Roald Dahl: Boy. Tales of Childhood. (1987, Penguin 1987.)
160 pages
English language
Published Dec. 30, 1987 by Penguin 1987..
Boy is an autobiographical book by British writer Roald Dahl. This book describes his life from birth until leaving school, focusing on living conditions in Britain in the 1920s and 1930s, the public school system at the time, and how his childhood experiences led him to writing as a career. It ends with his first job, working for Royal Dutch Shell. His autobiography continues in the book Going Solo. An expanded edition titled More About Boy was published in 2008, featuring the full original text and illustrations with additional stories, letters, and photographs. It presents humorous anecdotes from the author's childhood which includes summer vacations in Norway and an English boarding school.
Not so much a biography as a series of vivid memories or anecdotes, this is eminently readable and enjoyable to boot. Within these memories also lie some kernels that would sprout into scenes in his later books. Read primarily as a precursor to Going Solo, I really liked this book.
