Teller of the Unexpected - The Life of Roald Dahl, An Unofficial Biography

Book of the Week on Radio 4, and in the Observer, Sunday Times, Daily Mail and The Week 'Riveting, and immaculately written' Sunday Telegraph 'A superb psychological study of a literary genius' Business Post 'A rounded picture... and gets to Dahl's flawed, human core' Country Life 'Crisply done and well-judged' TLSA brand-new biography of Roald Dahl, re-evaluating the received narrative surrounding the life of the much-loved author and creator of numerous iconic literary characters - from one of our finest contemporary biographers.Roald Dahl was one of the world's greatest storytellers. He considered his vocation to be as bold and exciting as an explorer's and, in his writing for children, he was able to tap into a child's viewpoint throughout his life. He crafted tales that were exotic in scenario, frequently invested with a moral, and filled with vibrant characters that endure in the public imagination to the present day.

About the author

Matthew Dennison is the author of nine critically acclaimed works of non-fiction, including Behind the Mask: The Life of Vita Sackville-West, a Book of the Year in The Times, Spectator, Independent and Observer, and the much-praised Eternal Boy, a life of Kenneth Grahame, and his biography of Her late Majesty The Queen, published by Head of Zeus.

Summary

A concise life of Roald Dahl – much-loved author and creator of numerous iconic literary characters.

Foreword

From one of our finest contemporary biographers, a concise life of Roald Dahl - much-loved author and creator of numerous iconic literary characters.

Additional text

An elegant new biography... capturing [Dahl's] grandiose, tragedy-specked life.

Report

Devotes a large chunk of his book to Dahl's Norwegian family and schooldays; their combination of warmth, tragedy, inspiration and savagery is brilliantly evoked... [His account] makes you feel grudging admiration for a bully whose self-belief was, in a way, heroic Sunday Times

Product details

• Authors: Matthew Dennison, Dennison Matthew
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Trade
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 01.08.2023
• EAN: 9781788549448
• ISBN: 978-1-78854-944-8
• No. of pages: 272
• Dimensions: 130 mm x 18 mm x 198 mm
• Weight: 202 g
• Illustrations: 1 x 8pp col
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature > Letters, diaries; Humanities, art, music > History; Non-fiction book > Art, literature > Biographies, autobiographies; England, Biography: general, Biography: historical, political & military, English, LITERARY CRITICISM / Children's & Young Adult Literature, HISTORY / Europe / Great Britain / 20th Century, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, Non Fiction, Biography: historical, political and military, Children's & teenage literature studies, Children’s and teenage literature studies: general