the book from here: Maede's Books.

March 7, 2024

I borrowed this from my grandson, as we had been engaged in a conversation about Roald Dahl. It was truly a delight to read. Surprisingly, it didn't matter at all that it was written for children. The characters he depicted throughout his early life were precisely like those from his books. In particular, the teachers from boarding school and the matron! They came to life on the pages, with all their quirks and idiosyncrasies. It was as if I was transported back to a time when I was a child myself, experiencing the same joys and challenges. Roald Dahl had an incredible gift for creating characters that were both relatable and unforgettable. His stories have stood the test of time and continue to captivate readers of all ages. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read this and share it with my grandson.