Synopsis

Roald Dahl was one of the world’s greatest storytellers. He conceived his vocation as one as intrepid as that of any explorer and, in his writing for children, he was able to tap into a child’s viewpoint throughout his life. He crafted tales that were exotic in scenario, frequently invested with a moral, and filled with vibrant characters that endure in public imagination to the present day.

In this brand-new biography, Matthew Dennison re-evaluates the received narrative surrounding Dahl – that of school sporting hero, daredevil pilot, and wartime spy-turned-author – and examines surviving primary resources as well as Dahl’s extensive literary output to tell the story of a man who identified as a rule-breaker, an iconoclast and a romantic, both insider and outsider, hero and child’s friend.

Review

An interesting account of Roald Dahl’s life, but not a lot of new material, using information from Boy, Going Solo and a recent documentary.

This book does dive into the sadder parts of Dahl’s life, which was full of tragedy, with accidents, deaths and childhood trauma, that don’t make for particularly happy reading.

It’s therefore unsurprising that he chose to escape into the world of fiction, when adulthood seemed fraught with difficulties.

In spite of his faults – and by all accounts he wasn’t a particularly nice person – his legacy is remarkable and his stories remain beloved around the world.

Thanks to Head of Zeus for my advanced copy. Opinions my own.