Encyclopedias Etc.

Roald Dahl

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias Biographies Literary Criticisms

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias are a great way to find some introductory material on Roald Dahl, as they usually include biographical information as well as a bibliography. The most helpful ones will of course be of a literary nature, focusing primarily on Dahl’s body of work for adults.

Commire, Anne, ed. Something about the Author: Facts and Pictures about Authors and Illustrators of Books for Young

People. Vol. 26. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1982.

PN451. S6 V26 – SILS. This reference gives a good history of both his writings (divided into adult literature, juvenile literature, collections, screenplays, movie and filmstrip adaptations, works for television, plays, recordings, and which periodicals he contributed short stories to) and his personal life. There are many direct quotes from his work and quite a lot of autobiographical information – most but curiously not all cited. There is a good “For more information see” section that lists literary criticisms and suggested readings for adults and children. However, as it was published 10 years prior to his death, it is not as complete as it could be. Also, the lack of citations is a bit of a problem, but overall this is a good source to consider for a broad overview.

Grigsby, John L. “Roald Dahl.” Dictionary of Literary Biography: British Short-Fiction Writers, 1945-1980. Ed. Dean Baldwin.

Vol. 139. Detroit: Gale Research Inc, 1994.

PS21 .D5185 - Davis Reference, Row 3. This source contains a detailed biography and some criticism that focuses on Dahl’s works for adults. This includes information on how they were received as well as a discussion of common themes in Dahl’s work. It is quite in-depth as it discusses individual works within each collection as well as the collections as a whole. Because it focuses on short fiction, his juvenile literature is entirely ignored, making this the best source for information on his body of literature for adults.

Kendle, Burton. “Roald Dahl.” Contemporary Novelists. Ed. D.L. Kirkpatrick. 4^th ed. London: St. James Press, 1986.

PR883 .C64 1986B – Davis. This edition contains a brief biography, list of works (short stories, children’s books, novels, plays, verse, “other”) and some criticism of his short stories.

Biographies:

Treglown, Jeremy. Roald Dahl: A Biography. NY: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1994.

If you are looking for an in-depth, well researched and comprehensive explanation of who Roald Dahl was and what his life was like, and how his experiences were reflected in his work, this is an excellent option. Combining biography, history lessons, and literary criticism with interviews of Dahl’s family and friends, Treglown rectifies some discrepancies that can be found in Dahl’s own autobiographical works.

Literary Criticism:

In order to understand Dahl’s literature more fully, it is often educational to turn to criticisms of his works. The following contain some interesting places to start.

Bloom, Harold, ed. Modern Crime and Suspense Writers: Writers of English. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1995.

PS374 .D4 - Davis (This book is also available in E-Book format through UNC-Chapel Hill). This collection contains excerpts from several critiques of Dahl’s writings (both for adults and children, though primarily for adults), as well as a brief background on his writing career and an excellent interview with Twilight Zone. The entry on Dahl concludes with a bibliography.

Gunton, Sharon R., ed. “Roald Dahl.” Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 18. Detroit: Gale Research, 1981.

PN 771 .C59 - Davis Reference, Row 4. Volumes1 (1973), 6 (1976), and 18 (1981) collect reviews of Dahl’s collections of short stories for adults.

Vannatta, Dennis, ed. The English Short Story: 1945-1980. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1985.

PR829 .E533 1985 – Davis. Although this volume reviews a wide selection of short stories from this specific time period in England, there is quite a lot of information on Roald Dahl, and it describes the influences he ws subject to. There is also an index to help narrow the search for information on Dahl. It also contains a bibliography.

Warren, Alan. Roald Dahl (Starmont Contemporary Writers). WA: Starmont, 1988.

PR6054.A35 – Davis. This review contains criticism as well as biographical information. While it covers both Dahl’s juvenile and adult literature, there is an index at the back which can help narrow down a search. Although it doesn't appear at first glance to be very professional, it is quite detailed.

West, Mark I. Roald Dahl (Twayne’s English Authors Series). NY: Maxwell Macmillan International, 1992.

PR6054.A35 – Davis. This critical review also analyzes Dahl’s juvenile and adult bodies of work, and not surprisingly finds similarities between the two. It includes biographical information, a bibliography (including secondary works and interviews), a list of critical studies, and an index.

Created by Shauna Griffin. Last modified 12/03.
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