 Comedy: August 29, 2018 Issue [#9091] |
  Comedy
This week: Zany Raold Dahl Edited by: eyestar~*  
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Hiya readers! I am back a guest editor for this issue.I don't write comedy but love to laugh. Seeking some cool books to share in September, I came across the old favourite "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and " The BFG". Children really enjoy these and so I had a look at the popular author Roald Dahl, a british novelist, short story writer, poet, screen writer and fighter pilot! 
"A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men." Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
"A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom. He has no master except his own soul, and that, I am sure, is why he does it"
“The prime function of the children’s book writer is to write a book that is so absorbing, exciting, funny, fast and beautiful that the child will fall in love with it."
"Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." , his last line of his last book, The Minpins!
~~quotes by Roald Dahl.
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| ASIN: B01CJ2TNQI |
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I always enjoyed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a clever tongue in cheek morality tale, and yet it was a long while before I checked out other books by the strange Roald Dahl with his sense of wicked humour! He created such absurd events that kids think are funny and his characters are memorable whether models of goodness, zany or repulsive. He appeals to the imagination of kids and gives perspectives from all types of characters. Often whimsical fantasies with warm sentiment and dashes of truth, like references to the abuse in boarding schools. His darkly comic figures were satiric. Many of his works, like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", "James and the Giant Peach," and" Matilda" have been made into movies. His books speak directly to children and appeal to even help reluctant readers. It is said he had a way to into the world of children, and I am sure having five of his own gave him a deeper outlook.
I was fascinated by the vast experiences of his life and how it may have contributed to his amazing, controversial and wacky expression!
Roald Dahl as born September 13, 1916 in South Wales and was raised by his mom after his sister and dad died when he was three. He was a lad who did not really fit the school system, quite imaginative and enjoying practical jokes. The Everlasting Gobstopperr in the "Chocolate Factory" was reminiscent of this favourite candy back in his school days! His abusive experiences in Prep school also gave him food for his stories. Apparently the Cadbury Factory would send test chocolates to his school and started him dreaming of invnting a new chocolate bar and being noticed by Cadbury! Guess that explains the seed of his book about Charlie! 
In 1934 he worked for Shell company in Africa and during the war he became a fighter pilot for the Royal Air Force in Africa. He wrote of one of his flights in his first works. He barely survived the plane crash! He became an attache officer to the British War commission in Washington and druing his various works there, he met C. S. Forrester who encouraged him to write his story for the paper. He also worked with Ian Fleming, who later Published "James Bond". Dahl himself later wrote screen play for You Only LIve Twice and the charming and funny, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!  Truly a man of many talents.
His first children's book was "Gremlins" and was written for Disney Productions as a promo for a feature length movie that newver was made. Speilburg's version in 1984 was inspired by the characters of that time.
In 1953 he married the actress Patricia Neal and had five kids and discovered kids to be informative test audience as they lose interest quickly.His son in pram was hit by a taxi cab and suffered with Hydrocephalus. He worked with Stanley Wade to develop a device to alleviate the brain condition. In 1962 his daughter died of and he dedicated "The BFG" to her. I 1965 his wife suffered with cerebral aneurysm while pregnant with 5th child. He looked after her rehabiliation so she eventually could walk, talk and return to her career. There is a movie about this time in their life. They later divorced in 1983. He married Felicity Crosland.
In 1960 He wrote "James and the Giant Peach", "Fantastic Mr. Fox in 1970, "The witches" in 1983 and "Matilda" in 1988. His stories championed the kindhearted and yet his work was often controversial! Critics and parents have sometimes not liked that the children often took harsh revenge on adult wrongdoers and the tales were macabre, even while children found it funny. He responded that kids do have this crude sense of humor and so recognize it.
Even so, he is popular. He uses exaggeration of character traits, lots of sound words, interesting adjectives and humoruous poems and twists words to make it sound wacky. If you look at Charlie and CF., often his poems poke fun at the greedy characters.
He uses characters to teach lessons about how other children are disrespectful or disobedient and how some adults are not so kind. He is an expert with personification and hyperbole.He was a master at onomatopoeia and invented all kinds of words for kids to figure out. "Scrumdiddlyumptious" and "splendiferous" are commonly known. And how about "zozimus" and "biffsquiggled" In 2016, Rennie created the "Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary"! I had no idea.
The author of 19 children's books, he was the recipient of various awards including the 1983 World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, and the British Book Awards' Children's Author of the Year in 1990. In 2008," The Times" placed Dahl 16th on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945 and he remains one of the most popular humourous writers for kids! I like that he left us believing that the good, kind, young will triumph over the old, greedy and wicked! His daughter Lucy once said "his spirit was so large and so big he taught us to believe in magic."
Roald Dahl passed in 1990 of a rare blood cancer and was buried in Buckinghamshire, England, where kids still leave toys on his grave. He ranks amongst the world's best-selling fiction authors with sales estimated at over 250 million, and his books have been translated in 60 languages. IT seems, ahem, adults like his works too!
How about YOU?
Have you read any of ROALD DAHL? Which is your favourite? What did you find funny about it?
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is still my favourite!
Thanks for reading!
eyestar 
https://www.quora.com/Why-are-Roald-Dahls-books-so-popular-if-most-of-them-are-v...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roald_Dahl
https://www.roalddahl.com/
https://www.biography.com/people/roald-dahl-9264648 |
Keep smiling!
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Hey readers! Have you read any of Roald Dahl? What is your favourite book or quote? Why did you like it? What made you laugh? Let's roll the peach! and find the magic ticket!
 Thanks for responding to my last edition. {nsl:8733}
Joy 
What a quilt that would make! Also a pastime more enjoyable than doing puzzles. Thanks for letting us know."
Great concept: a quilt!
Dad
I believe this is a fantastic example of a cento. At least, it's a great deal of fun. At least, it's a great deal of fun. C'mon over, check it out, throw in a line or two. "Linericks"
Oh Yes! Thanks for responding and promoting that link!
Jayne 
Thanks for including my poem, eyestar! I have the book the article mentions - Stephen Fry's Ode Less Travelled - and I highly recommend it. I haven't tried cento yet, but it sure looks like fun!
Cool! I must check it out. He is a funny guy!
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