“A little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men.”
Ah, the wit of the soul who penned these words - Roald Dahl, an extraordinary storyteller.
When I strolled into the British Library and picked out my first book by Roald Dahl, little did I know that I would get pulled into a world like no other – a world where there was some nastiness, sure, but also generous helpings of kindness and laughter. I think ‘Matilda’ is my favourite novel by Dahl. Terrified after encountering Miss Trunchbull in the first read, I would still step into Matilda’s world for the umpteenth time, feel a wave of sympathy for her, and then a wave of delight that she had Miss Honey to love her. If you are a bookworm, I’m sure you felt a surge of indignance like I did, reading the part when Matilda’s father yells at her, “A book?! What d'you wanna flaming book for?” The gentle genius isn’t deterred, however, and starts a brilliant adventure, as you will find out when you read the book.
I would eagerly open ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and savour the descriptions of zany candy concoctions that would leap off the page and tantalise my taste buds. I mean, who wouldn’t want to sample Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight, Lickable Wallpaper or Luminous Lollies? If you haven’t yet, you should visit Wonka’s fascinating chocolate factory and meet the intriguing Oompa Loompas! I remember, when I was little, I would pretend that the shiny wrapper of a Cadbury bar was a golden ticket that could ‘transport’ me to the factory. It’s kind of embarrassing to admit now, but I would open every chocolate bar I got, with bated breath, just in case Wonka’s fictional contest suddenly turned real – where’s the harm in believing in a bit of magic, right?
If you venture out of Charlie’s world and choose to meet ‘The Twits’, prepare to be horrified as the weird couple at the heart of the action plays tricks on each other. But there’s sense hidden in what some may call nonsense. Here is a part of the story that I have never forgotten: “A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” A quote-worthy musing on inner beauty, isn’t it?
Words like these finding their place in my heart, I continued on my Dahlian journey. As a child, I was pretty alarmed while treading into the dark fantasy world of ‘The Witches’ but in retrospect, the novel could be seen as a rebellious commentary against certain rules of aesthetics imposed on women. Interestingly, there are readers who have drawn amazing feminist lessons from this story! “It doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like as long as somebody loves you.” It can sound a little cheesy but these words shine true in our lives.
Well, the world Dahl has created is simply splendiferous (a word coined by the author himself)! Yes, he has made up some fantastic words that have been put together in the Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary. His clever style is sure to leave you chuckling or at the very least, grinning! So, it’s not surprising that many of Dahl’s books, rich in imagery and dialogue, were adapted into equally enthralling films! I must add that Quentin Blake’s illustrations, sprinkled generously among the words, are the coffee to Dahl’s scrumdiddlyumptious cake of writing.
Wisdom meets fun and humour seamlessly in Dahl’s story factory. His stories offer a comforting sense that you are not alone, and there is always someone who understands and helps you when you are in a fix. Also, as Matilda puts it, “Somewhere inside all of us is the power to change the world.” Simple words that celebrate self-belief... And then, on the other hand, the Big Friendly Giant says, “Meanings is not important. I cannot be right all the time. Quite often I is left instead of right.” Musing on this, realising how true it can be, how can we let our egos be inflated and take ourselves too seriously? Perhaps Dahl wanted his young readers to try striking that balance between being confident and being humble. These are messages that go right to the heart and stay there, no matter how old we grow. Truly, a story by Roald Dahl is a golden ticket to a glorious - I mean, gloriumptious reading experience.
~Vidisha Chirmulay
Full-Time Faculty