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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Got better as you read it. Would be 4 stars if the beginning didn’t feel slow.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
I sure enjoy the way he writes books. This one was more about experiences he had while growing up and each chapter had a new theme or event. It was just so enjoyable. If you like his books, then you'll really enjoy this one.
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Very interesting stories about Dahl's childhood. The thrashing in this memoir really shocked me. How in the world did this exist in the so-called modern civilized country? And the part about Dahl going to work really impressed me too. He real had such a decided mind that he refused the offering of his superior,and ended up with getting to the wonderland he had always been wanting to set foot on, which is the Africa. Wonderful book.
slow-paced
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Roald Dahl shares memories of his childhood from birth until his first job, talking about the time he thought he'd killed somebody, his school experience, his summer holidays in Norway and the time his sister first drove a car.
I wasn't exactly looking forward to reading this. I remember reading an excerpt during my GCSEs and thinking how dull it sounded. I've not considered reading this book for over a decade, and now I feel silly because it's a delight.
Like his fiction, Roald Dahl has a way with words, drawing you into his stories and adding humour, even the not-so-funny stories. It is easy to see where Dahl drew inspiration for many of his stories and his characters.
Dahl spoke significantly about his mother and admired the woman who raised him. After reading about the time she walked out of the house and headed to talk to the Headmaster at Dahl’s school, I also developed a certain respect for her. She was a remarkable woman and probably a rare kind in the mid-twenties.
Life in the ‘20s and ‘30s sounds like a mixture of wonder and a nightmare. The good times have an allure to them, how without modern conveniences, things took time, and nothing was taken for granted. The bad sounds horrific - medical treatments without anaesthetics, being a passenger in a car with the driver only having had two 30-minute sessions and caning. Caning sounds brutal. And I’m surprised that it wasn't only dished out by the masters but also the older students.
If you've ever wondered how liquorice is made, Thwaites’ father, a doctor, said it is made out of rats’ blood.
I wasn't exactly looking forward to reading this. I remember reading an excerpt during my GCSEs and thinking how dull it sounded. I've not considered reading this book for over a decade, and now I feel silly because it's a delight.
Like his fiction, Roald Dahl has a way with words, drawing you into his stories and adding humour, even the not-so-funny stories. It is easy to see where Dahl drew inspiration for many of his stories and his characters.
Spoiler
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was inspired by a situation in boarding school where Cadbury sent newly invented chocolates to be rated by the boys. Dahl would imagine himself inventing the best chocolate bar ever and impressing Mr. Cadbury so much.Dahl spoke significantly about his mother and admired the woman who raised him. After reading about the time she walked out of the house and headed to talk to the Headmaster at Dahl’s school, I also developed a certain respect for her. She was a remarkable woman and probably a rare kind in the mid-twenties.
Life in the ‘20s and ‘30s sounds like a mixture of wonder and a nightmare. The good times have an allure to them, how without modern conveniences, things took time, and nothing was taken for granted. The bad sounds horrific - medical treatments without anaesthetics, being a passenger in a car with the driver only having had two 30-minute sessions and caning. Caning sounds brutal. And I’m surprised that it wasn't only dished out by the masters but also the older students.
If you've ever wondered how liquorice is made, Thwaites’ father, a doctor, said it is made out of rats’ blood.
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced