Boy: Tales of Childhood

I love the title of this autobiography! So many times while reading his story, I could hear the screech of one adult or another starting with this one simple word. Often times, when I think about an author I imagine them to be a studious and extremely professional person always with a pen in their hand incase inspiration hits them. Not once have I tried to imagine them as children or the silly predicaments they surely got themselves into just like anyone else. It’s with these thoughts, that I began reading the autobiography Boy: Tales of Childhood written by Roald Dahl.

As I read through the book, I was surprised to see how many hardships he had endured during his childhood without carrying any of the burden or negative emotions I surely would’ve had if I’d experienced the same events. It’s no wonder that he was able to develop such wonderfully fantastic stories when he was able to keep such a positive spirit throughout his childhood.

The stories he reveals in his narrative follow along the lines of any other childhood memory, however he manages to do it in a very unique way. Instead of just telling the reader what the kids do with the dead mouse, he draws it out into a sort of adventure that leaves you squirming and second guessing your choice of tootsie rolls as a snack. (Yes, I threw a wary glance at my pile of candy). 

Though Roald Dahl was lucky to be a part of a wealthier family growing up during the 1900’s, he certainly didn’t have a charmed life as it was littered with bouts of corporal punishment handed out during his time at school, much to the disdain of his mother. As a student in a graduate Elementary Education program I was more than a little upset each and every time the cane was mentioned. I’m surprised he was able to conjure up a character like Ms. Honey in his other book Matilda, given the horrible experiences he’d had with teachers during his childhood.

Another interesting point to this book, aside from his childhood adventures, like putting goat droppings into a man’s pipe, was that many of the pages included actual letters he’d written and photos from his life! I found that these tidbits a neat and extra personal touch to his life story that couldn’t have been expressed the same way through words alone.

I’d like to note that this book is merely the first recounting the life experiences of Roald Dahl, and that if you’d like to read the rest of his adventures, you should pick up the sequel: Going Solo.