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Today is officially Roald Dahl Day! Betcha didn't know that did you?
Anyway, on this day i ask you, what is your favourite thing Roald Dahl wrote? Was it one of his fabulous children's novels or stories? Or is it one of his marvellously creepy Tales of the Unexpected? Or even the screenplay fo You Only Live Twice?
Deffo Charlie & The Chocolate Factory! Even before I saw the film, our teacher read the book out to us and I was completely enchanted by it!
Tough choice. I remember a wonderful period of my life when I was about 8 when I devoured his children's novels. I think my favourite is actually his autobiographical account Boy: Tales of Childhood (probably closely followed by The Witches although my memory of that being read aloud at school is soiled by the film version).
To my shame I never finished reading Going Solo! Must rectify that sometime! :)
On a related note I love how much of an influence Dahl's writing was on RTD's Who episodes. I'm sure it's no coincidence that the location of the Torchwood hub is directly beneath Plas Roald Dahl in Cardiff bay!
"The Witches". He was our JK Rowling and it was the done thing to read the new Dahl book. "The Witches" is frightening and terrific, with these evil women stalking children in the street, just appearing and then salting them away. Is that the one with the little girl trapped in the painting who moves every year, grows old, and then one day vanishes from the picture? That's a really, really chilling concept.
"Solo" and the other one were crushingly dull for kids at the time. I know that wasn't the point, but they were new Roald Dahl, so you read them. Or tried to, anyway.
Si.
I never made it through Danny: Champion of the World.
I think I must be of the wrong generation because I've never found any of his books particularly great, but I prefer James and the Giant Peach to any of the others.
We have a few on audiobook for the boys, and I've learnt to hate George's Marvellous Medicine with a vengeance :mad
I have fond memories of Kenneth Williams reading James and the Giant Peach on Jackanory. Gosh that really takes me back. :)
I think I only ever read the book of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - although like you, Richard, I remember the Giant Peach on Jackanory. I think I also read some of his... were they called 'Revolting Rhymes'? The phrase, from RD's version of Red Riding Hood, that sticks in my mind is where she "whips a pistol from her knickers"!
Oh yes, that phrase once nearly killed my little brother from laughing so hard at it! :)
Revolting Rhymes were excellent!
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator captured my imagination more than any other. Relentlessy paced, relentlessly funny and far far darker than ..The Chocolate Factory. I'd love to see Tim Burton's vision of a Vermicious Knid.