You deserve a day, Roald Dahl. You gave us wonderful tales that were all a little left of center. You gave us magic. You are and continue to be an indelible part of the childhood of so many of us.
Personally, I think my favorites are Matilda and the BFG, but it’s nearly impossible to choose. I had the full collection and I still have it, stored in a plastic tote in the basement of my parent’s home, to be unearthed when I have kids.
I named my first car Esio Trot, because accelerating to merge on the highway definitely felt tortoise-like (Ez for short).
But Roald Dahl wasn’t just a children’s author – after we grew up with him, we could follow him into the adult world.
I was in Ireland one spring, scurrying around to various used book stores to find reading material for the flight home, when I happened upon a slim volume by Roald Dahl called Over to You, a collection of ten short stories based on Dahl’s experiences when he served in the RAF in World War II.
From the Jacket:
Dahl crafted these ten spine-tingling stories: of air battles in the sky; of the nightmare of being short donw; the infectious madness of conflict; and the nervy jollity of the Mess and oprs room. Dahl brillianty conveys the bizarre realty of a wartime pilot’s daily existane, where death is a constant companion and life is lived from one heartbeat to the next.
I haven’t finished the book yet. It’s like high quality chocolate, too good to rush or swallow whole. I savor each story slowly, giving each bite the attention it deserves, allowing each to have its own time to sink slowly into my brain. They are, quite simply, brilliant stories.
Roald Dahl, your talent continues to humble me.
If you haven’t experienced him beyond his children’s stories, pick up some of his fiction. You’ll find he’s amazing on any shelf.
So in honor of Roald Dahl day, let’s all read a book of his – be it childhood favorite or new discovery.
Let him remind us what good stories are.
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