Roald Dahl- Bibliography

After reading about Roald Dahl for half an hour, I've learned that he is a very interesting person. Born and raised most of his life in England, he first began writing at the age of twenty six and published his first book in 1943. It was, surprisingly, written for s, but has been transformed into a common tale for children, James and the Giant Peach. The same year he did publish a picture book The Gremlins. His writing for children didn't really take off until the sixties, when he wrote favorites such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and other tales that are not as common but just as good.

Dahl's personal life is interesting as well. He married an actress, Patricia Neal, and they had five children together, the first dying at the age of seven. His first wife suffered from three strokes that occured one after another while she was pregnant. Fortunatly, he spent time devoted to her recovery and the child was born without complications. Still, one of his stepdaughters died due to a brain tumor. His children had a huge impact in his life and allowed him to tap into the creative side of writing that made him successful.

One last thing that I thought was rather intriguing was his passions. He loved orchids for thier uniqueness but also for the patience and attention they must be given to grow. He also enjoyed paintings by well known artists, including Cezanne. Living in the inventive time of chocolate, he enjoyed eating Caramello's, Aero's, Kit Kat's, Rolo's, and Smarties. Most of these are still common chocolates in Britain today. Lastly, he had a passion for conkers. Apparently, conkers is a game played by children in England. The player uses nuts that are commonly known in the US as chestnuts.

Source: http://www.roalddahl.com/