Impacting Works: Roald Dahl
What was your favorite book as a child? Do you still read it now that you are older? Did you read other books by the same author? How has this book and or author impacted your life? This last question will be explored more in depth throughout this series and with many authors both positive and negative impact but where to start? Let's start first with the author who probably had one of the most positive impacts on me.
For me the answer to the first question is Matilda by Roald Dahl. I don't remember if it was the first book I read by Dahl or not but it had a lasting impact. Every year I checked Matilda out of the library during the Summer Reading Program. After a few years my parents bought me my own paperback copy. After the first copy was well worn I received a hard back copy with the same cover as my paper back. Currently the paperback is in my parents' library and the Hardback is on my own shelf. Sometimes I like to read it again just because it has not gotten old and I don't think it ever will.
Roald Dahl was a very prolific author. There is bound to be a book he wrote that someone has heard of. I admit I have not read all of his works but a fair bit of them. The books that I have read in the order he published them in are James and the Giant Peach , Charlie and the Chocolate factory (I prefer the firsy movie), Fantastic Mr. Fox, (I haven't seen the movie... that needs to be remedied) Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More, The Twits, The BFG, (the trailers look promisingly close) Boy: Tales of Childhood and Matilda.
Every author has their own unique style. Sometimes Mr. Dahl could be dark but over all there was always a special charm which remained. It is this charm which keeps me personally returning to his books. There is also the relation you can have to the characters. Matilda in particular was a character in which I saw myself in the aspect of my love for reading. At the same time most of the characters have lives far worse than what mine was, which made me grateful for what I had. It is my hope that my characters are relatable as well.
Another thing that Roald Dahl is known for is screen writing. He wrote the screenplay for Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I have have read multiple sources on his thoughts regarding that particular work, some stating he hated it (some changes were made with out his approval) and others state he was alright with it. It is fun to fantasize some times about my stories being on the big screen, and I know how to write screenplays. Some day perhaps I will have this dream realized and I will write the screenplay myself.
Over all Roald Dahl is still my favorite author and his inspiration still impacts me today. He also wrote some tidbits of advice for would be authors which have helped me quite a bit in my writing and help to inspire me more.
His real life was also very interesting, he fought in World War two for instance. Regretably in 1990 Roald Dahl passed away due to a blood disease. He was seventy-four years old. Even though he is gone his writing still exists and through his words he can still inspire even though he is no longer on this world. This is what it means to be an author, to leave behind your thoughts so long after you are gone you can still inspire people.