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Roald Dahl's 11 best — and worst — children's books, ranked

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What would children’s literature be without the singular voice of Roald Dahl? Over the course of his long career, the British novelist wrote more than 30 works populated with clever children and frequently monstrous adults, sprinkled with made-up words, and shot through with sly, surprisingly dark humor. His stories were set in richly imagined worlds, taking place everywhere from the bowels of a mysterious chocolate factory to the heart of an impossibly huge peach — even outer space.

Troubling personal politics aside, Dahl is responsible for some of children’s literature’s most memorable characters, from sadistic candymaker Willy Wonka to telekinetic Matilda to the sly, resourceful Fantastic Mr. Fox — many of whom have now been immortalized onscreen as well as on the page.

And today is Dahl's hundredth birthday. In honor of the occasion, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to create a definitive ranking of Dahl’s children’s books. Read on to find out where each one ended up.

Please note that we only considered full-length works, not short stories, and that these rankings are immutable and 100 percent accurate.

11) George’s Marvelous Medicine (1981)

George's Marvelous Medicine

George’s grandmother has a puckered mouth and teeth stained pale brown. She forces her 8-year-old grandson to make her endless cups of tea and eat cabbage riddled with bugs. She’s a thoroughly unpleasant woman. So George decides to shake her up; he makes her a dose of medicine.

Gleefully he mixes together curry powder and shampoo and antifreeze and other substances he finds lying around the house — but when he feeds it to his grandmother, it doesn’t have quite the effect he had in mind. It makes her grow, becoming unimaginably large. Which, George’s father proclaims, means George has effectively solved world hunger!

Wait — huh ?

Yeah, that solving-world-hunger angle comes out of nowhere at the end, as does the rest of the story’s not-exactly-resolution. Add to that the sheer bitterness of the premise, and you have one of Dahl’s most uneven works. — Constance Grady

10) Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (1972)

Speaking of bitterness, there was no shortage of it on display in the sequel to Dahl’s most famous and most-beloved book. Moving the action as far away from Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory as possible, Dahl puts his heroes, Charlie Bucket and Willy Wonka, in a great glass elevator for what amounts to an epic road (space) trip with Charlie’s whole family, complete with all the long-suffering "are we there yet?" moments such a description implies.

But Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator also contains scathing, largely clichéd diatribes against US politics, including a weirdly infantilized look at the US president. Charlie’s two loving grandmothers from the previous book are abruptly transformed at the beginning of this one into unbearable, demonized examples of every shallow human trait Dahl can think to burden them with. By the time the Vermicious Knids come along, you’re rooting for the aliens to win and wishing Charlie were still mooning by the chocolate river. What was Dahl thinking? — Aja Romano

9) Revolting Rhymes (1982)

Revolting Rhymes .

A collection of rhyming poems, Revolting Rhymes isn’t a "typical" Dahl book. But the author’s singsong retellings of six famous fairy tales — with all the grotesque details Disney left out — provide an apt showcase for his twisted sense of humor. This makes sense, since Dahl’s stories already borrow so much from fairy-tale tropes; almost all of his children’s stories involve neglected kids, villainous hags, and/or impossibly magical creatures.

Still: Dahl takes fairy tales to another level in Revolting Rhymes , creating a bloodbath out of Cinderella’s romance, making Little Red Riding Hood a stone-cold killer, and saddling Snow White with seven gambling-addict dwarfs. As with all of Dahl’s best works, Revolting Rhymes is incredibly strange and even disturbing, but often a whole lot of fun. —Caroline Framke

8) The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More (1977)

The Henry Sugar anthology is an odd one to consume in the middle of a Roald Dahl binge, but it’s always been one of my favorites. It is, in a word, variable: There are minor short stories, like the forgettable one with the giant tortoise (no, not Esio Trot , the other one), and autobiographical accounts of Dahl’s life, including how his time as a fighter pilot in World War II led him to start writing.

But the crown jewel of the book is the title story: the tale of Henry Sugar, a selfish gambler who teaches himself to see through solid objects in order to cheat at cards and eventually reforms himself into a secular saint. It has all the sweetness and heart of the best of Dahl’s full-length novels, but it’s tinged with unmistakable melancholy. — Constance Grady

7) Fantastic Mr. Fox (1968)

Dahl took a short break from sympathizing with humans in Fantastic Mr. Fox, the only book on this list told from the perspective of a (particularly clever) group of animals. But the titular Mr. Fox is exactly the kind of hero Dahl loves; namely, he’s always the smartest person fox in the room. It’s a thin volume, but the conflict between the Fox family and three greedy farmers is rich in detail, layered with tidbits covering everything from Farmer Bean’s addiction to alcoholic cider to the elaborate dinner party courses Mrs. Fox prepares with the spoils that her fantastic husband triumphantly steals from beneath the dumb farmers’ noses. —Caroline Framke

6) The Witches (1983)

The Witches .

The Witches is a pitch-black horror story about a boy who finds himself smack dab in the middle of an international conference of evil women. Luckily, he has a shrewd and savvy grandmother who has made him as witch-proof as any boy can be.

With their elegant white gloves and their long, pointed heels masking hideous bodies, Dahl’s witches lurk in ordinary society, waiting to prey on innocent children. The Witches doesn’t flirt with outright misogyny so much as skywrite "women aren’t what they seem!" But Dahl’s witches are compelling, fascinating, and powerful — and ultimately it’s their power that turns a straightforward cautionary tale thoroughly on its head, resulting in one of his most memorable books. This fable of mice and (wo)men manages to be warm, whimsical, and spine-tingling all at once; I reread it every Halloween and find myself deliciously creeped out every time. — Aja Romano

5) Danny, Champion of the World (1975)

Dahl is fantastic at describing whimsical settings, but most of them aren’t places you’d actually want to live in: Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory would doubtless maim you, in Mr. Fox’s den you’d be attacked by murderous farmers, and the BFG’s native land is home to scores of bigger, less friendly giants.

No, if you made me choose a Dahl book to live in, it would be Danny . I want to hang out in that cozy caravan Danny shares with his father as it’s gently pelted by an apple tree, and eat roast pheasant (the food of kings, according to Danny’s father). I want to learn top-secret poaching tips and plump raisins in water to make pheasant bait. Dahl never wrote another world that made you want to crawl inside the pages and curl up there quite as much. — Constance Grady

4) James and the Giant Peach (1961)

For a book that opens on a little boy struggling under the tyrannical rule of his abusive aunts — a straight-up Dickensian dilemma — James and the Giant Peach tells an incredibly lovely story. It has an overlying sense of wonder, as conveyed through the mysterious creatures that first grow the titular peach to mammoth size, the jolly centipede causing constant mischief with his 100 (or maybe just 42) shoes, and the short-fused giants that James and his magical new insect friends meet when their swollen stone fruit floats up into the sky. But the engine that keeps this book moving — and the reason it continues to resonate so deeply — isn’t the giant peach but James’s giant heart. —Caroline Framke

3) Matilda (1988)

If you were a fan of Dahl as a youngster, chances are you were a bookish kid with an active imagination. And what more glorious fantasy existed for all of us bookish, imaginative kids than the idea that our minds could make miraculous things happen, even in the world beyond our heads?

Matilda’s telekinesis might seem of a piece with today’s never-ending stream of superhero movies, but Dahl’s 1988 novel extols the virtues of brain power over superpowers. Matilda is a thrilling story of intelligence and ingenuity triumphing over TV-dulled ignorance, a love song to classic novels, and an utterly satisfying tale of a child serving a bit of justice to grown-ups for the indignities both small and large that are part and parcel of being a kid. Plus, despite the unfortunate fate of poor Bruce Bogtrotter, it always leaves me with a craving for chocolate cake. —Tanya Pai

2) The BFG (1982)

Dahl’s prose has a rhythm all its own, with peculiar turns of phrase and a penchant for streaking off into rhyming verse bumping up against each other to create something wholly unique. And The BFG ‘s story of a little orphan girl and the big friendly giant she befriends may be Dahl’s finest example of his gift for wordplay. The pages are packed with nonsense terms that nevertheless evoke exactly what they intend to (you know just what you’re getting with snozzcumbers); and the passage where the BFG explains to Sophie what humans from each country taste like is a wit-filled delight.

And while there are some truly horrific aspects to the story — orphans getting locked in the cellar with rats; giants who crunch up humans like popcorn — there’s plenty of wonder as well. The idea that the stars have a silvery music all their own, and that our dreams come not from the workings of our unconscious minds but via the whims of a gentle giant from a faraway land, is as captivating and wrenchingly beautiful as an adult as it was in childhood. —Tanya Pai

1) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964)

There’s so much wonderful weirdness lurking in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , a heartwarming story of a poor boy whose goodness earns him the coveted golden ticket that allows him to meet Willy Wonka, the plum-and-green-clad chocolatier. His journey to Wonka’s factory is nothing short of a dream. There’s so much to see: Everlasting Gobstoppers! Snozzberries! Chocolate mixing via waterfall! And you get to eat nothing but sweets all day long! Sure, the entire factory definitely needs a visit from D EFRA , but what mysterious chocolate factory run by a sociopathic maniacal supergenius doesn’t ?

Charlie ultimately wins a fantasy apprenticeship with the world’s greatest candymaker, while the other children on his factory tour, all greedy and spoiled, learn unpleasant karmic lessons about the dangers of selfishness. It’s a lovely, chocolate-powered morality play — until you realize Wonka is housing a slave nation of Ewoks turned sweatshop workers.

Then there’s the decimating poverty and literal starvation that Charlie and his family endure, the four grandparents who’ve all shared the same bed without leaving it for 20 years, and the truly creeptastic ends that each of Charlie’s competitors meet at the hands of the unperturbed Wonka. Oh, and have I mentioned all the pederastic vibes and the overt BDSM overtones? (Remember the actual whips used for whipping cream?)

Despite — and because of — all this bizarreness, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory remains one of the most influential children’s books ever written. Without Charlie , we’d have no Harry Potter , no Coraline . Its caricatures of spoiled kids and narcissistic parents are unerring and timeless; its satirical takes on human nature are pointed and merciless. Veruca Salt, Augustus Gloop, Mike Teavee, and Violet Beauregarde may be revolting children, but there’s a part of all of us that would be right there beside them, reaching for that extra-special chewing gum. — Aja Romano

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The Best of Roald Dahl

By roald dahl, category: short stories | fantasy | gothic & horror.

Jul 14, 1990 | ISBN 9780679729914 | 5-3/16 x 8 --> | ISBN 9780679729914 --> Buy

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Jul 14, 1990 | ISBN 9780679729914

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• Books A Million
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About The Best of Roald Dahl

Includes the story “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” now an ACADEMY AWARD®-winning short film from Wes Anderson on Netflix A collection of the best short stories from a writer with “an ingenious imagination, a fascination with odd and ordinary detail, and a lust for its thorough exploitation” (The New York Times Book Review). If Stephen King could write with murderous concision, he might have come up with “The Landlady,” the story of a boarding house with an oddly talented proprietress and a small but permanent clientele. If Clive Barker had a sense of humor, he might have written “Pig,” a brutally funny look at cooks and vegetarianism. And a more bloodthirsty Jorge Luis Borges might have imagined the fanatical little gambler in “Man From the South,” who does his betting with a hammer, nails, and a butcher knife. But all these stories in this volume were written by Roald Dahl, whose genius for the horrific and grotesque is unparalleled and entirely his own.

Also by Roald Dahl

About Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl (1916–1990) was born in Llandaff, South Wales, and went to Repton School in England. His parents were Norwegian, so holidays were spent in Norway. As he explains in Boy, he turned down the idea of university in favor of a… More about Roald Dahl

Product Details

Category: short stories | fantasy | gothic & horror, you may also like.

Lord of the Flies Centenary Edition

The Prince and the Pauper

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The Time Machine / The Invisible Man

The War of the Worlds

Around the World in Eighty Days

Heart of Darkness

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

“Dahl has the mastery of plot and characters possessed by great writers of the past, along with a wildness and wryness of his own. One of his trademarks is writing beautifully about the ugly, even the horrible.” — Los Angeles Times “An ingenious imagination, a fascination with odd and ordinary detail, and a lust for its thorough exploitation are the … strengths of Dahl’s storytelling.” — The New York Times Book Review “The mind of Roald Dahl is quintessentially nasty and wicked.” — The Washington Post

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The Best of Roald Dahl

Sections: Information | Description | Reviews | Covers  | Korean , Norwegian , and Spanish Covers

Information

• Vintage Books, 1978, USA.
• Michael Joseph, 1983, Great Britain.
• “Dip in the Pool”
• “Edward the Conqueror”
• “Galloping Foxley”
• “Genesis and Catastrophe”
• “Georgy Porgy”
• “Lamb to the Slaughter”
• “Madame Rosette”
• “Man From the South”
• “Mr. Feasey”
• “Mr. Hoddy”
• “Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat”
• “Parson’s Pleasure”
• “Pig”
• “Royal Jelly”
• “Rummins”
• “Skin”
• “Taste”
• “The Bookseller”
• “The Boy Who Talked with Animals”
• “The Champion of the World”
• “The Great Switcheroo”
• “The Hitchhiker”
• “The Landlady”
• “The Ratcatcher”
• “The Sound Machine”
• “The Visitor”
• “The Way Up to Heaven”
• “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar”
• “William and Mary”
• Lust read by Derek Jacobi, Gillian Anderson, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Mark Heap, and Richard E Grant

Description

This collection brings together Dahl’s finest work, illustrating his genius for the horrific and grotesque which is unparalleled.

“Dahl has the mastery of plot and characters possessed by great writers of the past, along with a wildness and wryness of his own. One of his trademarks is writing beautifully about the ugly, even the horrible.” –Los Angeles Times

“An ingenious imagination, a fascination with odd and ordinary detail, and a lust for its thorough exploitation are the…strengths of Dahl’s storytelling.” –New York Times Book Review

• Review by Godly Gadfly

Korean Covers

Norwegian Covers – Roald Dahls beste historier

Matilda, by Roald Dahl | Book Review

Book Review of Matilda The Children’s Book Review

Written by Roald Dahl

Illustrated by Sarah Walsh

Ages 6-9 | 192 Pages

Publisher: ‎ Viking Books for Young Readers | ISBN-13: ‎ 9781984836106

Matilda  was the last long kids’ book that Roald Dahl wrote before he passed away in 1990. When Dahl first wrote the book, she was a wicked child and very different from how she is now known to readers worldwide.

Matilda is a very kind-hearted character—she’s a gifted, intelligent, book-loving five-year-old who taught herself to read. She has read every children’s book in the library and a few for adults. Matilda can even do advanced math in her head. Her father (a rotten car salesman) and her mother (obsessed with playing bingo) are completely clueless and treat her almost as terribly as the nasty Miss Trunchbull, the child-hating, ex-Olympic hammer-throwing headmistress at school.

When Matilda meets Miss Honey, a warm-hearted and sweet teacher, she finds her inner strength and uses her newly-discovered exceptional talent to fight back and set more than a few things right in her world. Matilda’s character is certainly one to get behind—she’s empowering, knowledgeable, and brave—and the entire story is freckled with funny bits and peppered with plenty of practical jokes.

This edition contains complete and unabridged text and includes brand-new color illustrations by Sarah Walsh. The artwork brings loads of energy and charisma to the carefully curated cast that Dahl created.

When you read Roald Dahl’s  Matilda,  you’ll be snickering from start to end.

Buy the Book

About the author.

Roald Dahl  (1916-1990) was born in Wales to Norwegian parents. He spent his childhood in England and, at age eighteen, went to work for the Shell Oil Company in Africa. When World War II broke out, he joined the Royal Air Force and became a fighter pilot. At the age of twenty-six, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he began to write. His first short story, which recounted his adventures in the war, was bought by The Saturday Evening Post, and so began a long and illustrious career.

After establishing himself as a writer for adults, Roald Dahl began writing children’s stories in 1960 while living in England with his family. His first stories were written as entertainment for his own children, to whom many of his books are dedicated.

Roald Dahl is now considered one of the most beloved storytellers of our time. Although he passed away in 1990, his popularity continues to increase as his fantastic novels, including James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, The BFG, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, delight an ever-growing legion of fans.

Learn more about Roald Dahl on the official Roald Dahl website:  www.roalddahl.com .

About the Illustrator

Sarah Walsh is an internationally published illustrator whose project range spans from picture books, apparel, home decor, and greeting cards, to name a few. Her work has also been featured on Creative Pep Talk, Buzzfeed, and The Jealous Curator. Sarah has been a working artist since 2001, starting as a designer/illustrator hybrid at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City. In 2013 she branched off solo style into the freelance world after connecting with an art agent named Lilla Rogers. Bright color, fashion, mid-century design, the ’80s, fantasy, hand lettering, world culture, and folk art are some of the elements that inform her work. Sarah’s been fortunate enough to collaborate with clients like Chronicle, Blue Q, Nosy Crow, The Guardian, & Frankie Magazine.

Writing and illustrating a children’s book or working with a fashion designer to create an haute couture clothing line are two of her dream projects! When Sarah isn’t busy doing client work, she fills her sketchbook with personal paintings or creates products such as art prints, enamel pins & pillows for Tigersheep Friends, with her husband Colin Walsh, a fellow illustrator.

You can find her work at Sarahwalshmakesthings.com .

Matilda , written by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Sarah Walsh, was reviewed by Bianca Schulze. Discover more books like  Wilderlore: The Accidental Apprentice by following our reviews and articles tagged with Classics , Illustrated Chapter Books , and Roald Dahl .

• X (Twitter)

Bianca Schulze is the founder of The Children’s Book Review. She is a reader, reviewer, mother and children’s book lover. She also has a decade’s worth of experience working with children in the great outdoors. Combined with her love of books and experience as a children’s specialist bookseller, the goal is to share her passion for children’s literature to grow readers. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, she now lives with her husband and three children near Boulder, Colorado.

I think this is a good report and would encourage me to read it because it tells me exactly what personality and characteristics each character has and made me want to find more events and information about them in the book .📚 📖 📕

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Quick Facts

Roald Dahl Best Books 📚

Roald Dahl is one of the most well-known writers of children's literature of all time. With classics such as 'Matilda' and 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', his works are timeless and beloved across the world.

Written by Neesha Thunga K

B.A. in English Literature, and M.A. in English Language and Literature.

Having sold 300 million copies of his books worldwide, Roald Dahl is often hailed as one of the greatest storytellers of the 20th century for children.

Matilda  (1988) 

‘ Matilda’  is a children’s novel about a genius 5-year-old girl who is neglected and abused by her parents. She also has a superpower: the power to move objects with her mind. Matilda develops her own brand of justice to get back at her parents for their wrongdoings. At school, she is far above her age in terms of mental ability and is recognized by her class teacher, Miss Honey, as an extraordinary child. However, Miss Honey harbors a secret about her tragic past, which involves the terrorizing Principal of Matilda’s school, Miss Trunchbull. Matilda sets out once again to deliver justice and restore the status quo within her and Miss Honey’s world.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964)

‘ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ‘ revolves around a young boy named Charlie Bucket who lives on the outskirts of town with his destitute and poverty-stricken family. His father loses his job just as the town’s eccentric chocolate maker, Willy Wonka, announces five hidden golden tickets that would allow its finders to visit his famous chocolate factory. Fortunately, Charlie finds the last and final golden ticket in his chocolate bar and is invited to the Chocolate Factory with 4 other children (Augustus Gloop, Violet Beauregarde, Veruca Salt, and Mike Teavee), who are all rich and spoiled. As Willy Wonka gives the children a tour of his factory, the children, one by one, show their self-centered and entitled behaviors, for which they begin to suffer bizarre consequences.

The BFG  (1982)

  ‘The BFG’  begins with a young girl named Sophie who lives in an orphanage. One day, she is suddenly whisked away by the BFG or the Big Friendly Giant. The Big Friendly Giant narrates to Sophie about his job, which involves blowing dreams into children’s rooms. Sophie is fascinated with the world of the giants until she learns of the BFG’s neighbors. The neighbors are wicked giants who snatch children away and eat them. Although the BFG himself is a pacifist, Sophie takes action against the injustices of his neighbors, teaching everyone about the importance of standing up to one’s bullies.

The Witches  (1983)

This dark fantasy novel reinforces the classic proverb, “Appearances can be deceptive.”  ‘The Witches’  revolves around an unnamed protagonist who has lost his parents and is now living with his grandmother in Norway. He goes to the coast of England, where he and his grandmother stay at a hotel that is crawling with witches. The witches all have one thing in common: they hate children and wish to turn them all into mice. The boy is caught overhearing this plan and is turned into a mouse himself. Along with his friend Bruno and with the wisdom of his grandmother, the boy sets out to stop the witches from executing their plan. 

Fantastic Mr. Fox  (1970) 

‘Fantastic Mr Fox’  is a comedic children’s story that begins with 3 gluttonous farmers, Bean, Bunce, and Boggis, who are incredibly frustrated with a fox that keeps stealing their life stock. The fox is none other than Mr. Fox, who is trying to feed his family, which consists of his wife and four baby foxes. However, the farmers hatch a plan to catch Mr. Fox and put an end to his thieving activities. Mr. Fox and his family somehow manage to escape, but the farmers are intent on catching him and stringing him up. They enlist the help of all of the farm workers and trap Mr. Fox and his family underground. However, Mr. Fox comes up with a clever plan to outwit the farmers.

James and the Giant Peach (1961) 

‘James and the Giant Peach’  is one of Roald Dahl’s most famous novels. In it, James, an orphan, is living with his two cruel aunts when an old man gives him a set of magical green objects. The green objects cause a giant peach to grow in James’ backyard. Inside the peach are various insects whom James befriends. He and his friends set on a journey across the world, going on various adventures, with James often taking the lead and saving the day.

The Twits  (1980) 

‘ The Twits’  is the story of a horrible couple, Mr. and Mrs. Twit, who enjoy playing cruel pranks on each other. The couple continuously tries to hunt the birds in the Big Dead tree to make a bird pie. Muggle-wump, a monkey, and his African family warn the birds to stay away from the tree. However, Muggle-wump himself is caught by the Twits and made to undergo training for hours on end for the Twit’s upside-down circus. Muggle-wump must escape, and he hatches a plan with an African bird Roly-Poly, to not only escape but also to turn the Twits’ house upside down.

Boy: Tales of Childhood  (1984) 

This is an autobiographical novel that focuses on Roald Dahl’s childhood. The memoir captures his boyhood experiences as a British schoolboy all the way up till his teenage years. The memoir is written with short sentences and villainous characters, much like Roald Dahl’s other books. In it, Dahl recounts various tales of family events, harsh punishments received at school, numerous entertaining adventures with his friends, and his rambunctious activities.

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator  (1972) 

In this novel, Dahl continues the story of Charlie Bucket and the chocolatier, Willy Wonka. Wonka has now transferred ownership of the Chocolate Factory, and Charlie and his family are all set to take possession of it. They board the flying Great Glass Elevator, which will take them to the factory. However, things go amiss when the elevator is accidentally thrown into orbit in outer space. Charlie and his family end up going on various space adventures with the eccentric Mr. Wonka encountering dangerous aliens on the way. The group escapes narrowly and reaches the Chocolate Factory, where they face several misadventures once again. Charlie and Wonka must ride the Great Glass Elevator once again to set right all that has gone wrong.

Danny, the Champion of the World  (1975)

This is a children’s novel about Danny, a young boy who learns the basics of mechanics as well as poaching from his loving father. One day, Danny’s father does not return from one of his poaching adventures. Danny discovers him on Mr. Hazell’s farm with a broken ankle. Danny and his father then hatch a plan to get back at Mr. Hazell in the upcoming annual pheasant shoot. The two of them come up with an ingenious plan that leaves Mr. Hazell pheasant-less while Danny and his father enjoy roast pheasant in their new electric oven.

George’s Marvelous Medicine  (1981)

This children’s story follows George’s misadventure with his mean and selfish grandmother. Instructed by his mother to feed his grandmother her medicine, George sets out to create his own medicine to make his grandmother a nice person. His medicine causes his grandmother and a chicken to grow unbelievably large, and George’s father is delighted because this means that they will never go hungry ever again. However, the next few batches of George’s medicine all turn out to have different effects. One batch even makes his grandmother entirely disappear.

Notable Mentions

Roald Dahl has written several other children’s novels including  ‘The Gremlins’  (1943),  ‘The Magic Finger’  (1966),  ‘The Enormous Crocodile’  (1978), ‘ The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me’  (1985),  ‘Esio Trot’  (1990),  ‘The Vicar of Nibbleswicke’  (Posthumously in 1991),  ‘The Minpins’  (Posthumously in 1991) and finally, Roald Dahl’s  ‘Incredible Chocolate Box’  (Posthumously in 2005). Many of his books have reached best-selling status and are critically acclaimed as some of the best children’s literature of all time.

What are Roald Dahl’s top 5 best-selling books?

The top 5 best-selling books by Roald Dahl are  ‘Matilda,’ ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,’ ‘The BFG,’ ‘James and the Giant Peach ‘, and  ‘The Witches .’ Over the last few years, sales of  ‘Matilda’  have surpassed the combined sales of Roald Dahl’s every other book.

What Roald Dahl book should I read?

Although Roald Dahl is a children’s writer, his children’s books are universally appealing to both kids and adults. As such, one can begin their journey into the world of Roald Dahl through classics such as  ‘Matilda’  and  ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’  or even explore some of Roald Dahl’s adult stories,  ‘Kiss Kiss’  and  ‘Over to You.’

What is Roald Dahl’s favorite book, and why?

Roald Dahl’s favorite book is ‘ The BFG’ . He has mentioned that this book is one of his most personal works, and he has dedicated it to his daughter Olivia, who passed away more than 25 years ago.  ‘The BFG’  is one of Roald Dahl’s best-selling books as well.

What is the best Roald Dahl book to read first?

Most of Roald Dahl’s books have a similar charm to them, and as such, it does not matter which is the first book by Roald Dahl to read. However, most people recommend beginning with books such as ‘Matilda’ or ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.’

About Neesha Thunga K

Neesha, born to a family of avid readers, has devoted several years to teaching English and writing for various organizations, making an impact on the literary community.

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K, NeeshaThunga " Roald Dahl Best Books 📚 " Book Analysis , https://bookanalysis.com/roald-dahl/best-books/ . Accessed 27 March 2024.

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The best roald dahl books, recommended by tilly burn.

Roald Dahl was one of the 20th century's most popular children's authors. Here, Tilly Burn , Archive and Collections Assistant at the wonderful Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Great Missenden, UK, chooses her top Roald Dahl books and discusses the secrets of his enduring appeal.

Interview by Benedict King

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl

Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl

Danny Champion of the World by Roald Dahl

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

1 The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl

2 fantastic mr fox by roald dahl, 3 danny champion of the world by roald dahl, 4 charlie and the chocolate factory by roald dahl, 5 james and the giant peach by roald dahl.

B efore we get into your Roald Dahl book choices, could you say a bit about the themes of Dahl’s work: to what would you attribute the enduring appeal of his books?

That’s a big question. Roald Dahl started his life as an author by writing macabre short stories. That’s what made him famous first of all. And he never lost those gruesome roots throughout all of his children’s books . Some quite dark things pop up, like children being turned into mice. They’re not ‘nice’ children’s books. It’s showing children the dark side of a gruesome or funny story.

Another reason I think children have really loved his books for years and years is that Roald Dahl doesn’t talk down to them. He doesn’t patronise them. The stories are dark and they’re a little bit more adult in their themes, but still absolutely aimed at children. He’s got this amazing skill with creating a tone that makes children feel like he’s talking directly to them, and that they’re not stupid and that they can cope with scary stories, with horrible giants who have horrible names like the Fleshlumpeater in The BFG . I think that’s part of it.

He really knew how to talk to children. He knew exactly what to say to them and how to make them laugh and what they would want to hear. He always knew children would love to hear about adults getting their comeuppance. He just had this really amazing innate contact with the child’s mind. I think that was partly because he had a kind of childish mind himself.

Do you think that skill was an innate talent or a result of particular experiences in his own life that gave him the ability to connect with children like that?

I think it’s a mixture. Some of it is definitely an innate talent. He honed his skill. But it wasn’t just talent. He worked very hard at it. And he definitely got things wrong. On the other hand, he always talks about his mother being a great influence. She was a great storyteller. Right from a very young age, she made up stories for them and told all the Dahl children fairy stories. So he had that from a very young age, which helped.

“Roald Dahl started his life as an author by writing macabre short stories. That’s what made him famous first of all.”

We actually have all of the letters that Roald Dahl wrote to his mother, from when he was aged 9 at school in 1926 all the way up to 1967. His mother kept every single one of those letters. It meant that Roald had this direct connection back to what his life was like when he was nine or ten years old. He wrote these letters home from school every week. So it really was a very up to date diary. Not many people get a chance to look back on their life like that. So, if he was writing a story about a nine-year-old boy, he had the ability to look back at what he was like as a nine-year-old boy, which would then form the language he used.

And certainly, little bits and pieces from his life informed his books. The Grubber from the Giraffe, Pelly and Me , which we’ll talk about later, was the name of his school tuck shop. So, I think it’s a mixture of skill and talent drawing from his life that created these wonderful books.

He actually lived in Great Missenden, where the Roald Dahl Museum is based, didn’t he? Does the museum’s building have any direct connection with him?

Let’s move on to the Roald Dahl books. So, the first one is The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me . This is about a boy who wants to own a sweet shop. Tell us about it.

It’s about a little boy named Billy who has the bright idea that one day he will own a sweet shop supermarket, filled with long corridors and ladders to reach all the glorious sweets and chocolate. This is his idea of paradise. One day he is standing by this shop called ‘The Grubber’ on the high street, which is actually based on the high street where we are here in Great Missenden. Suddenly, loads of stuff like an enormous bathtub and an empty canary cage flies out the window and he meets the owners of this random shop, who are a giraffe, a pelican and a monkey. So, the title The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me is from the perspective of the monkey—the “me” isn’t the little boy, but the monkey. And together they start this window washing business. The Pelican has this amazing ability to retract his bill, so it turns into a big bucket, and the giraffe can extend her neck so she can reach the higher-up windows and the monkey can clamber up the neck of the giraffe to clean the windows. They clean the Duke of Hampshire’s Hall, clean all his windows and along the way manage to foil a burglary. Then the Duke of Hampshire is so pleased that he gives Billy money to turn the dilapidated old Grubber into the sweet shop of Billy’s dreams.

So they all get what they want and Billy gets his sweet shop in the end.

Is there a is there a dark side to the story?

Let’s move on to Fantastic Mr. Fox . This is one of his most famous books, isn’t it?

Yes. It’s about the enterprising and wonderful Mr Fox, whose family are starving in their burrow. He’s fed up of not having enough food to feed them. Mrs Fox asks him to go out and get some food and he comes up with a phenomenal plan to dig tunnels underneath three farmers—Mr Boggis, Mr Bunce, and Mr Bean—and steal chickens, ham, cider and lots of other goodies from them. Boggis, Bunce and Bean are furious about it and very nearly catch him, shooting off his tail in the process, but he and his sons prevail, they manage to get all the food and they have a wonderful big banquet right at the end.

What appeals to you about this book in particular?

Next, we have Danny Champion of the World . This is one that I did actually read when I was younger. I hadn’t revisited it for a long time. The heroes here are not animals, but this poor boy called Danny, right?

Yes. Danny and his dad are the two main characters in Danny Champion the World . My dad read a lot of these books to me and I loved this one. The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me was the first one he read to me, which is why it’s my number one favourite of all time. But even when I was little, I loved the relationship between Danny and his dad, and I love the fact that Danny’s dad had to be sparky and interesting and that was what made Danny’s dad so much more amazing than any of Roald Dahl’s other adults, really. If you compare him to Matilda’s parents, Danny’s dad is on another level.

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And, again, it was the rural, pastoral themes that I knew about that attracted me. I had lots of pheasants around me. And I love the idea of two underdogs tricking really nasty evil people. And there’s so much great imagery in the book. There’s a bit where Danny and his father manage to poach pheasants by using sleeping powder poured into raisins. And there’s some lovely detailed imagery of slicing open the raisins, popping the capsules of sleeping powder, pouring in the white powder, sewing up the raisin, then giving them to the pheasants and the pheasants falling down with soft, fluffy bodies, going ‘thump’, or something like that—I paraphrase. There is so much beautiful, detailed imagery. It’s so evocative with loads of different senses to think about. It was a book that you could really fall into.

Why are they drugging the pheasants? My recollection is that they were poor people and they wanted to eat them, but that’s probably wrong.

No, you’re right—right at the end, Danny and his father walk off with some of the pheasants and go to buy an oven to cook them for dinner.

And who are the wicked people in this book?

Now to the most famous of them all: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . From the research I did for this interview, I gather that Roald Dahl was very unhappy with the film version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

The Gene Wilder version, yes.

Tell us about this one. First of all, what’s the difference between the book and the film?

There were some differences between the film and book, such as Slugworth becoming a spy, and the additional rooms in the film, like the fizzy lifting drink room. Roald wasn’t necessarily a huge fan of these changes. Although he wrote the final script, there were some changes from directors, as well as from another writer named David Seltzer. I think he just felt like it wasn’t necessarily 100 per cent true to his vision of his book.

What is the great appeal of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ? Is it the films that have given it this iconic status?

The book came out and was a great success long before the film was made. I don’t know what made Charlie so much more special or enduring than many of his others. It’s one of his first books. It came just after James and Giant Peach , so he was a new, upcoming but very prominent author, so his novelty factor was at its peak. So, I guess it’s one that people really jumped on, but the story is so inventive.

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His character names are amazing—Augustus Gloop, Violet Beauregarde, even Willy Wonka—they all have these fabulous, incredible, ridiculous names that are great to say and very funny. And again, you’ve got this darkness, where the nasty children just disappear. They fall away in various different ways or shapes or forms and you’re rooting for poor little Charlie Bucket. And even the way Roald Dahl describes his characters at the very beginning on the contents page, ending with ‘the boy we like very best of all, Charlie Bucket’—I think that those sentences draw you into the story. And because you believe Roald Dahl and trust him, and because you know he tells a good story, you immediately accept that he’s telling you to root for Charlie Bucket. You think, ‘Yeah, sure. Here we go!’

“I grew up with Roald Dahl, so most of these are based on my memories of what I really loved when I was little and that hasn’t really changed on learning more about them”

It’s a story about the hero, Charlie Bucket, and Charlie is just a little child just like you, the reader, going on this amazing fantastical, wonderful adventure to this chocolate factory that would be phenomenal if it was real. I think you can really put yourself in Charlie Bucket’s position. And Roald Dahl speaks about Charlie Bucket with so much tenderness that it makes you feel very tender towards him, too. You want everything to go well for him.

And the other children all get their comeuppance because they’re morally flawed in one way or another.

Yes, that always struck me as a bit brutal.

It is. But are all his books based around a brutal sense of justice and morality, or do the wicked people sometimes come out on top?

Very rarely do the wicked people come out on top. In Dahl’s short stories, sometimes the wicked people will do very well. “The Landlady” is one such instance. But in the children’s books, the evil characters tend to get their comeuppance. Miss Trunchbull does, the Enormous Crocodile does. He tends to like the idea that good will triumph. One of Roald Dahl’s favourite books when he was younger was Hillaire Belloc’s Cautionary Tales .

I love them.

And they have a character called Matilda, which is where his Matilda came from. He grew up with this notion of horrible children. He thought horrible children were so interesting and so fascinating, but in the end, you don’t really want them to win. It doesn’t make a good story if the horrible children win; we tend to like it when the good guys win—but it was the horrible children who fascinated him most. In the original draft of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory he had nine naughty children, who all came to horrible ends, with names like Tommy Troutbeck and Miranda Mary Piker. He really let rip when writing about these figures. He really enjoyed writing that draft, but they had to be cut because his editors thought that it was a bit much. I think they were probably right. Four is enough.

That’s interesting that he was a fan of Hilaire Belloc. It makes perfect sense because Hilaire Belloc has these gruesome children who come to brutal ends to make good moral points.

Finally, to your last choice, James and the Giant Peach . Again, this is one I did read when I was younger and I remember finding the cover particularly alarming. This is quite a dark one, isn’t it?

Yes, absolutely. I think it is one of his darkest books and a very sad book. It’s very gruesome, very macabre. It was Dahl’s first ever children’s book, written in 1961, fresh off the back of writing his short stories. One of his editors suggested to him that now he’d got the short story form down, maybe he could write books for children—because they’re short and because Dahl was very good at getting from A to B in an imaginative, wonderful way.

It’s definitely darker and less measured than lots of his later children’s books, which are a bit nicer and a bit happier. I reread James and the Giant Peach recently. Right at the beginning it’s so sad that in James’s house, where he lives with Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker, he can literally look out and see his old house, where he used to live with his parents. You find that out on the second page, and it’s just such a heartbreaking little detail that Roald puts in. So James  is darker, but it’s equally fantastical, funny, comical and brilliant. It’s got all the good stuff. I think it’s really emblematic of Roald Dahl’s writing.

What is with the giant peach? What’s the kernel of the story?

James is a boy with a tragic backstory, unfortunately. His parents died in an accident and he lives with his horrible aunts, Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker, and he comes across an old man who offers him glowing green seeds. They’re called ‘crocodile tongues’ in the books. The old man gives him some of these and tells him that they will change his life. And James is running back to his house and trips and falls and drops the crocodile tongues, which sink into the ground. When he wakes up the next day, there’s a giant peach on his tree. The peach breaks off and rolls away and James climbs in and meets all the insects who have been around the tree. They have also been affected by these crocodile tongues, and are now life-sized and can talk.

“There is so much beautiful, detailed imagery. It’s so evocative with loads of different senses to think about. It was a book that you could really fall into”

James and the insects go on this fabulous adventure across the sea, get circled by sharks, fly into the clouds—all sorts of adventures—and then eventually end up in New York and everyone lives happily ever after. That’s the story in a nutshell.

Roald Dahl’s popularity shows no signs of diminishing. Is that true to say?

I think it’s fair to say that his appeal is very enduring. There are lots of things coming out based on Roald Dahl; there’s The Witches film coming out in 2020. There are lots of different adaptations of his work. When you think you’ve seen them all, there are always new things to say or new ways to tell the story.

Apart from his letters, what else do you have at the museum?

We have all of Roald Dahl’s original manuscripts for all of his books, which are just a wealth of information. There are always items from the archive on display, as well as loads of family-friendly, hands-on activities about Roald Dahl’s life and stories. You can even peek inside Roald Dahl’s Writing Hut , where he wrote all his books for children. This was moved into the museum in 2012.

One of the first things I did when I started here was just to read everything I could get my hands on. He made so many changes. You think Roald Dahl is an amazing author, which he is, but not even he could write a story without making a few mistakes along the way. He had to rein himself in. For instance, in Fantastic Mr Fox, Roald Dahl’s initial idea was to have the foxes stealing from the supermarket rather than the farmers. And it was an editor who actually said, ‘You know, what? Why doesn’t Mr Fox steal from some farmers instead?’ Dahl thought this was just such a brilliant notion. He took this seed of an idea from his editor and went off and created Boggis, Bunce and Bean. So, if it wasn’t for some input from others along the way, we wouldn’t have Fantastic Mr Fox .

It was nice to discover that Roald Dahl was human. He made mistakes. No one can create a Fantastic Mr Fox at the first go—not even Roald Dahl. It takes skill and talent and effort and, gosh, he wrote so much, so many drafts for all his books. He put his heart and soul into them. And I think that’s something you can really see in the archives here.

Editor’s note: In some countries boxsets of Roald Dahl’s books are available, very useful for entertaining children and as gifts.

April 9, 2020

Five Books aims to keep its book recommendations and interviews up to date. If you are the interviewee and would like to update your choice of books (or even just what you say about them) please email us at [email protected]

Tilly is the Archives and Collections Assistant at The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre , and is responsible for the curation and care of Roald Dahl's original manuscripts, as well as lots of other brilliant and fascinating items. These are kept in the Roald Dahl Archive, inside the Museum. The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre is aimed at 6 to 12 year-olds and their families, and is situated in Roald Dahl’s home village of Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire.

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The Best of Roald Dahl Paperback – July 14 1990

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Print length 528 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Vintage
• Publication date July 14 1990
• Dimensions 13.28 x 2.34 x 20.09 cm
• ISBN-10 0679729917
• ISBN-13 978-0679729914
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage; Reissue edition (July 14 1990)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 528 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0679729917
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0679729914
• Item weight ‏ : ‎ 357 g
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.28 x 2.34 x 20.09 cm
• #5 in Horror Parodies & Satires
• #104 in Short Story Anthologies
• #263 in Short Stories (Books)

About the author

The son of Norwegian parents, Roald Dahl was born in Wales in 1916 and educated at Repton. He was a fighter pilot for the RAF during World War Two, and it was while writing about his experiences during this time that he started his career as an author.

His fabulously popular children's books are read by children all over the world. Some of his better-known works include James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox, Matilda, The Witches, and The BFG.

He died in November 1990.

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The best Roald Dahl books of all time, ranked

Entertain the kids (and yourself) with these brilliant Roald Dahl books.

Roald Dahl is one of the best-selling children’s authors of all time having sold approximately 250 million books worldwide - which makes our job of rounding up the top ten of the best Roald Dahl books pretty darn difficult.

However, we’ve decided to rise to the occasion because, thanks to a certain pandemic, we need all the entertainment we can get at the moment.

In the list below, you’ll find the classics we all know and love combined with a couple of more obscure options that will hopefully give you something new to read.

So, whether you’re just here for nostalgia’s sake, or are actually looking for books to read (or revisit) as a family - all, of course, with the charming illustrations by Quentin Blake

Here are the best Roald Dahl books we all need to read at least once in our lifetimes.

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Best Roald Dahl books of all time

1 . Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory may be Dahl’s best known stories. It’s a book that just appeals to every child’s imagination; a chocolate factory filled with chocolate and sweets, spies and mischievous Oompa-Loompas. And it seems the story was likely a long time coming because because Dahl even got the chance to be 'taste testers' for a chocolate company when attending Repton school in Derbyshire.

2 . Matilda

Having won the Children’s Book Award shortly after its release back in 1988, Matilda has continued to entertain children (and adults alike) for the last three decades. It has since become an award-winning film and (yes, you guessed it) an award-winning musical.

However, what stays the same is the story - Matilda Wormwood is a five-year-old genius, the only problem is that none of the adults in her life seem to appreciate it - that is until she meets her new teacher Miss Honey. Now, there’s just the small problem of headmistress Miss Trunchbull who loves to torment her, Miss Honey and the rest of the children.

3 . The Witches

The Witches tells the story of a brave young boy and his Norwegian grandmother as they battle England's witches who wish to rid the world of children. An usual quirk of this the heroes of this story - both the boy and his grandmother - remain nameless throughout the book. A word of warning before reading this one at bedtime, The Witches continues to top lists of the scariest children’s books around.

4 . Fantastic Mr Fox

Published in 1970, Fantastic Mr Fox tells the story of cunning Mr Fox and his family who continue to outwit three horrible farmers - Boggis, Bunce and Bean. Unfortunately, these farmers are not going to give up easily.

The story was inspired by the countryside near Dahl’s childhood home in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire including a tree, known locally as ‘the witches’ tree’, which had a hole in the trunk, much like the Foxes’ home in the book. It’s also one of the few books to have the pleasure of being turned into a Wes Anderson film .

5 . The BFG

The BFG is definitely a book that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside - and supposedly, Dahl’s own favourite. The 1982 novel tells the story of a Big Friendly Giant who captures dreams in bottles so that he can make sure children can enjoy them while they sleep. When he makes friends with orphan Sophie (named after Dahl’s first grandchild) he takes her back to his cave in Giant Country and antics ensue.

6 . James and the Giant Peach

James doesn’t feel like he has a single friend in the whole wide world, or that is until he meets the Old Green Grasshopper and all his insect friends on a magical giant peach. This novel was first published way back in 1961 as Dahl’s first attempt at writing a story for children - and is now one of his most popular.

The book is dedicated to his two eldest daughters, Olivia and Tessa and the 1996 film of the book even features Simon Callow as a grasshopper and Richard Dreyfuss voicing a centipede - in case the story needed any more charm.

7 . Danny, the Champion of the World

Dahl loved to take his own life and put it into his own stories. For example, the caravan Danny and his dad live in, in this book, is based upon a real Roma caravan Dahl bought in the 1960s, which was used as a playroom for the children. The story itself is all about the father-son partnership of Danny and his dad, William against the local beer magnate Mr Hazell.

8 . The Twits

The Twits are probably some of Dahl’s least likeable characters he’s ever written. Mr Twit is described as having a dirty beard “with food clinging to it”, while his wife, Mrs Twit, is equally unlovely. They’re also not very fond of each other, which is where the chaos ensues as the pair start playing more and more tricks on each other. The book is apparently inspired by Dahl's hatred of beards.

9 . Esio Trot

One of Roald Dahl’s last stories, Esio Trot is about a shy old man’s undeclared love for his neighbour, Mrs Silver, and the lengths he goes to win her heart. Oh, and there’s a tortoise called Alfie, because what story isn’t made better by a tiny tortoise. Esio Trot was a favourite of the book’s illustrator Quentin Blake and he even narrates the audiobook.

10 . The Vicar of Nibbleswicke

The Vicar of Nibbleswicke is the only book on this list to be published after Dahl’s life. A more obscure choice but it’s another heart-warming one. Having been written to raise awareness around dyslexia, Dahl even auctioned all rights of the book to benefit The Dyslexia Institute before his death.

The book itself tells the story of Robert Lee, who, having suffered with severe dyslexia as a boy, successfully overcame his problems with the help of The Dyslexia Institute. Unfortunately, after arriving in Nibbleswicke as the town's new reverend, he develops a very unusual condition called Back-to-Front Dyslexia.

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Books by Roald Dahl and Complete Book Reviews

• Graphix to Publish Dahl's 'The Witches' as Graphic Novel
• Gobsmacked!
• Big Dreams, Big Prizes, and Willy Wonka Spur Roald Dahl’s Imaginormous Challenge
• No Plans for Dahl Text Changes from U.S., European Publishers

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Roald Dahl is as troubling as he is beloved. Can’t he be both?

The author of children’s favorites like ‘matilda’ was a complicated man. a new biography reminds us just how complicated..

In the brisk and concise “ Roald Dahl: Teller of the Unexpected ,” Matthew Dennison notes that the author of “ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ,” “ The BFG ,” “ Matilda ” and much, much else has, according to the British journal the Bookseller, sold at least 250 million books in 58 languages.

That’s a phenomenal number, but just start almost any of Dahl’s books, then try to stop reading. I can testify to the tractor-beam power of his storytelling. After finishing Dennison’s biography, I decided to glance briefly at the opening chapters of “ The Witches ,” which I had reviewed, ecstatically, when it first appeared in 1983. When I finally lifted my eyes from the page, I was a quarter of the way through the novel, having been caught up all over again in its delicious scariness. Admittedly, “The Witches” remains my favorite among Dahl’s classics, closely followed by his 1988 paean to books and girl power, the wonderful “Matilda.” I didn’t reread it only because I had watched the exuberant — if overly dark — new film version instead. Like nearly all of Dahl’s best work, these two novels celebrate kindness, independent thought, daring, loyalty and self-reliance.

The disturbing Mr. Dahl

Without supplanting either Jeremy Treglown’s pioneering “ Roald Dahl: A Biography ” (1993) or Donald Sturrock’s authorized biography, “ Storyteller ” (2010) — both of which I recommend, especially the latter — this succinct new biography provides just enough information for all but the most ardent Dahl devotee. As in his previous lives of Beatrix Potter and Kenneth Grahame, Dennison again reminds us that children’s authors are, to say the least, complicated people. Dahl, for instance, could face horrific life-or-death crises with heroic self-control, knowing precisely what needed to be done and doing it. In more ordinary circumstances, however, his need to dominate and take command wasn’t much different from that of his own villain, the controlling, paramilitary sadist Miss Trunchbull.

Yet Dahl remains a troubling, complicated figure. Waspishly opinionated, frequently offensive, a hard bargainer with publishers and swaggeringly obnoxious with his editors, he could also be irresistibly charming, outrageously funny and, in his younger days, a relentless Casanova. In later years, he transformed himself into a family man who was distinctly “sparky,” his own word from “ Danny the Champion of the World ” for what a father should be. Once, while his daughters Olivia and Tessa slept, Dahl wrote their names in weed killer on the lawn outside their bedroom window. “The following morning, he told them it was the work of fairies.” Throughout his life, the writer also practiced, without fanfare, what Dennison describes as “habitual generosity.” To this day, the Dahl estate continues to support specialist pediatric nurses and to underwrite research into neurological and blood diseases.

Born in 1916, Roald Dahl — named after the polar explorer Roald Amundsen — was only 3 when his Norwegian-born father died, leaving a sizable fortune (from shipping and coal). At the prestigious Repton School, young Roald displayed no talent whatsoever for writing. One school report reads: “A persistent muddler. Vocabulary negligible, sentences malconstructed.” After graduation, rather than go on to university, he eagerly took up a job with Shell Oil in Africa, then later joined the Royal Air Force during World War II, flying combat missions over Greece.

Why read old books? A case for the classic, the unusual, the neglected.

Because of head injuries from a crash, the handsome 6-foot-6 flying ace was eventually redeployed to D.C. as a kind of British goodwill ambassador. There, besides doing a bit of intelligence work, he regularly bedded pretty girls and rich society matrons. But his “lucky break” — as he later titled an autobiographical essay — came about after meeting the novelist C.S. Forester. The creator of Captain Horatio Hornblower asked Dahl to write up his crash in the Libyan desert and was so impressed by the result that he sent the piece to the Saturday Evening Post, where it was published on Aug. 1, 1942. Other successful tales about wartime flying soon followed and were collected in 1946 as “ Over to You .” But Dahl’s first novel, 1948’s post-apocalyptic “ Some Time Never ,” proved a disaster, and his second never quite jelled, which isn’t surprising given its tentative title, “Fifty Thousand Frogskins.”

In his 30s, Dahl found his niche as a moderately successful author of sleek, unsettling suspense stories, which he later dubbed “ Tales of the Unexpected .” In “Lamb to the Slaughter,” a wife who has killed her husband ingeniously disposes of the highly original murder weapon. In “Taste,” a wine connoisseur stakes his 18-year-old daughter in a bet with a lecherous middle-aged rival over the identification of an obscure vintage of Bordeaux. Upon reading these elegant contes cruels, compiled in the 1953 collection “ Someone Like You ,” Noël Coward praised Dahl’s imagination as “fabulous” but also noted “an underlying streak of cruelty and macabre unpleasantness, and a curiously adolescent emphasis on sex.” These traits would characterize all his work for adults, including the stories of 1960’s “ Kiss, Kiss ” and the ribald exploits chronicled in 1979’s “ My Uncle Oswald .”

Until 1953, Dahl lived at home in England with his mother, to whom, as Dennison repeatedly emphasizes, he was close all his life. That year, though, he met and successfully wooed the American actress Patricia Neal. Their marriage, though rocky at first, lasted for 30 years, despite several terrible crises, including a traumatic brain injury to their infant son Theo and the death from measles of 7-year-old Olivia. When Neal suffered a debilitating stroke at just 39, Dahl personally oversaw an intense program of therapy and rehabilitation.

It was during these tumultuous years that he turned to writing for children. Dahl was 48 when his first masterpiece, “ James and the Giant Peach ,” appeared in 1961. Like his eerie adult stories of revenge and comeuppance, his children’s books required many drafts, scribbled longhand on yellow legal pads. He confessed that “when I first thought about writing the book ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,’ I never originally meant to have children in it at all.” On a rejected draft, Charlie was Black.

Roald Dahl was anti-Semitic. Do we need his family’s apology now?

In his mid-50s, Dahl began an extended affair with the 20-years-younger Felicity Crosland, a friend of Neal. After much angst all around and a bitter divorce, Crosland became his second wife. The marriage proved a happy one, leading to the great works of the 1980s: “The BFG,” “The Witches,” “Matilda” and the delightful, highly embroidered memoirs “ Boy ” and “ Going Solo .” When Dahl died of a rare blood cancer in 1990 at age 74, reprints of his books described him as the world’s No. 1 storyteller.

Reflecting on his work, Dahl once inventoried what children most enjoy in fiction: “They love being spooked. They love suspense. They love action. They love ghosts. They love the finding of treasure. They love chocolates and toys and money. They love magic.” Dahl’s books duly supply all these, as well as plenty of rowdy, Dickensian gusto and tall-tale exaggeration. What’s more, his stories don’t flinch from the rude body humor — flatulence, belching, smelly feet, mock vomiting — that children find so funny. Even the nastiness of Dahl’s villains is deliberately over the top so that the young hero or heroine’s ultimate triumph may be all the more satisfying to child readers. Above all, though, Dahl resolutely eschews overt moralizing: “There are very few messages in these books of mine. They are there simply to turn the child into a reader of books.”

Yet to adult eyes, Dahl frequently goes uncomfortably too far in depicting an anarchic Hobbesian world of savagery and violence. When “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” first appeared in 1964, the Oompa Loompas were racist caricatures of African pygmies (though later changed to hippie-ish, rosy-skinned dwarfs). The depiction of Veruca Salt’s father, in that same book, sails close to Jewish stereotypes. Not least, while Dahl defended his notorious “anti-Israeli” political views as justifiable anger over that nation’s treatment of the Palestinian people, many felt this argument was a cover for antisemitism.

Rudyard Kipling has been called the most controversial writer in modern English literature. Sometimes I suspect that Roald Dahl must run him a close second. Still, in the end, our dealings as readers aren’t with authors, all of whom are flawed human beings, but with their books. Our lives would certainly be poorer without Dahl’s tender portrait of the love between a father and his son in “Danny the Champion of the World” or the inspiring fairy tales of “The BFG” and “Matilda.” Even the critic Kathryn Hughes, who once called Dahl “an absolute sod,” concluded, quite rightly, that “despite so many reasons to dislike him,” he nonetheless remains “one of the greatest forces for good in children’s literature of the past 50 years.”

Teller of Unexpected Tales

By Matthew Dennison

Pegasus. 272 pp. $27.95

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All 125+ Roald Dahl Books [Ultimate Guide]

The Roald Dahl books have been a formative experience of many young readers for decades. Whether you were first drawn to Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or James and the Giant Peach can be telling about your personality long after your first read.

However, Dahl also wrote quite extensively throughout his life within the genres of adult fiction and horror. These titles have been included in our lists below, but we’ve kept them separate from his works for children as these more mature works may not be appropriate for young audiences.

About Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl was born in South Wales to Norwegian parents and did not immediately set out on the path to becoming an author. However, in a funny twist of fate, feedback he received from an English teacher while in school said he persistently wrote words meaning the opposite of what is intended.

After he completed his schooling, he decided to forgo university in order to see the world instead. He worked for the Shell Company in Mombasa, East Africa, before joining the Royal Air Force in 1939 as a fighter pilot.

Following an emergency landing that left him with lasting headaches and injuries, Dahl was stationed in Washington and it is there where he picked up the pen to write short stories. However, he said his favorite childhood authors were Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, Frederick Marryat, and William Thackeray.

Dahl’s books have sold more than 300 million copies around the world, but the author has not been immune to controversy. Dahl passed away in 1990 at the age of 74 from leukemia, but his estate and family issued an apology in 2020 on his behalf and the most recent controversy concerning Dahl was stirred up in February 2023.

That’s because the publisher of Dahl’s books and the Roald Dahl Story Company, which manages the copyright, were planning on editing passages in his writing that pertained to weight, mental health, gender, and race.

The public outcry was loud and swift, which caused a change of plans. Rather than altering all future publications, the decision was made to publish two editions: The new, edited version as well as the original text as part of “The Roald Dahl Classic Collection.”

Roald Dahl Books

Children’s novels.

The books that begin our list of everything Roald Dahl wrote are the ones for which he is most well-known. These are his iconic chapter books for young children. The below books contain the magical, mystical worlds that Dahl created with his beloved characters at their center.

• James and the Giant Peach (1961)
• The Magic Finger (1966)
• Fantastic Mr. Fox (1970)
• Danny the Champion of the World (1975)
• The Twits (1980)
• George’s Marvellous Medicine (1981)
• The BFG (1982)
• The Witches (1983)
• The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me (1985)
• Matilda (1988)
• Esio Trot (1989)
• The Vicar of Nibbleswicke (1991)

Charlie Bucket Books                

Most of the Roald Dahl stories are standalones, but his one exception is the Charlie Bucket duology, although this is much more commonly referred to simply by the title of the first book. Even if you have not read these Roald Dahl books yet, the idea of finding a golden ticket beneath your chocolate bar wrapper is one that has permeated popular culture.

There is also much discussion surrounding which of the movie adaptations is the best, with Timothée Chalamet soon to be joining Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp in the debate on the best Willy Wonka. Allegedly, Dahl was not a fan of the 1971 movie adaptation because he found it focused too much on Willy Wonka and shifted the attention from Charlie.

You should absolutely read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory before picking up its sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964)
• Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (1972)

Collections for Children

While he wrote more collections for children during his lifetime than the three Roald Dahl books below, these are the only three which remain in print. However, all of his titles which have since gone out of print are included further down below.

• The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More (1977)
• Revolting Rhymes (1982) (Poems)
• Dirty Beasts (1983) (Poems)

Picture Books

Roald Dahl also published one picture book during his lifetime. He then had three more picture books published posthumously with another forthcoming.

• The Enormous Crocodile (1978)
• Billy and the Minpins (1991)
• Words (2023)
• Shapes (2023)
• Trick or Treat (Expected: August 8, 2023)

Books for Adults

Of his more mature books, only one remains in print. This book follows the titular, roguish character as he recounts his exploits in life. Once again, this is a mature work which deals with adult subject matter.

• My Uncle Oswald (1979)

Collections for Adults

While it is his chapter books for children that form much of Roald Dahl’s legacy, it is his short stories for adults that form the largest portion of his bibliography. These stories are within the horror genre and featured in many collections and anthologies throughout the years.

• Skin and Other Stories (1960)
• Switch Bitch (1974)
• Tales of the Unexpected (1979)
• Further Tales of the Unexpected (1981)
• The Umbrella Man and Other Stories (1982)
• The Best of Roald Dahl (1983)
• New Tales of the Unexpected (1988)
• Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life (1989)
• The Roald Dahl Audio Collection (1995)
• Great Mouse Plot (1996)
• The Roald Dahl Treasury (1997)
• The Umbrella Man (1998)
• Songs and Verses (2005) (Poems)
• Three Tales of Magic and Mischief (2012)
• Fear (2017)
• Innocence (2017)
• Trickery (2017)
• Deception (2018)
• Cruelty (2019)
• Great Stories for All Time by Two Master Storytellers (2021) (With Ruskin Bond)

Anthologies

Both during his lifetime and following it, Roald Dahl’s work was collected into many anthologies. This list only includes the anthologies which are still in print.

• Roald Dahl’s Book of Ghost Stories (1956)
• The Price of Fear (1976)
• The Penguin Book of Horror Stories (1984)

If you are to read any book from this list of Roald Dahl’s nonfiction works, the first is the most recommended. That is because it is Dahl’s first autobiography and will give you a revealing glimpse into his upbringing, early adulthood, and subsequent success as an author.

• Boy: Tales of Childhood (1984)
• Going Solo (1986)
• My Year (1993)
• Roald Dahl’s Revolting Recipes (1994)
• More About Boy (2008)
• Roald Dahl Whoppsy-Whiffling Joke Book (2018)

Out of Print

As previously mentioned, there are many Roald Dahl books which have gone out of print. It is still possible to find a second-hand copy of many of these books, so below is an accumulation of all those titles. These titles are a mix of stories, books, and collections, most of which are for adults.

This list begins with one of his first publications, which brought him much acclaim. The Gremlins was heavily influenced by his time in the Royal Air Force. That’s because it is based on RAF folklore and superstition. Within the force, whenever something went wrong with their planes, gremlins were to blame.

• The Gremlins (1943)
• Over to You (1946)
• Some Time Never (1948)
• Timeless Stories for Today and Tomorrow (1952)
• Someone Like You (1953)
• Circus of Dr. Lao and Other Improbable Stories (1956)
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1957)
• Kiss Kiss (1959)
• Best Tales of Terror (1962)
• Stories of Suspense (1963)
• The Boris Karloff Horror Anthology (1965)
• The Fontana Book of Horror Stories (1966)
• Selected Stories (1968)
• The 3rd Fontana Books of Great Horror Stories (1968)
• Twenty-Nine Kisses from Roald Dahl (1969)
• The 5th Fontana Books of Great Horror Stories (1970)
• The 8th Fontana Books of Great Horror Stories (1973)
• Chamber of Horrors (1976)
• More Tales of the Unexpected (1979)
• Taste and Other Tales (1979)
• A Roald Dahl Selection (1980)
• The Way Up to Heaven and Other Stories (1981)
• The Great Automatic Grammatizator and Other Stories (1982)
• The 24th Pan Book of Horror Stories (1983)
• Selected Works (1985)
• Realms of Darkness (1985)
• Roald Dahl’s Completely Unexpected Tales (1986)
• Two Fables (1986)
• A Second Roald Dahl Selection (1987)
• Scare Care (1989)
• Rhyme Stew (1989) (Poems)
• The Complete Tales of the Unexpected (1991)
• Edward the Conqueror (1991)
• The Collected Short Stories of Roald Dahl (1991)
• Roald Dahl’s Guide to Railway Safety (1991)
• Memories with Good at Gipsy House (1991) (With Felicity Dahl)
• The Dahl Diary (1992)
• The Vicar of Nibbleswicke and Other Stories (1992)
• The Puffin Book of Horror Stories (1994)
• Lamb to the Slaughter (1995)
• Roald Dahl on Tape (1995)
• Roald Dahl’s Cookbook (1996)
• The Flying Sorcerers (1997)
• Ten Short Stories (1997)
• The Mildenhall Treasure (1999)
• It’s Heaven to Be Seven (2000)
• Even More Revolting Recipes (2001)
• The Man from the South (2002)
• Roald Dahl’s Incredible Chocolate Box (2005)
• A Taste of the Unexpected (2005)
• Vile Verses (2005) (Poems)
• The Dahlmanac (2006)
• Collected Stories (2006)
• Roald Dahl’s Completely Revolting Recipes (2009)
• Roald Dahl’s Glorious Galumptious Story Collection (2009)
• Spotty Powder and Other Splendifourous Secrets (2010)
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Pop-Up Book (2011)
• Roald Dahl’s Fantabulous Facts (2012)
• The Complete Short Stories: Volume One (2013)
• The Complete Short Stories: Volume Two (2013)

A Summary of Roald Dahl Books

In a career that spanned more than 50 years, and continues long after his death, there are a lot of places to begin with Roald Dahl’s writing. However, you cannot go wrong by starting with the classics for which he is most well-known. That’s why we’ve included summaries to his most beloved children’s books below.

1. James and the Giant Peach

James Henry Trotter lives with two ghastly hags. Aunt Sponge is enormously fat with a face that looks boiled, while Aunt Spiker is bony and screeching. He’s very lonely until one day something peculiar happens…

At the end of the garden a peach starts to grow and grow and grow. Then inside that peach are seven very unusual insects — all waiting to take James on a magical adventure. But where will they go in their Giant Peach, and what will happen to the horrible aunts if they stand in their way? There’s only one way to find out…

2. The Magic Finger

To the Gregg family, hunting is just plain fun. To the girl who lives next door, it’s just plain horrible.

She tries to be polite. She tries to talk them out of it, but the Greggs only laugh at her. Then one day the Greggs go too far, and the little girl turns her Magic Finger on them.

When she’s very, very angry, the little girl’s Magic Finger takes over. She really can’t control it, and now it’s turned the Greggs into birds! Before they know it, the Greggs are living in a nest, and that’s just the beginning of their problems…

3. Fantastic Mr. Fox

Someone’s been stealing from the three meanest farmers around, and they know the identity of the thief — it’s Fantastic Mr. Fox! Working alone they could never catch him; but now fat Boggis, squat Bunce, and skinny Bean have joined forces, and they have Mr. Fox and his family surrounded.

What they don’t know is that they’re not dealing with just any fox — Mr. Fox would rather die than surrender. However, only the most fantastic plan can save him now.

4. Danny the Champion of the World

Danny has a life any boy would love — his home is a gypsy caravan, he’s the youngest master car mechanic around, and his best friend is his dad, who never runs out of wonderful stories to tell. But one night Danny discovers a shocking secret that his father has kept hidden for years.

Soon Danny finds himself the mastermind behind the most incredible plot ever attempted against nasty Victor Hazell, a wealthy landowner with a bad attitude. Can they pull it off? If so, Danny will truly be the champion of the world.

5. The Twits

How do you outwit a Twit? Mr. and Mrs. Twit are the smelliest, ugliest people in the world. They hate everything — except playing mean jokes on each other, catching innocent birds to put in their Bird Pies, and making their caged monkeys, the Muggle-Wumps, stand on their heads all day.

But the Muggle-Wumps have had enough. They don’t just want out, they also want revenge.

6. George’s Marvellous Medicine

George is alone in the house with Grandma. The most horrid, grizzly old grunion of a grandma ever. She needs something stronger than her usual medicine to cure her grouchiness. A special grandma medicine, a remedy for everything.

And George knows just what to put into it. Grandma’s in for the surprise of her life — and so is George, when he sees the results of his mixture!

Captured by a giant! But the BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly and it’s lucky for Sophie that he is.

If she had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater, the Bonecruncher, or any of the other giants — rather than the BFG — she would have soon become breakfast.

When Sophie hears that they are flush-bunking off in England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all, and the BFG is going to help her!

8. The Witches

This is not a fairy-tale, because this is about real witches.

Real witches don’t ride around on broomsticks. They don’t even wear black cloaks and hats. They are vile, cunning, detestable creatures who disguise themselves as nice, ordinary ladies.

So how can you tell when you’re face to face with one? Well, if you don’t know yet you’d better find out quickly — because there’s nothing a witch loathes quite as much as children and she’ll wield all kinds of terrifying powers to get rid of them.

9. The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me

Billy is a kid with a dream. He wants to turn an old wooden house into an incredible sweetshop full of treats.

Meanwhile, the Ladderless Window-Cleaning company — who needs ladders when you’ve got a giraffe? — has just landed a big break. They’ll be cleaning all six hundred and seventy-seven windows of the mansion owned by the richest man in all of England. All they need is a little help from Billy.

Can these unlikely new friends make Billy’s wildest dreams come true and take him on adventure he’ll never forget?

10. Matilda

Matilda is a little girl who is far too good to be true. At age five-and-a-half she’s knocking off double-digit multiplication problems and blitz-reading Dickens. Even more remarkably, her classmates love her even though she’s a super-nerd and the teacher’s pet. But everything is not perfect in Matilda’s world… That’s because she has two of the most idiotic, self-centered parents who ever lived. Then there’s the large, busty nightmare of a school principal, Miss Trunchbull, a former hammer-throwing champion who flings children at will, and is approximately as sympathetic as a bulldozer.

But fortunately for Matilda, she has the inner resources to deal with such annoyances: Astonishing intelligence, saintly patience, and an innate predilection for revenge.

11. Esio Trot

Mr. Hoppy really loves his neighbour Mrs. Silver, and Mrs. Silver really loves her tortoise, Alfie. Oh, if only Mr. Hoppy could perform some great feat that would make him a hero in her eyes!

Then one day an amazing idea rushes into his head. With the help of a magical spell, some cabbage leaves and one hundred and forty tortoises, can shy Mr. Hoppy win Mrs. Silver’s heart?

12. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Willy Wonka’s famous chocolate factory is opening at last! But only five lucky children will be allowed inside.

Those five winners are: Augustus Gloop, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little finger; Violet Beauregarde, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around; Mike Teavee, a toy pistol-toting gangster-in-training who is obsessed with television; and Charlie Bucket, Our Hero, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, and good and ready for the wildest time of his life!

Final thoughts

Roald Dahl, while the center of debate, remains one of the bestselling children’s authors. He wrote mischievous characters that pursued great adventures, which captured the minds of children and adults alike.

More Children’s Book Resources

• All 50+ Beverly Cleary Books in Order
• All 160+ Fear Street Books in Order
• All 20+ Harry Potter Books in Order
• All 18+ Diary of a Wimpy Kid Books

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‘roald dahl took me to his filthy shed and told me he hated jews’.

Renowned royal correspondent Angela Levin interviewed the children’s author in 1983

BY Elisa Bray

• Royal Court
• antisemitism
• Angela Levin

British children's author, short-story writer, playwright and versifier Roald Dahl (1916 - 1995), 11th December 1971. (Photo by Ronald Dumont/Daily Express/Getty Images)

For many Jews, it’s a mystery as to why Roald Dahl’s Jew hate was for so long ignored. It took Dahl’s family until 2020 to apologise – in a statement buried within the author’s official website – “for the lasting and understandable hurt caused by” his antisemitic comments. And it took the Dahl Museum another three years to publicly acknowledge it in a panel on its door.

Even the 2021 film To   Olivia about the loss of Dahl’s daughter “whitewashed” the racist views which the children’s author had himself aired in the Literary Review and the New Statesman in 1983.

Renowned royal journalist Angela Levin is one of those long-baffled Jews. Levin, who has interviewed countless celebrities, was “thrilled” to be given the assignment of interviewing the “brilliant writer” in 1983 for the Mail on Sunday . But Dahl took the young journalist into his freezing and filthy shed and told her “I don't like Jews.”

The journalist has shared details of her encounter as Mark Rosenblatt’s new drama Giant , about Dahl’s antisemitism, is announced for the Royal Court this September. The fact that this is the first play to cover the topic, she says, “shows in a rather unpleasant way that people didn't take much notice of it.”

Angela Levin outside Buckingham Palace (Photo: Angela Levin)

She welcomes the play, which stars John Lithgow and is directed by Nicholas Hytner, for examining Dahl’s Jew hate. “It's a good idea that people do discover who antisemites were,” she says. “It is interesting to know what they were like, and some tried to cover it up and some tried to use it to  put people down.”

Levin’s encounter with Dahl began with the author asking almost straightaway if she was Jewish, before stating, “You know I don't like Jews.” The second question he posed was what her father did for a living – which she refused to answer. “It was incredibly rude, incredibly unpleasant,” she says.

Yet, because she was on a job and had to provide copy to her editor, she couldn't give Dahl what she wanted: a huge argument. “He wanted to draw me in. The name Levin is Jewish, so he obviously knew that. And I could see this was a game and I wanted to see if I could win.

“He had a very cunning way of winning, and he kept on asking me questions. He didn't want me to write about him being an antisemite, so he said, ‘I'm being extremely frank with you. But if I let any discretion, I trust you will use your discretion on how to print it.’ He put me in a very difficult position.”

She adds: “It was strange because he’d said about being antisemitic, and in a way it was to see my reaction rather than go into a rant.”

Levin was taken on a tour of Dahl’s “big, comfortable” house, but the author chose to do the interview in the “disgusting” little shed at the bottom of the garden where he liked to write his bestselling classics such as Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory .

“He he took me into this hideous, filthy, smelly, unkempt place where he likes to write because he wanted to be unpleasant,” recalls Levin. “It was absolutely the most revolting place I've ever been to. The walls were all yellow from nicotine; the floor hadn't been cleaned for years. I remember he said, ‘Isn't it revolting? Looks a bit like a toilet in a provincial railway station, don't you think? Be very careful where you put your hands.’”

She adds, “I thought immediately that he was trying to prove something and to put me off, to make it more difficult for me, make it colder, make it uncomfortable, and then he'd win. He'd win over me because I'm only a woman and so he could push me down.”

Freezing cold, the revolting shed was littered with cigarette stubs all over the floor; Dahl smoked the whole time that they talked. When she asked him about the strange yellow colour he'd painted on the wall, the author had replied, “Oh no, it's just because of all the smoke from my cigarettes.” 

“It was a sort of yellow, sickly horrible colour,” recalls Levin. “But you look at his nails and his hands: impeccable, beautifully kept. So I think he had to go into a strange place to be able to write what he wanted to write.”

As Levin surveyed the room, Dahl pointed to a yellow ball next to a silver one and, just as she went to pick it up, he told her, "That is my hip joint. And that's what it looks like when it's riddled with arthritis.”

Dahl was a very tall 6 feet 6 inches – a fact he pointed out to Levin, which she saw as self-justification for his spiteful nature. “He said to me. ‘When you're my size you have everything against you. It's very hard to get on with other people. You tend to give men an inferiority complex. If I've met quite a nice chap who's only 5 foot 8 inches and we're standing together, there is no way I can untower over him. I have to be extremely careful how I talk to him. Women of course love it.’ He was very ‘women are completely different and you don't have to bother with them very much.’”

At the end of their interview, Dahl said: “I've enjoyed it. I hope you realise that I have got just as much out of you, as you have out of me,” implying that should she write anything bad about him, he could follow it with something even worse about her.

“I think he's somebody who likes to be very spiteful. I couldn't think of anything I'd said that fell out of my mouth. But also he never did anything with it. He never wrote about me in any way.”

Despite her unpleasant encounter, Levin never “cancelled” Dahl – she continued to read his books to her children.

“I just thought he was trying very hard to be super clever in this ping-pong chat we were having. He was a character that was not exactly pleasing, but he was a brilliant mind.”

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Wealth of Geeks

The Best Roald Dahl Movies to Ever Hit The Screen

Posted: March 14, 2024 | Last updated: March 14, 2024

Release of the critically acclaimed film Wonka , an origin story based on Roald Dahl’s signature 1961 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , shows that the author (and Roald Dahl movies) still has a grip on the public imagination over 30 years after his death.

Dahl’s many children’s books – among them, James and the Giant Peach , The Witches , Matilda , The BFG , and Fantastic Mr. Fox – championed kindness and decency but were, like the Mary Poppins novels of P.L. Travers, rigorously unsentimental, hewing closely to author G.K. Chesterton’s adage that “Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.” In Dahl’s case, those dragons were almost always villainous, brutish adults brought down by the children they despised and abused.

As one of the world’s best-selling authors, Dahl’s books and stories have had an irresistible allure for filmmakers. But as this list shows, Roald Dahl movies have had varying results.

( NB . Dahl also wrote several original screenplays, two of which were based on novels by his friend and fellow intelligence officer Ian Fleming).

Matilda (1996)

Derived from one of Dahl’s best-loved books, about a precocious young girl who uses her telekinetic powers to thwart the villainous adults in her life, Matilda drew criticism from some who felt director Danny DeVito and writers Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord had over-Americanized the material. And true enough, all the characters (with the exception of Miss Trunchbull, played by Welsh actress Pam Ferris) are American, and the action shifts to an unspecified stateside location.

But with a spirited performance from the nine-year-old Mara Wilson at its heart, the film fully captures the novel’s rebellious exuberance even if it loses some of its quintessential Englishness.

James and the Giant Peach (1996)

So deliriously strange is James and the Giant Peach – a young boy, terrorized by two frightful aunts, escapes in a piece of gigantic airborne fruit, and flies it from England to New York, accompanied by a crew of man-sized talking insects  – only director Henry Selick ( The Nightmare Before Christmas , Coraline ) and his sorcerer’s touch with stop-motion animation could’ve brought it to the screen with sufficiently bizarre panache.

Dahl refused to countenance a film version of James during his lifetime, but following his death in 1990, his wife Lucy gave the project her blessing. She later proclaimed it “A wonderful film,” adding that Roald “would have been delighted.” Which gratifies in one sense but disappoints in another. One can only wonder what Dahl and Selick might’ve cooked up if given the chance to work together.

The Witches (1990)

Fabulous prosthetics and puppetry from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop ( The Witches was Henson’s last feature) combine with Angelica Huston’s gloriously villainous performance, sympathetic direction from veteran Brit auteur Nicolas Roeg, and stunning art direction from John King and Norman Dorme for a comedy-fantasy-horror masterpiece.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

More stop-motion, and more input from the fantastic Mr. Selick, although he quit as animation supervisor mid-way through production to take the reins of Coraline .

Even so, Wes Anderson’s film, co-written with frequent collaborator Noah Baumbach, offers up a typically quirky concoction, brimming with classic storybook visuals and the director’s trademark wry wit. It’s also further compelling evidence that Roald Dahl movies – liberally expanded here by Anderson and Baumbach – lend themselves particularly well to both animation and idiosyncratic directors of a similarly mischievous mindset. 

Danny, the Champion of the World (1989)

A charming, touching and unerringly faithful adaptation of Dahl’s 1975 novel, Danny stars Jeremy Irons as a widowed father who bonds with his young son by teaching him the (ig)noble art of pheasant poaching. Suffused with nostalgia and Dahl’s deep love for the English countryside, it plays as old-fashioned family entertainment entirely unsullied by ostentatious special effects or Hollywood gloss.

The BFG (1989)

Made by British animation studio Cosgrove Hall Productions (makers of classic kids’ shows Danger Mouse and Count Duckula ), this delightful adaptation of Dahl’s 1982 novel had the full – and highly unusual – support of the author.

Dahl encouraged the filmmakers to base the character of Lucy, the little girl who befriends the giant, on his granddaughter (writer and former fashion model Sophie Dahl), hence her bobbed hair and large granny glasses. Much to director Brian Cosgrove’s relief, the finished film met with the entire Dahl family’s approval. He later recalled the standing ovation they gave it following its first London screening.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

Wes Anderson sprinkles more magic on this unassuming, almost theatrical adaptation of Dahl’s short story. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as a self-centered millionaire who learns a shaman’s trick to cheat at cards and ends up becoming one of the world’s great philanthropists. Appealing, funny, and odd: Roald Dahl movies in a nutshell.

Matilda the Musical (2022)

A rare remake that fully lives up to the original, probably because it’s not a remake at all but a rip-roaring reinvention of Dahl’s novel based on the hit West End show. Tremendous fun, bursting with catchy songs and dazzling choreography, it’s a salutary lesson for anyone attempting to adapt a stage musical into a movie.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

To some, director Mel Stuart’s take on Dahl’s seminal 1961 novel is a timeless classic, a fun singalong to four awful kids (and one nice one) getting their just desserts (pun intended). To others it’s a trippy, dayglo fever dream with Gene Wilder ­– horribly miscast – playing a glassy-eyed, manic version of Wonka that’s a million miles from the puckish eccentric of the book.

Dahl penned the original script himself, but it suffered so many tortured rewrites on its way to the screen he ended up disowning it, spawning a lifelong aversion to movie adaptations of his work. 

The BFG (2016)

A well-intentioned live-action remake from Steven Spielberg that, for reasons not easy to fathom, just doesn’t have the charm of the 1989 animated version. It looks gorgeous, the CG is breathtaking (it’s Spielberg, after all), and the performances from Mark Rylance as the titular big guy and Ruby Barnhill as his diminutive sidekick Sophie (a nod to Sophie Dahl) are terrific. But the all-important extra dash of wonder unaccountably goes AWOL.

Esio Trot (2015)

By the time he got round to 1990’s Esio Trot , his last novel, Dahl had mellowed. The weirdness and menace of his best work bows out to cozy domesticity and the sentimental tale of a retired bachelor who falls in love with his middle-aged widow neighbor whose pet tortoise provides both the title (think about it) and a welcome touch of whimsy.

The TV movie adaptation, written by Richard Curtiss and Paul Mayhew-Archer, directed by Dearbhla Walsh, and starring Dustin Hoffman and Judi Dench, certainly has its charms, chiefly the gentle comic script and excellent performances of the two leads. But die-hard fans of Roald Dahl movies will wait for a macabre twist that never comes. 

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Roald Dahl and Tim Burton: indeed a marriage made in heaven. As with Henry Selick (Burton’s fellow Disney reject and sometime collaborator), it’s tempting to imagine what these two kindred spirits could’ve achieved if they’d put their heads together. Who knows, maybe they could even have saved this movie.

Then again, given its conspicuous lack of charm, numbing overuse of CGI, grating musical numbers, and a performance from Johnny Depp described by critics Chloe Roberts and Darren Horne as a “genetic mutation of Michael Jackson and the child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, ” maybe not.

You Only Live Twice (1967)

Dahl came on to write the fifth Bond movie after the studio rejected the original script by Sydney Boehm. After dismissing his old friend I an Fleming’s source novel as the worst book he ever wrote, Dahl proceeded to write a script that bore almost no relation to it whatsoever. The results, which finds 007 in Japan, battling his old nemesis SPECTRE, were patchy, to say the least (that Dahl had virtually no previous experience as a screenwriter probably didn’t help).

The New York Times ’ Bosley Crowther concluded a typically verbose review with the words “majestically absurd.” Clifford Terry of the Chicago Tribune was less kind. “Roald Dahl’s script is larded with sex-slanted jokes that are either pathetically feeble or sophomorically coarse,” he wrote. “Bond’s patented puns are punier and even Connery’s enthusiasm for his shrewd, suave, and sensual character seems to have waned.” Dahl was not invited to write a Bond movie again.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

Dahl’s second bite at a Fleming novel could hardly be more different. Or more disappointing.

Again, a frothy feelgood treat for some, but for anyone with even half their critical faculties about them, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang comes off as a tin-eared, saccharine-sweet throwback to the dying days of the Hollywood musical – the female lead is called Truly Scrumptious for god’s sake!

A creaky, corny affront to Fleming’s excellent children’s book, which boasts gangsters and gunrunners as well as a flying car, the film has one thing and one thing only going for it: the trauma-inducing Child Catcher, played to the poker-faced sinister hilt by Austrian actor and ballet dancer Robert Helpmann.

The Witches (2020)

An unforgivably flat remake of the 1990 classic, even with Anne Hathaway’s unhinged performance as the Grand High Witch can’t muster an iota of its forebears magic. “Nicolas Roeg’s version may have scarred a generation of kids for life,” wrote Indiewire ’s  David Ehrlich, saddling the Robert Zemeckis-directed dud with a D+, “but at least they remembered it.”

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Our recommended books this week include three very different memoirs. In “Grief Is for People,” Sloane Crosley pays tribute to a lost friend and mentor; in “Replay,” the video-game designer Jordan Mechner presents a graphic family memoir of three generations; and in “What Have We Here?” the actor Billy Dee Williams looks back at his life in Hollywood and beyond.

Also up this week: a history of the shipping companies that helped Jewish refugees flee Europe before World War I and a humane portrait of people who ended up more or less alone at death, their bodies unclaimed in a Los Angeles morgue. In fiction we recommend a posthumous story collection by a writer who died on the cusp of success, along with a ripped-from-the-headlines thriller and a big supernatural novel from a writer previously celebrated for her short fiction. Happy reading. — Gregory Cowles

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“The binding theme is statelessness — imposed by chance, antisemitism and personal ambition — but memoirs are about memory, and so it is also a book about the subtleties and biases of recollection.”

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The BFG Paperback – Illustrated, August 16, 2007

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• Print length 224 pages
• Language English
• Grade level 3 - 7
• Lexile measure 720L
• Dimensions 5.12 x 0.61 x 7.75 inches
• Publisher Penguin Young Readers Group
• Publication date August 16, 2007
• ISBN-10 9780142410387
• ISBN-13 978-0142410387
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About the author, excerpt. © reprinted by permission. all rights reserved., product details.

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0142410381
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Young Readers Group; Reprint edition (August 16, 2007)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780142410387
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0142410387
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 7 - 10 years, from customers
• Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 720L
• Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.6 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.12 x 0.61 x 7.75 inches
• #91 in Children's Classics
• #103 in Children's Fantasy & Magic Books
• #144 in Children's Humor

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Customer Review: Good, but not strong.

A fun and enchanting book!

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About the author

The son of Norwegian parents, Roald Dahl was born in Wales in 1916 and educated at Repton. He was a fighter pilot for the RAF during World War Two, and it was while writing about his experiences during this time that he started his career as an author.

His fabulously popular children's books are read by children all over the world. Some of his better-known works include James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox, Matilda, The Witches, and The BFG.

He died in November 1990.

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