Roald Dahl once said, “If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”
Roald Dahl wrote for everyone but is mostly recognized for his children’s books. Critics and parents have expressed dissatisfaction with the books’ portrayal of children’s harsh revenge on adult wrongdoers. Roald Dahl responded with that children have a cruder sense of humor than adults, and that he was merely trying to appeal to his readers.
What do you think about the works of Roald Dahl? Is there any recurring message? Favorite quote? Favorite work? What do you think about the movie adaptations?
Here’s the summary from damselandangel.com
“The Twits are an ugly and dirty couple who are hated by the Muggle Wump Monkeys they keep. Mr. Twit is a foul and smelly man with bits of sardine and cornflakes in his beard, and Mrs. Twit is a horrible old hag with a glass eye. They both keep the Muggle Wump monkeys which they have been keeping caged since they were working in circus and made them do upside down tricks. The Muggle Wump monkeys have been kept caged in their garden and now seek revenge. This story is all about how they go about seeking revenge with the help of Roly Poly bird.”
My mom read me almost all of his books when I was younger and they were some of the first non-picture books I read by myself. My very favorite was probably The Witches, the book and the movie I would read and watch both on a loop. We lived with my grandparents in their old ass house at the time, sometimes you’d see mice in the basement and occasionally they’d scurry across the living room, wasn’t super into that but I was also afraid one of them might actually be a little boy so I would literally throw a fit every time I saw adults setting out traps and when the cats would catch them I fully sobbed.
I was a very dramatic child. There is a movie, it’s fantastic (according to my own nostalgia) although as a makeup artist I can reliably say the practical effects are excellent. Also Angelica Houston is a queen.
I’ve read Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Witches. I think I might have read James and the Giant Peach, but I don’t remember it too well. I liked the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie better than the book, I must say. I saw the older version as a kid, and the new version last year with my nephews, on Netflix.
The final scene of Mike Teavee in the book really creeped me out as a child for some reason.
I loved the Revolt Rhymes so much that I used to have the first story memorised to heart. I only remember part of it now…
What I remember
I guess you think you know this story.
You don’t. The real one’s much more gory.
The phoney one, the one you know,
Was cooked up years and years ago,
And made to sound all soft and sappy
just to keep the children happy.
Mind you, they got the first bit right,
The bit where, in the dead of night,
The Ugly Sisters, jewels and all,
Departed for the Palace Ball,
While darling little Cinderella
Was locked up in a slimy cellar,
Where rats who wanted things to eat,
Began to nibble at her feet.
She bellowed ‘Help!’ and 'Let me out!
The Magic Fairy heard her shout.
Appearing in a blaze of light,
She said, ‘My dear, are you all right?’
‘All right?’ cried Cindy. 'Can’t you see
‘I feel as rotten as can be!’
She beat her fist against the wall,
And shouted, 'Get me to the Ball!
'There is a Disco at the Palace!
'The rest have gone and I am jealous!
'I want a dress! I want a coach!
'And earrings and a diamond brooch!
'And silver slippers, two of those!
'And lovely nylon pantyhose!
'Done up like that I’ll guarantee
‘The handsome Prince will fall for me!’
The Fairy said, ‘Hang on a tick.’
She gave her wand a mighty flick
And quickly, in no time at all,
Cindy was at the Palace Ball!
I really want to reread them now.
Cool!!
