If you, like countless others, grew up reading Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s novels, including (but, of course, not limited to) Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, The BFG, and his most well-known story, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, then you know why he was bestowed the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, why his books have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide and why his stories remain relevant to this day, as the 2023 film adaptation, Wonka, undoubtedly proves.
Roald Dahl created captivating worlds filled with eccentric, unique characters who used their cleverness and perseverance to outwit evil wrongdoers and claim their happy endings. Dahl was an author who understood the brilliance of children’s minds and the power of imagination, and was intentional about highlighting those within his fantastical stories.
However, many readers might not know that Roald Dahl isn’t only a children’s author; he has in fact written screenplays, poetry, memoirs, numerous adult short story collections and even a few cookbooks. As much as he enjoyed writing for younger audiences, he also loved to push boundaries in his short story collections. There, Dahl engaged with darker, more twisted themes. He explored sexuality, power, manipulation and revenge while still incorporating dark humor and elements of playfulness in his work for grownups.
For those who want to familiarize themselves with Roald Dahl’s lesser-known work, here is a list of eight fiction and non-fiction books to discover.
My Uncle Oswald
Suppose you fell in love with Roald Dahl’s whimsical storytelling, the kind that often takes child protagonists on exhilarating adventures where they learn that with courage, they can endure any hardship and gain a cheerful, satisfying ending. Or maybe you’re looking for a Dahl book to read for nostalgia as an adult to take you back to the sweet innocence of childhood. If that’s the case, don’t read My Uncle Oswald. This book is not for you.
But if you’re interested in reading a story radically unlike the beloved children’s author’s other popular works—one that is highly controversial, will shock you to the point of making you blush, and might even cause you to let out a few uncomfortable giggles at the truly outlandishly perverse plot—then give this book a chance.
This fictitious memoir follows the selfish, lustful, money-hungry character Oswald Hendryks Cornelius as he discovers that with the use of an unusually powerful aphrodisiac and a business partner willing to use seduction as a weapon used for thievery of the crudest kind, they can carry out a scandalous scheme that will allow them to amass immense wealth. These riches just so happen to come at the cost of their morality.
Skin and Other Stories
Although you might automatically associate Roald Dahl with his children’s novels, he is also a talented short-story writer who enjoys crafting disturbing, twisted and bizarre plots for a more mature audience.
Included in this collection are 11 clever stories that involve a man with a priceless back tattoo, a happy homemaker turned murderous and a man whose competitiveness and greed cause his time aboard a cruise ship to become disastrous. Roald Dahl dazzles with these darkly comedic, satirical stories that will amuse and captivate readers.
Boy: Tales of Childhood
Roald Dahl claimed that this book was not an autobiography. Within the dedication, he explicitly expresses, “I would never write a history of myself.” As a result, rather than a dull account of his life, Dahl chose to include only memories that made a lasting impression on him of his childhood and young adult years. Boy: Tales of Childhood is an amalgamation of painful, hilarious, upsetting, and joyful recollections that the author guarantees are all true.
Stories include his experiences in boarding school, during which he dealt with abusive teachers, and the opportunity he and his peers had to test and critique sweets from Cadbury. Fans of his children’s books will enjoy learning more about the inspiration for his works, including Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. After reading, you’ll feel much closer to understanding the imaginative storyteller who significantly impacted many of our childhoods.
Going Solo
Many people may not be aware of the incredibly eventful life that Roald Dahl had before becoming a bestselling writer. Going Solo is the sequel to Boy: Tales of Childhood and focuses on stories from Dahl’s early adulthood, including when he ventured from his home in England to Africa, where he lived and worked for three years, finding himself up close and personal with wildlife, including dangerous black mambas and ferocious lions.
It also includes his harrowing experiences as an RAF pilot during World War II, as he describes his hasty training process and his near-fatal plane crash that led to a severe nose and skull injury that forced him to recover for several months, but ultimately didn’t deter him from fighting in the battle against the German invasion of Greece. Expressed through Dahl’s mesmerizing prose, readers uncover an unbelievably exciting life that would eventually impact the wacky and wonderful plots of his beloved novels.
Cruelty
Cruelty is a collection of 10 evocative short stories that examine the various ways in which people can be callous towards one another even when they believe they are intrinsically kind. This book is part of a larger collection of eight books named after the specific themes each of them explores, including Deception, Lust and Madness.
This collection of stories is interested in capturing the darkest parts of humanity and asks us to think about why humans get satisfaction from making others suffer. Stories include an adulterous wife and a husband with a secret of his own, two new parents whose anxiety over their malnourished newborn drives them to take drastic measures, and vicious child bullies whose tormenting leads their unfortunate target to have an astounding transformation. Some tales are chilling, others are touching, and every single one promises to be thought-provoking.
Completely Unexpected Tales
Completely Unexpected Tales is a collection of stories comprised of two previously published volumes called Tales of the Unexpected and More Tales of the Unexpected, and are aptly titled as the stories are unusual, surprising and filled with Roald Dahl’s distinctive macabre sense of humor with plenty of clever twists to keep readers on their toes.
From a story about a mistreated wife who finds herself in a new position of power to a butler who teaches his snobby employer an important lesson about knowledge and sophistication, readers will have a grand time with this satisfying collection.
Memories with Food at Gipsy House
Among his well-known children’s novels and his incredible adult short story collections, Roald Dahl also collaborated with his wife, Felicity Dahl, to write this cookbook/food memoir that emphasizes his and his family's love for great cuisine, great wine and even better company. Readers will get the chance to learn more about his multicultural heritage through personal recipes that have nourished his loved ones through generations.
Whether it be special dishes during the holidays or their everyday family meals, Roald Dahl and Felicity Dahl express how meaningful food is in their lives by including heartfelt anecdotes, photographs and sketches illustrated by his longtime creative partner Quentin Blake. This nostalgic, comforting book honors those beautiful moments between family and friends that can only transpire while seated around a dining room table.
My Year
During the last year of his life, Roald Dahl decided to keep a diary of his musings on the nature that surrounded his home for an entire year. This book captures the transformation that comes with each passing season, his observations on the various small animals and plants he found fascinating and the fond memories of his adolescence that he was reminded of with each month's arrival.
It’s a reflective read from someone who took joy in the small, often-overlooked aspects of life and will serve as a reminder for others to acknowledge the wonders of nature and try to see the beauty of the world as you did as a child who was experiencing everything for the first time.
