With over 20 children’s books to his name, including favourites such as Matilda, The BFG and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and countless short stories, is it any wonder that Roald Dahl has written his way into the hearts of not only the British public, but audiences across the globe?
Roald Dahl’s whimsical world of audiobooks has ignited countless imaginations and inspired some of the most iconic films of all time, attracting the likes of Johnny Depp, Wes Anderson and Steven Spielberg.
The world of film and TV is full of Dahl fans, and don’t we just know it. Over the past few years, we’ve welcomed comedians, directors and Academy Award winners into the Amazon Audible offices to turn some of their favourite Roald Dahl classics into audiobooks - from Richard Ayoade’s razztwizzling reading of The Twits, to The BFG, scrumdiddlyumptiously narrated by multi-award winning comedian David Walliams.
Although Dahl himself is no longer with us, his playfulness and sense of humour live on. Here, we look back at the life of one of the world’s best-loved writers, and after much deliberation, picked out what we think are the top 10 Dahl must-listens.
Not all chocolate and snozzberries
There’s always been darkness in fairy tales, but Dahl’s stories seem to go one step further, entering the realms of nastiness and cruelty, from child-eating giants to the evil Miss Trunchball – a wicked teacher whose speciality is swinging children by their hair and throwing them out of the window (brilliantly brought to life in Kate Winslet’s performance of Matilda). It’s as if Dahl is warning his young audience about the realities of the real world, which he himself had been exposed to throughout his life.
Behind the stories
Born on 13th September 1916, Dahl was just three and a half years old when both his sister, Astri, and father, Harald, died within weeks of each other. The outbreak of World War II saw Dahl join the RAF as a Pilot Officer, and in September 1940, saw him suffer severe injuries to his head, nose and back, after crashing his aircraft. He would then spend six months in hospital recovering from his injuries. He was eventually sent home in 1941 after experiencing debilitating headaches, being deemed unable to fly.
His first children’s story, The Gremlins, is said to be inspired by his time in the RAF, referring to folklore tales about the creatures responsible for mechanical failures on aeroplanes. In fact, it’s said that the 1984 film, Gremlins, is loosely based on Dahl’s work.
Given the darkness that seemed to shadow Dahl’s life, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that although best-known for his children’s stories, he also wrote a number of titles for adults. Often based on his own experiences, these stories are the Dahl we know and love, but with a wicked twist. If you’re new to Dahl’s adult stories, a good place to start is Boy & Going Solo, two of Dahl’s most compelling adult pieces in one audiobook - narrated by Patrick Malahid. Both fascinating listens, Boy & Going Solo draw upon the experiences that have helped define him, from the troubles of boarding school, to the brutalities of war, to his time as a chocolate taster for Cadbury’s.
Gobblefunk
As well as creating some of the most creative, funny and lovable characters of all time, Dahl also managed to invent over 500 weird and wonderful words. His distinctive use of language (known as Gobblefunk) not only found its way into the hearts of millions, it found its way into the Oxford English Dictionary – an achievement that can surely only be described as gigantuous.
Dahl knew how much children (and grown-ups) loved words and letter-combinations that were fun to pronounce, such as biffsquiggled, whizzpopping or jumpsquiffing. They are words that were made to be read aloud - possibly one of the reasons Roald Dahl and audiobooks go so well together. After all, where else are you going to listen to Douglas Hodge say scrumdiddlyumptious than in his read of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?
While every word is fun to say, there is a certain familiarity with all of them. When used in context of the story, suddenly they make sense. And characters were no exception. The appropriately-named Augustus Gloop (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) is unusual, but with Dahl’s style of writing, most people understand that he is a greedy fat boy, whose disrespect and disobedience is an unacceptable way to behave – a life lesson often conveyed in Dahl’s stories.
A phizz-whizzing legacy
His ability to see through the eyes of a child saw him captivate imaginations in a way other writers simply couldn’t. His unique use of rhyme, rhythm, humour and wordplay brought his worlds to life, allowing listeners to engage in all areas of his stories. Although it’s virtually impossible to choose the best, we thought we’d take this time to share with you the Roald Dahl audiobooks we think are nothing short of gloriumptious.
Many of us will be familiar with Matilda through the 1996 film, but it is in this audiobook where you can listen to Academy Award winner Kate Winslet bring to life this story of a precarious little girl and the rotten adults casting shadows over her world. In this classic Roald Dahl title, listeners are introduced to Matilda - an extraordinary young girl with magical powers, mean and negligent parents, and a cruel headmistress. This heart-warming story will have listeners rooting for Matilda as she uses her wit, intelligence and superpowers to make her childhood years more exciting and bearable.
An award-winning children’s story writer himself, this enchanting audiobook about a flatulent, whizpopping, frobscottle-glugging, dream-weaver giant is charmingly brought to life by the one and only David Walliams. The BFG (short for ‘The Big Friendly Giant’) is one of the best-loved characters in the enchanting Roald Dahl universe. Eight-year-old Sophie is naturally terrified when she comes across a 24-foot giant late one night. But she soon learns that not all giants are scary and threatening. This heart-warming listen demonstrates the true power of friendship and the importance of standing up to injustice.
BAFTA Award winner Richard Ayoade is best known for his role as a socially awkward IT Technician in the hit television series, The IT Crowd. Here we listen to him take on a very different role, using his subtle wit and charm to tell the story of The Twits and their Muggle-Wump monkeys who are hell-bent on taking their revenge. Get ready to be shocked and grossed out by the world of Mr and Mrs Twit, a smelly old man who has a beard infested with food and his old haggard wife with a glass eye. Follow their weird antics as you root for their monkeys in their attempt to get their own back at their awful owners!
Celebrated actor and comedian Chris O’Dowd’s ability to adapt and play different characters is second to none. In Fantastic Mr Fox, he is no different. His energy and enthusiasm makes for an engaging audiobook that is as fantastic as the name suggests. The smart and sneaky fox creeps down into the valley to have his daily feast, as he helps himself to food from the land of three gluttonous farmers. But they’ve finally had enough, so they hatch a plan to put an end to the crafty Mr Fox’s antics. Being as fantastic as he is, the artful Mr Fox will go to great lengths to avoid his fate and get out of there alive! This title is a must-listen that will grip listeners with Dahl’s larger-than-life caricatures of the three farmers, and Mr Fox’s playful and ridiculous plans.
Just one listen of Danny the Champion of the World, narrated by comedian and writer Peter Serafinowicz, is enough to make you feel all warm inside. His soft, calming tones take you on an adventure that is as marvellous as it is touching. The young and impressionable Danny looks up to his father as the most wonderful and admirable dad in the world. But listeners soon find out that Danny’s dad is keeping a big secret - one that leads the two of them on a father and son adventure like no other. Danny truly becomes the champion of the world in this thrilling audiobook.
Best known for his starring role as Dr ‘Mac’ Macartney in the comedy series Green Wing, Julian Rhind-Tutt‘s natural wit and charisma will leave you feeling every bit a part of this daring explorer’s adventure into a bizarre world. James Henry Trotter lives with two ghastly old women, Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. The lonely young boy, in the unfortunate company of his two horrid aunties, makes a peculiar discovery one day… A giant peach growing in the back of their garden! To add to his surprise discovery, the bedazzled James is met by some unusual insects that invite him on a magic adventure!
If there was anyone worthy of reading the work of Roald Dahl, it’s Sir Derek Jacobi CBE. Knighted for his services to theatre in 1994, his animated portrayal of George Kranky’s irritable old Grandma will leave you rooting for George more than ever before. The young boy really despises his Grandma, for whom he is in charge of giving medicine to. Desperate to cure her of her grouchiness, scheming George sets out to make a magic medicine that he can give her - to make both of their lives easier! Will George succeed as he plays with potions, or will it all go awry?
He has already taken Willy Wonka to the West End, now Douglas Hodge brings his flare and enthusiasm to this much-loved audiobook. Arguably Roald Dahl’s most famous children’s book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory follows the hopes and dreams of young Charlie Bucket, as his life changes in an instant. Poor Charlie, who lives with his bed-ridden grandparents and survives on cabbage soup, hits the jackpot when one of Willy Wonka’s golden tickets falls into his hands.
Alongside four other winners, Charlie’s life is changed forever as he enters the world of pure imagination that is Willy Wonka’s magnificent chocolate factory.
The award-winning actress Miranda Richardson is no stranger to playing the roles of vibrant and intelligent women in her work. In this elegant and energetic audiobook, Richardson plays ‘grandmamma’, her young grandson, and the frightening Grand High Witch tremendously.
This gripping listen is on the scarier side of children’s fiction, as it introduces listeners to the chilling world of The Witches. In this Roald Dahl classic children’s title, a witch may look like a regular woman you meet on the street, perhaps your own teacher, the cashier in a supermarket, or even a close family friend. They’re all different but every witch has one thing in common - the desire to hunt and squelch children! As the cunning leader of the witches, the Grand High Witch, sets her sights on making every child disappear by turning them into mice, a smart young boy and his grandmother hatch a plan to stop her…
But will the driven and determined duo’s homemade potions and supernatural powers be enough to stop the force to be reckoned with that is the witches, and foil the Grand High Witch’s terrifying plan? Or will grandmamma lose her grandson and see him turn into a helpless little mouse?
Who better to read some of the world’s most popular kids’ stories than the man who created them? One audiobook, complete with five splendiferous listens. Need we say more? The late Roald Dahl is remembered as one of the most iconic children’s writers of all time. Get lost in Roald Dahl’s magical world of wonder, beyond your wildest imaginations, as he performs a selection of his most celebrated titles. This series includes narrations of some of his best-selling stories; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Enormous Crocodile, and The Magic Finger.
Discover more Roald Dahl.
