Teller of the Unexpected
The Life of Roald Dahl, An Unofficial Biography
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published:3rd Aug '23
Should be back in stock very soon
This biography offers a fresh perspective on the life and legacy of Roald Dahl, exploring his journey as a beloved storyteller.
This biography offers an insightful look into the life of a beloved author known for his enchanting tales and memorable characters. It explores how Roald Dahl's adventurous spirit and unique perspective shaped his storytelling, allowing him to connect with readers of all ages. The narrative delves into his childhood experiences, personal challenges, and the creative processes that led to his most famous works.
Dahl's writing is characterized by its whimsical nature and moral undertones, appealing to the child in everyone. The book examines his ability to weave extraordinary scenarios with relatable themes, making his stories timeless classics. Through vivid storytelling and meticulous research, the biography paints a comprehensive portrait of Dahl, revealing both his genius and his flaws.
Critics have praised this work for its riveting prose and psychological depth, calling it a superb study of a literary icon. The author skillfully balances Dahl's public persona with his private struggles, providing readers with a rounded understanding of the man behind the stories. This engaging biography is a must-read for fans of Dahl and anyone interested in the life of a true literary innovator.
Devotes a large chunk of his book to Dahl's Norwegian family and schooldays; their combination of warmth, tragedy, inspiration and savagery is brilliantly evoked... [His account] makes you feel grudging admiration for a bully whose self-belief was, in a way, heroic * Sunday Times *
Superb psychological study of a literary genius... Matthew Dennison's biography of Roald Dahl manages to peel back the layers of an infamously complex man * Sunday Business Post *
Matthew Dennison's streamlined text clips along with an economy befitting Dahl's brusque manner... Dennison presents a rounded picture [...] and gets to Dahl's flawed, human core * Country Life *
A well-researched, compact book * Observer *
This book is riveting, and immaculately written * Sunday Telegraph *
Brace yourself for Dahl mania... Documenting the multi-layered life of Roald Dahl as a creative maverick who created some of the most well-loved characters in literature, this biography reevaluates Dahl by examining his surviving relics * Tatler *
A crisply done and well-judged survey of the outline of the life * TLS *
[An] impeccably balanced new biography * Mail on Sunday *
An intriguing read about a vastly talented but morally weak man * The Anglo-Celt *
Dennison recasts the narrative of the daredevil pilot and spy-turned-author as a rule-breaker, romantic and ultimately a child's friend * School House *
An elegant new biography... capturing [Dahl’s] grandiose, tragedy-specked life. * The New York Times *
ISBN: 9781788549448
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
272 pages