Scan barcode
ravenclawboi33's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, and Physical abuse
Boarding school talked about, with all the child abuse that comes with itkingsteph's review
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Medical trauma and Car accident
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, and Child death
acutefauna's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
jesterbrooks's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.25
Dahl has a way of writing even in memoirs that shines through and paints everything in a certain bucolic, if somewhat disturbing, light. A pretty quick read that was entertaining throughout. The illustrations and images he includes bring more life to the stories, and although a number are dark expositions on the widespread child abuse of the 20th century, it didn't embitter him to the joys of the world. I recommend this to anyone who enjoy's Dahl's books and wants some insight into his life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Minor: Death
orchidd's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Physical abuse
n_t_sh_'s review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Car accident, and Medical trauma
Minor: Death of parent and Child death
bookstorian's review against another edition
5.0
After listening to the latest episode of About a book podcast all about the Whacky World of Roald Dahl I discovered that I already had both of his autobiographies on my shelves and gladly picked up the first on a slow Wednesday morning.
Just as the opening letter from Roald himself promised there are stories of sadness, horror and humour amongst the pages of his book which was written just like one of his children' stories. There was engaging tales on every page, from his family trips to Norway, the horrendous medical drama, the excerpts from his letters and accounts of his passion for photography.
The love for his home and his mother oozed into many a story and it is largely thanks to her that he has so many memories written in his own hand and shared with the world in his first autobiography. She truly seemed to be a strong and admirable woman. Some of the more difficult stories to hear were the ones about the cruetly Roald and his class mates experienced at the hands of his teachers. These experiences truly had a lasting impact on his life and it made me incredibly disappointed in the history of the education system.
If you enjoy memoirs, biographies and auto-biographies I highly recommend this read.
Just as the opening letter from Roald himself promised there are stories of sadness, horror and humour amongst the pages of his book which was written just like one of his children' stories. There was engaging tales on every page, from his family trips to Norway, the horrendous medical drama, the excerpts from his letters and accounts of his passion for photography.
The love for his home and his mother oozed into many a story and it is largely thanks to her that he has so many memories written in his own hand and shared with the world in his first autobiography. She truly seemed to be a strong and admirable woman. Some of the more difficult stories to hear were the ones about the cruetly Roald and his class mates experienced at the hands of his teachers. These experiences truly had a lasting impact on his life and it made me incredibly disappointed in the history of the education system.
If you enjoy memoirs, biographies and auto-biographies I highly recommend this read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content and Child abuse
daisyroberds's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Child death
_mi's review
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
3.0
Pretty light-hearted, fun, lovely and easy to read.
But there are so topic's that might trigge the sensitivity of others so I would be aware of that even though it isn't extremely intense.
Overall the book is lovely and got me out of a reading slump.
But there are so topic's that might trigge the sensitivity of others so I would be aware of that even though it isn't extremely intense.
Overall the book is lovely and got me out of a reading slump.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Medical trauma
miriamana's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
I read this book as a young child who adored Roald Dahl's books for children. In 'Boy', I was absolutely fascinated and enamoured by the descriptions of the young Dahl getting into trouble and surviving ordeals in a world so unlike my own but so strikingly close to the fictional worlds he wrote about. Cruel adults, fiendish pranks, and grand ambitious adventure are all fixtures of the Dahl story that quite naturally mirror his fiction. The narration is very like Dahl's fictional narration, which makes his recounted memories sound like tall tales, but it's as fun and engaging as any Dahl story about childhood. I hadn't realised that Dahl wrote 'Boy' just a few years before his death - I used to cry as a child thinking of how I would never be able to meet my favourite writer... but as an adult now, perhaps I'm glad I didn't! The charm and adventure and prosperity of Dahl's life retold in 'Boy' that was so enthralling to me as a child now grates on me, but maybe I'm jaded and bitter from realising the questionable undertones of Dahl's work and character. I was certainly watching with glittering eyes the world around me as a child and seeing magic everywhere - I have to give Dahl credit for that, and this book is undoubtedly marvellous for fans of his children's stories.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Child abuse
More...