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Dublin: 11 °C Friday 15 November, 2024

14 memories from Roald Dahl books that will always be with you

If you have good thoughts…

STEVEN SPIELBERG HAS announced plans to direct a new film version of Roald Dahl’s The BFG.

This should be exciting news for anyone who’s ever delved into the wonderful world of Dahl’s books, from Matilda to The Twits to Fantastic Mr Fox.

Here are some of the memories we’ll always hold dear…

1. The concoction from George’s Marvellous Medicine

  • Shampoo
  • Toothpaste
  • Shaving soap
  • Face cream
  • Nail varnish
  • Sheep medicine
  • Pig pills
  • Cow medicine
  • Horse medicine
  • Curry powder
  • Spices

20080810-IMG_0013 kikaider kikaider

  • Automatic washing powder
  • Floor Polish
  • Flea Powder
  • Brown show polish
  • Lipstick
  • Perfume
  • Hairspray
  • Engine oil
  • Anti freeze
  • Grease
  • Dark brown gloss paint (for colour)

George's_Marvellous_Medicine_first_edition Wikimedia Wikimedia

2. How disgusting snozzcumbers sounded

The poor BFG had nothing else to eat, and only frobscottle to drink. And everyone knows frobscottle causes whizzpopping.

1010572-_17 E-reading E-reading

3. But how delicious snozzberries* sounded

Snozzberries Squarespace Squarespace

*Or did they? According to the Roald Dahl Wikia the word ‘snozzberry’ was also used in his novel My Uncle Osward as a slang term for penis. 

Oh. 

4. The disgusting beard from The Twits

Beards weren’t always the glorious man face rugs they are today.

beardff2 Imageshack Imageshack

The_Twits_first_edition Wikimedia Wikimedia

5. The granny from George’s Marvellous Medicine’s mouth

It was described as a “small puckered up mouth like a dog’s bottom”.

So vivid. So disturbing.

gmm4 Wordpress Wordpress

6. Staring at something really hard… just in case

How many of you spent hours staring at candles and pencils trying to train yourselves?

Hey, if Matilda could do it…

img_0708 Wordpress Wordpress

tumblr_m09vyv0Mha1rn95k2o1_500 Tumblr Tumblr

7. Becoming suspicious that you definitely knew a witch

Sure they were lurking EVERYWHERE, with their cleverly concealed bald heads and plans to turn children into mice.

TheWitches Wikimedia Wikimedia

8. And trying to convince your parents that you didn’t need a bath

The Witches could only smell out clean children. If you were dirty, you were safe.

tumblr_mcqcgcF9vP1rqn2nwo21_r2_500 Georginagraham Georginagraham

9. Ugly people have ugly thoughts

But if you have good thoughts…
http://imgur.com/gallery/s2RTy

10. Photos of Roald Dahl as a boy

Dahl’s autobiographical works Boy and Going Solo contained several black and white images of his childhood and young adult years. Like these:

1010577-_14 e-readings.ws e-readings.ws

11. That chocolate cake

Poor old Bruce Bogtrotter stole a piece of cake from Matilda’s headteacher Mrs Trunchbull. And then he had to pay the price, and eat this monstrosity:

trunchbull-cake-and-cookie Screengrab Screengrab

Xk0lmMD Imgur Imgur

The cast re-enacted the scene from the movie version of Matilda for its 17th anniversary.

This is Bruce Bogtrotter now:

TvA0FEW Imgur Imgur

12. Your dreams and nightmares in jars

The BFG worked tirelessly to collect good dreams in jars to blow into the bedrooms of sleeping children. He could pick up the sounds of the dreams (and nightmares) with his enormous ears.

tumblr_m90v701Ks21qiv5yk Tumblr Tumblr

Roald Dahl wrote this letter to a little girl who sent him a dream in 1989. So many feels.

TIL about the awesomeness of Roald Dahl - Imgur Imgur Imgur

13. Finding a Golden Ticket

We can’t be alone in remembering ripping open a Dairy Milk or a Caramac in the hopes there might be a coveted Golden Ticket inside, just like Charlie.

CC_Wonka-Bar-from-the-movie Collectingcandy Collectingcandy

14. Just how fantastic was Fantastic Mr Fox?

It was tough not to root for the charismatic Mr Fox, but we couldn’t help feel sorry for those poor chickens.

Mr_fox2 Teachingchildrenphilosophy Teachingchildrenphilosophy

Did we miss any of your favourite memories or books? Let us know in the comments section… oh and watch out for witches!

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Author
Emer McLysaght
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