The Boy's Story: The Legend of Gnat Samson

By R. M. Dalton

The Boys Story is the second book in the Legend Series. It is the story of one of the characters in the first book, how he came to be where he was at the critical time.

Samuels father went to the border regions after the wars to rebuild. Some years later, Samuel is captured in a raid and taken away to a life of slavery.

Armed only with memories of a happy childhood, buoyed only by the hope of finding his home again, Samuel escapes and sets out on an apparently hopeless journey.

He passes through many landscapes and cultures. He finds people are much the same, and there are good and bad everywhere. Yet the further he goes, the more he is convinced that what they had back in his old home was fine and special, and he will get it back, or die trying.

He makes good friends along the way. He may be tempted to stay more than once, yet homesickness draws him on. And if he gets back, will he find his dream, or not?

The Boys Story is about integrity, honesty, and respectand above all, it is about being true to oneself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Aug 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499014303

Book preview

The Boy’s Story

The Legend of Gnat Samson

R. M. Dalton

Copyright © 2014 by R. M. Dalton.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 08/01/2014

Xlibris LLC

1-800-455-039

www.Xlibris.com.au

650839

Contents

Chapter 1—Taken

Chapter 2—Slavery

Chapter 3—Steppes

Chapter 4—Flight

Chapter 5—The Envoy

Chapter 6—Judith

Chapter 7—Caravan

Chapter 8—The Monk

Chapter 9—Port to Port

Chapter 10—Thanepolis

Chapter 11—Oldcross

Epilogue

Notes

Chapter 1—Taken

T he horse and rider stood silhouetted against the afternoon sky.

The horse turned to pick his way down the embankment. His hooves skidded, making the stones roll. The rider let him find his own way. He sat nonchalantly in the saddle leaning back, effortlessly maintaining his seat the way expert horsemen do.

Samuel watched them. Dad! he called as they reached the level ground. His father, who was hoeing the vegetable patch, stopped and looked around. Mother, who was just coming out of the farmhouse with some scraps for the hens, stopped and looked too… with interest at first, for visitors were a rare pleasure, but then with apprehension.

The horse was large and strong, a bay with the long shaggy hair of the horses of those northern grasslands that at long last blended into the tundras and snows of the bitter north. It was in splendid condition, though hard ridden and dusty. Its equipment was well made with silver trimming. Its rider was short and lean, sinewy and hard muscled, clad in leather. He had a blued steel skullcap on his head wrapped in a red and black striped turban and he carried a round shield with a spiked boss and a lance with a leaf-shaped point on a smooth-rubbed dark timber shaft. A curved, very wicked blade was sheathed at his side. A light pack was tied behind his saddle. His expression was impassive, his eyes black and unfathomable.

He paused his steed, looking Samuel’s mother up and down slowly. She was a buxom shapely woman; she had nice round arms, showing because her sleeves were rolled up for work, and she wore only a light cotton frock that the wind stirred slightly. Alarmed now, she clutched her bodice, standing unmoving. Her eyes flicked to her husband then back to the rider.

Samuel’s father stood with his hoe held lightly balanced in his two hands. His gaze was cool and watchful. The rider touched the horse with his heels and it walked forward as he swung his lance down until he stopped with the point almost touching father’s chest. Father looked the horseman in the eyes and did not flinch or give even a hair’s breadth of ground. The two sized each other up. Suddenly the lance swung up, the rider pulled the horse’s head around. He cantered into the sun, scrabbling and sliding up the bank, pulled over the top and then disappeared from sight, saving only that he cast a look over his shoulder at the woman, her boy, the ranch and its livestock. A stone rattled and bounced its way down the bank, then there was a moment of silence.

Mother heaved a sigh. Father let the hoe head drop to the ground. Samuel looked from one to the other. What was that about? he wanted to know.

Father had no doubts. That was a scout from the Horseherders, he declared. They must have a raiding party out. Go inside, Mavis and you too Samuel, we need to think this through. Quickly!

But Mica, she protested, he has gone has not he? What are you afraid will happen?

Samuel’s father was named Michael. Mica was her pet name for him; she had long since ceased to address him any other way, except for dearest and those sorts of names.

Father answered her only with a look. She held her hand out to Samuel and jerked her head towards the farm door. She went inside, but Samuel turned at the door to wait for his father. But father did not follow them. He hesitated for a heartbeat, considering whether the hoe was weapon enough, then he set off at a quick lope to the outbuilding they used as their butchery. He went inside, emerging immediately with one of the heavy killing knives and ran head down for the bank the rider had ascended only minutes before. Samuel saw him scramble up until his head was level with the top when he paused and looked carefully around. He went over the top on hands and knees. Samuel saw his father searching the country for a few moments before he stood up. Finally he returned at a run with the hoe held like a spear in one hand and the knife in the other. He seemed to recollect himself, and he leaned the hoe against the wall before he came inside, taking Samuel by the elbow. He still had the knife, but now he carefully held it handle first and he put it softly on the kitchen sink before taking his place in the high-backed chair at the table and gesturing to the others to sit.

Michael Montkirk, or Squire to be formal, was tall and broad shouldered. His face was ruddy from the long days outdoors. His hair showed a sprinkle of grey at the temples. His life for years now had been that of a farmer and rancher in this outpost of his country in the shadow of the hills that formed its border. He worked long and hard, was fit and capable and he was a man of courage—one who faced the changes of the seasons and the luck that the years bring, both good and ill. His was the courage of patience and endurance and resilient hope, not the explosive courage of a warrior who lives the deadly life of kill or be killed in the flash of blades, and it may be the greater courage of the two since it must be sustained by the will against the odds for long seasons; it is not fanned by rage and by danger that soon abates. But some time in the past, being the youngest son of a noble house, he had served as an officer in the army.

The rider has gone, said he, … for now. There is no sign of the main body, but that does not signify anything; they travel light and can move fast. They have taken whole countries in the past because they can ride faster than the messengers that try to carry news of their attacks. Village after village is overrun with no warning. They have the finest horses in the world. You saw him, Mavis and Samuel, he made no attempt at concealment. He did not care that we knew he was around. That must mean his troop are close and will be here soon.

Can we fight them, dad? asked Samuel.

Can we hide until they have passed? said his mother at the same time.

We would be outnumbered and would loose a fight, his father replied to Samuel (and anyway his old sword and buckler were laid up in the hall of his brother in Thanepolis; they were not here on the farm) and to Mavis he said, Possibly, but we need to think of others. Also if they decided to camp here for even a few days we would have to come out, and that would be that.

Mavis said, You are right, our duty is to warn the neighbours. You saddle the horse and ride, Mica!

Samuel’s first thought was, Mother is brave! and his second was, What about me? He was impressed and alarmed at the same time. He could not express all he felt; it was too complicated. He realised that in urging her husband to ride to warn neighbours she was volunteering to be left behind—she was putting their fate ahead of herself.

Father admired her for it, but he did not agree. I would not leave you, he said. Nor you, he said turning to Samuel. We will face this together as a family. Now, Sam son, hitch up the small wagon as fast as you know how: bring it to the door. Mavis, get some blankets, food, clothes… we may have to get right away; to Thanepolis even. I will open the gates so the animals will be able to get feed and water; they’ll die if they stay penned up.

Dad, called Samuel to his retreating back, for he was already on his way to the door, how long do we have?

I don’t know. We have a few hours of daylight left. If they are not here tonight, we will have until morning at least. We have a chance. Now let’s move it!

Father did not have time to explain but a horse can gallop a mile in two minutes or less. If the sound of a horse charge could travel a mile then by the time you heard the cavalry you would have one to two minutes to live. Father was not waiting until he heard the Horseherders coming before he ran for it.

Samuel looked at his mother for confirmation—things were moving too fast for him, and he had too many questions. She snapped, Horse! Cart! Go! then she actually ran to grab some bags and start putting things into them.

Samuel ran for the stable. Then he remembered that the horse was in the paddock. He started to run for the paddock then skidded to a halt and doubled back to get a bridle. Time seemed to be racing and his mind seemed to be in a muddle. By the time he got down to the field he was sweaty and panting, and the horse seemed unusually reluctant to come to his call. No doubt his anxiety carried in his voice and the horse was alarmed. Samuel forced himself to breathe deeply and call the horse in a wheedling tone, and not make a lunge for the horse lest it start and run away. But his heart was pumping and his hand trembled as he slipped on the bridle and buckled it. He left the gate open (and that felt all wrong!) wriggled onto the horse’s bare back and rode it to the barn where he fitted him off and backed him into the shafts. He was trying to go as fast as he could and that seemed to make it slower because he made mistakes, and the straps and chains seemed to be resisting him.

But by the time he had walked the cart up to the door, his mother had still not quite finished. His father was gathering up a few papers, cash and the family Bible and he put them into a little tin box. Then he got some water in a jug and took them out to the wagon, placing them under the seat. He also put his knife in. Mother was still inside so they went in to see what they could do to help.

Mavis was standing in the main room with a filled bag at her feet, looking around with a very sorrowful expression. She heard them enter but did not turn, she just said, Give me a minute Mica. This is my home. We were happy here.

We were, love; we will be again. We can rebuild from the ground up if we need to. So long as we are together!

What about my things? My clothes, my pretty things? Mother’s cedar table? Your books? The paintings? she asked… but she knew already what about them, only she was reluctant, when it came to the crunch, to just walk away.

Michael said, Get your jewellery box then, but hurry. And to Samuel he said, Load this last bag. Turn the horse. Wait, have you got your warm coat? No? Run, Sam son, you may want it later. OK. Are we all ready now?

Father helped Mavis step up into the cart. He whistled and the dog that had been pacing around their legs panting and looking excited—he obviously knew something unusual was afoot—jumped into the cart and flopped onto the floor. Then Michael flicked the reins and they began to move out. Mavis turned around with a cry, Did you lock the door, Mica?

No… if they want in they will break the door anyway. Now, Samuel, on the floor near your feet, there are some blades from the shed and a stone. Choose one you think you can wield and hone up the edge.

Something about sharpening up a garden machete to use in combat brought the seriousness of their danger to Samuel’s mind more than all that had happened that afternoon.

The horse trotted down the laneway as steadily as ever it did on any ordinary day. The sun was getting well into the west and the light was growing mellow. There was neither sign nor sound of any Horseherder raiders. The whole flight seemed unreal. It was almost as if they would realise it was a mistake and turn around again any minute. But they did not. When Michael reached the farm gate, he stood on the cart seat to look around. His face was strained. He led the cart through and closed the gate again then, climbing in, they resumed the trot, but he was looking about him continually.

Can’t we go faster, Mica? mother asked.

Yes, but not for long. We only have Socks. We cannot afford to knock him up; we might have a long way to go. We will gather up everyone we can. Hopefully there will be farm hands we can send out to warn others—we cannot cover the whole district ourselves. If we get everybody into Oldcross we might be able to mount a defensive perimeter enough to hold off a raiding party. Depends on how many attackers there are and what they are after.

About ten minutes down the road they came to the gate of their nearest neighbour. Wheel tracks lead through a grassy field to a farmhouse a few hundred metres away sheltered from the winter winds by a belt of tall pine trees, as well as a barn and the other usual farm buildings. The Blacksmith’s were on a civil basis with the Montkirk’s but they did not rate as friends. The few minutes it took them to travel up the driveway seemed like hours to Samuel.

Michael told Samuel to hold the reins and to turn the wagon around. He helped Mavis step down then they walked quickly up to the house. Mrs Blacksmith had heard them coming and she opened the door before they got there. She welcomed them with a smile that was cordial although not eager, and it slipped when she saw how serious their expressions were.

Hello, Mavis. Hello, Squire Montkirk, she said, Is anything the matter?

Good afternoon, Emerlee, he replied, Yes, bad news, I’m afraid. Where is Mr Blacksmith?

In the barn, but…

Mavis, stay here please, said Mica and he ran for the barn.

Blacksmith put his face around the barn door. He looked at Michael Montkirk with bemusement. Howdy, Montkirk. Wazzamatta? Your place on fire? He laughed at his own joke and looking around he added, Mine ain’t! and he laughed some more.

We are pulling back to Oldcross. There is a Horseherder raiding party out! You need to grab your things and go at once! said Michael, without preamble.

Hold everything, hold everything! said Blacksmith, Says who? Have you been into the cider, Montkirk?

Zebulon, I don’t have time to stop and argue. There’s a raid on. The Horseherders are coming. I saw their scout.

Blacksmith laughed again. Horseherders coming are they? he said, Yeah, that’s what ole Ebor Tibor the labourer always said, him what lost an eye in the wars, ‘Horserherders are coming,’ he used to say, ‘mark my words’. Now you got the bee in your bonnet have you? Take more’n that to make me get excited. Come on, I’ll have Emerlee make us some tea then you can go home and sleep it off.

By this time they were walking back towards the farmhouse. Michael saw from his wife’s pursed lips that she was having no more success in communicating the danger than he was having. Gently he slipped an arm around her. Time to go, he said. Zebulon and Emerlee, trust me, this is real! Pack up and flee. If it is a false alarm you will be back in two days feeling a little silly, but if I’m right and you don’t go you will be dead! Please! Think! … We have to leave; there are others to warn. I need you to go out the back road and bring the Whitbreads and Donnervans. If you don’t believe me, please, Zebulon at least send a message to them. Tell them Michael Montkirk said to run for Oldcross. I hope we will see you soon.

Better me than green men on pink horses, hey Montkirk? Ha, ha!

Samuel had felt the passing minutes making a knot in his stomach. He was too far from the house to hear clearly what they said, but he could watch Emerlee Blacksmith go from surprise to suspicion to anger and finally to stubbornness. He watched his mother go from earnestness to frustration. Then when his father and Mr Blacksmith appeared he saw the amused disbelief on the one face and the concern and restrained impatience on his father’s. He knew what was happening even without hearing anything. He wanted to yell out, Forget them, Mom and Dad! Let’s go, please! Then he saw his father bringing his mother over to the wagon. With great relief he resumed his seat and handed the reins to father as he swung up. He could see his parents were angry and worried. Father urged Socks to a trot, but mother was looking back at the figures of the two Blacksmiths standing and not moving. Oh, Mica! Can’t we make them come? Michael sighed heavily but said nothing in reply: he just shook his head.

Time was running along. The sun was almost brushing the horizon by the time they had arrived at the next farm. This time the farmer was home and so was the wife. They were cleaning up at the end of a day that had begun at dawn. A stew was on the stove. Their oldest son was out back and the hired hand was at the pump washing his face and hands. The younger son was inside somewhere with the baby.

Hello, Mavis. Hello, Squire Montkirk, said Mrs Miller, Is anything the matter?

Samuel saw his parents exchange glances. Was this going to be a repeat of the previous fiasco?

Father jumped down. Samuel felt the restraint that father held himself under. He walked over slowly, forcing a smile, and he said, Mr Miller, and Mrs Miller, I need you to listen please. This is deadly serious! He waited until they had had time to decide he was in earnest and he had their attention. There is going to be a Horseherder attack. We saw a scout and think the raiding party is close behind. No, I know they are. I have fought them and I know their ways.

Miller at least did not think it was a joke. What does it mean? What do we do?

Montkirk said, We are going to Oldcross and we are warning everyone on the way. If we all pull back we might be able to defend ourselves: there are stone walls and buildings in the village. We are sure to be picked off if we stay separated. How fast can you go? Can you spare someone to go cross country to the Westmarsh and tell them too?

Miller looked around the countryside. Are you sure? Looks peaceful enough. Can it wait until morning, we haven’t had supper yet?

Mavis interrupted, "Put it in a haybox ¹ and take it. You can eat it in Oldcross. Please believe us. Do hurry! Mica and Sam and I have to go now."

Then Mrs Miller said, But the cart is in the shed with a broken wheel. Ed and the boys are fixing it. Can’t go now, whatever.

The dog, called Samuel, look at him! Their dog was sitting up in the back of the cart, his ears pricked. He could hear something afar off that the humans could not. He whined, then the farm dog barked.

There’s no more time. You must come now, urged Michael. Call the boys and come with us. But Miller observed, All of us would be too much for your horse to pull. How about I get the draught horse, only take a few minutes; the wife can get the blankets off the bed at least.

And the baby, wailed Mrs Miller. All her stuff! Boys come here! Where is William…

Sam, son, said Montkirk, unhitch Socks. There are still two farms ahead to warn: take him and go. Ride for your life! Tell them, don’t argue or discuss; say I said so.

Mum, dad, I’m not leaving you!

Samuel, said mother, we will be all right, we will see you in half an hour… or an hour at most. We can’t leave the Millers. And the Miller boy is taking their pony and racing to Westmarch to tell them… isn’t that right? Yes.

I’m scared, mum.

We all are, Samuel, she said. Give us a hug and then do as your father says. We are in God’s hands now.

Samuel unhitched the horse from the wagon. It was like a bad dream. It went in slow motion and everything tangled, or snagged, then the reins that were long enough to reach back to a wagon wrapped around his neck somehow and when he got untangled they tripped him, then the horse fidgeted. Fear and frustration and worry about his parents made his eyes swim. It was the hardest thing he had ever done to swing up onto Socks’ bare back and gallop away. He saw his parents white faces watch him leaving and he saw them turn to the Millers, then he faced the road ahead that was fading into evening dimness. The wind whipped the tears from his eyes as he urged the horse to a hard gallop.

Two farms to warn! Samuel cast his mind ahead; after the farms was Oldcross village. He had expected to arrive with father and for father to do the talking. What if a fourteen year old rode breathless into town shouting, ‘To arms, the Horseherders are coming?’ He could just imagine the response at the tavern! Blacksmith was mortifying enough and he had not had a few pots of beer inside him. Who else was there he could speak to? If he waited for his parents to arrive it might mean the loss of an hour, and that could be crucial. He had seen how some people, like his parents, were decisive and moved quickly, and others were slow thinking like Mr Miller and still others stubborn like the Blacksmiths. What a responsibility for a boy! He had this consolation; he could say, ‘Dad sent me. Michael Montkirk says so,’ for Squire Montkirk was a leader among the little community.

He would have to deal with that problem when he got there. Cross your bridges when you get to them was the folk saying then, and it is still in use today. He had arrived at the first farm. He slowed, then he saw the farm gate was swinging. Turning in, he nudged Socks back to a canter up their laneway. The buildings were dark inside and there was no sound of person or of a dog. Barking was the universal greeting at any farmhouse: something was wrong. He reigned to a halt. Socks was blowing.

Samuel called out, Farmer Jacobsen! There was no answer. A door slammed. He looked around and saw it was swinging like the farm gate and had been slammed by the wind. Were they all out back somewhere? Should he go searching? No, he decided after a worried few moments. He should go on to the next farm and the village. The Jacobsens were not here. They might be in town themselves. He shivered. His coat was back in the wagon; so was his makeshift sword, he realised. It was early spring and the days were not yet long and the nights were not yet warm. The sun had gone now and the light in the west was fading.

Socks! Hup! He turned his head towards the gate and returned to the road. One farm to warn! When he reached the Jacobsen farm gate he closed and latched it and his eyes searched back down the road. There was no sign yet of a wagonload of refugees. Desperately he wanted to gallop back towards the Millers’ and rejoin his parents. He struggled with the urge, but his father’s orders prevailed. He knew that his mother wanted to save the neighbours if they could. And had not father said that if the riders had not come by this evening they should be safe until morning at least?

Father had also said, Ride for your life! so he kicked Socks and leaned into his mane as he sprang forward.

The road was of clay as he approached the last farm before the village. The horse’s hooves made relatively little noise on the soft surface. Clumps of trees lined the road,

Reviews for The Boy's Story

[shikaramu · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The book Boy written by Roald Dahl, one of the most renowned children story writers in the world, is a classical book which recounts Dahl’s best memories. For a book that was written in 1984 when Dahl was 68 years old, it is exceptional.This book is not an autobiography as it clearly states in the preface of the book that“An auto biography is a book a person writes about his own life and it is usually full of boring details.” Thus this means that Boy cannot be an auto biography as the book isn’t full of boring details but full of interesting stuff where some are funny, some are painful and some are unpleasant.Dahl writes only his childhood time period between 1916 and 1930 in Boy. The next book in the series named Going Solo covers the rest of his period until 1946. He remembers his childhood memories so well that he’s able to recollect the interesting events that occurred when he was young. One of the major events is when he takes revenge on Mrs Pratchett by putting a dead rat in her gobstopper jar.Dahl absorbs readers into the book by embellishing fictional techniques into his childhood story. He uses metaphors, for example “an ungainly man with drooping bloodhound cheeks and filthy clothes.” to describe Corkers. This is used to convey an image into reader’s mind that Corkers is most probably like Mrs Pratchett as he is described as being filthy. Then Dahl writes that Corkers was probably the best maths teacher he had, as he learnt interesting stuff from him.In the goat’s tobacco episode of the story, Dahl adds suspense to readers with his use of effective words. “The entire family watched me as I did this. Nobody said a word, but I could sense a glow of approval all round. I replaced the pipe on the rock and all of us sat back to await the return of the victim.” Automatically readers will get questions in their minds such as, Will the victim take it? Will he know and go furious at Dahl? Will the family be able to shut their mouths and not give the game away? The part where Dahl pretends to have appendicitis so he can go home is probably my favourite part. The reason I like this so much is that Dahl uses so much persuasive language that he has appendicitis that the matron and the school doctor actually believe him. But Dr Dunbar realises that Dahl has been telling a lie so he can go back home. The doctor takes pity on him and allows him to go home on the condition that he should never ever try the trick again. This part shows that the book Boy is a well structured book that uses a lot of techniques including the hook and suspense. This chapter hook readers into perusing the book to find out more of Dahl’s interesting activities.The strengths of Boy are how Dahl uses his language to convey a message in readers’ minds, to create suspense and most probably the best of all is how he draws readers into the book. Both students and teachers can learn from this book. Students can learn how to write an excellent autobiography and teachers can learn how to teach writing autobiographies and still make it very interesting.

[miaculpa-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

While I’ve never been a fan of Roald Dahl’s fiction, “Boy” is one of the finest books I’ve ever read. Detailing his youth in the UK and holidays in Norway, Dahl writes with humour and pathos, recalling key moments of his early life and showing how the young boy became one of the most popular writers of the twentieth century. Whether it’s slipping a dead mouse into a jar at a lollie shop owned by a horrid old women (and his subsequent caning with said horrid old woman watching on sadistically), his holidays in Norway, his boarding school experience and, most importantly, his mother, you feel transported back to his youth and made me itching to read his follow-up “Going Solo”.

[prairiedogg · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Laugh out loud funny.

[17l1f37l3ft · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Review of Roald Dahl’s BoyRoald Dahl’s Boy, written in 1984, is the first autobiography of Roald Dahl’s life. However, Roald Dahl himself states that Boy is not an autobiography, rather a book retelling all the vivid memories of his childhood, up to the point where he gets his job with the Shell Company, which is from 1916 to 1936. The rest is told in another book, Going Solo. The major events of this book are the Great Mouse Plot, the visit to the doctor, the drive in the motor-car, his time at St Peter’s, Goat’s Tobacco and his time at Repton. These major stories of this book were probably chosen because Roald Dahl could remember them more vividly and so he would be able to write about the stories in more detail. This would help us create a better mental picture of what is happening, which he has managed to do, in my opinion. He also embellishes each of the memories to make the stories more lively and funny.To give us an idea of the setting of each place Roald Dahl uses a lot of descriptive language. An example is of the secret islands (pg 61). He goes into great detail about the sizes of the islands and all the animals and plants on it. Another example is his description of the town Weston-super-Mare (pg 69). He gives a fairly detailed explanation of all the buildings that inhabit Weston-super-Mare and uses a descriptive language to make very clear in our minds what Weston-super-Mare looked like.In Boy, Roald Dahl uses suspense to engage the reader, to make them want to read more. A good example of suspense is used during the Mouse Plot (pg 39). Thwaites announces to his “friend group” that Roald, by placing the mouse in the Gobstopper jar, inadvertently killed Mrs Pratchett. Of course, those of us who have read the book already know she survived, but for a person who has never read the book before it almost certainly be interesting to find if Roald Dahl really did kill Mrs Pratchett. Another example would be the visit to the doctor (pg 64-65), where the doctor uses a shiny tool to poke around in Roald Dahl’s mouth. Not a lot of people know what adenoids are and so they will definitely be wondering what is going to happen. Again, those who have read the book know about the mounds of tumbling flesh and blood.Of this whole book, the part I enjoyed was the part where he described Corkers (pg 136-139). I especially enjoyed the part about Corkers’ procedure when someone “farted”. It was probably embellished, like the most of Boy, but it was funny nonetheless. I think this shows how Roald Dahl wrote this book: to try to retell his life story in such a way that any person who read a bit of it would actually be interested to read on. Not like some autobiographies where people ramble on boringly about useless information people don’t care about. This is perhaps why Roald Dahl thinks this book is not an autobiography in usual sense.Overall I really enjoyed this book. Roald Dahl has managed to weave techniques commonly used in fiction into this life story to make it more lively and enjoyable to read. Every story is embellished but that just makes it a better read. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It is a great story that will make children laugh and adults think back to their school days. I definitely had a good laugh over this story.Also, I disagree with koalanigel. Boy is not an autobiography, rather a collection of memories.

[benuathanasia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

 Dahl's childhood was rather interesting. His time in boarding school certainly explains the nature of many of his books.

[fullbodyarmour · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Boy by Roald DahlBoy is a thrilling and entertaining book written by Roald Dahl. It was published in 1984 by Heinemann Windmills. It is an autobiography of life up until the age of 20.The main part of the book is set in 1917-1936, mostly set in England and Norway. Roald firstly talks about his father’s life and how he lost his wife and had to marry again. Roald’s father died from pneumonia when Roald was 3. Roald’s descriptive words portray the main events in this book, such as going to Llandaff Cathedral School, finding a dead mouse and hiding it in a jar, travelling to Norway, starting St Peters School, going for a drive in a motor car and almost losing his nose, meeting the mean Captain Hardcastle, going to Repton, getting caned many times and finally getting a job at Shell.Dahl uses a lot of humorous language in this book and will make you laugh a lot. He uses figurative language to fully show what is exactly happening. He foreshadows a lot, such as the time he hid the mouse and when they came back, the shop was closed, so the children thought the owner was dead.Dahl cannot completely remember all the incidents that happened in his life, so he embellishes, adding events that may not have happened. He also uses many descriptive words to portray perfectly what the many characters looked like and what happened. He uses descriptive words includung "drooping bloodhound cheeks and filthy clothes" and "black with dirt and grime". There are also many pictures and snippets of letters situated in the book, giving the reader further understanding. The illustrations are drawn by Quentin Blake.Dahl's characterisation skills are also shown through his dialogue. He portrays Mrs Pratchett, the grubby shopkeeper at the candy store, as an uneducated woman as her speech drops the "h" at the start of a word and the "g" at the end of a word, so instead of saying "leave them hanging", she would say "leave 'em 'angin'". He also characterises in voice through what the characters actually say. An example is Mrs Pratchett's word choice and grammar. She uses very low level words and her grammar is very poor. Dahl takes voice characterisiation to the next level by stating the type of voice the characters use, such as Mrs Pratchett's high pitched shrieks.I believe this is a great book to read, and I would recommend this book to any reader. The many caning incidents may cause distress though. Roald Dahl has used very descriptive language and figurative language along with spontaneous embellishment to employ a great mental image and a wonderful autobiography written by one of the greatest story tellers of all time. If you love this book, don’t forget to read the second part of his biography, Flying Solo. Flying Solo recounts Roald’s experience as a fighter pilot in the war, but that is another story altogether.

[librarylou · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first of two autobiographies of Roald Dahl, this one dealing with his childhood. Written so well that it can be enjoyed by any age, this book introduces us to the people and events that inspired Dahl's stories. I loved the innocence of the schoolboy stories, and the love for his family really shines through. This is a fabulous insight into the early life that created an author whose books will be loved forever.

[crazyness_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

BoyBoy by Roald Dahl is a fabulous book. It is set in the 1920s, bringing you stories from Roald Dahl’s childhood. It was written in the early 1980s and was first published by Heinemann New Windmills in 1984. The book is essentially an autobiography however Roald Dahl insists that it is not saying “this is not an autobiography”. “I would never write a history about myself”. The book is about Roald Dahl’s childhood. However it starts off not involving him but by telling us how he came to be, telling us why his parents moved from Norway to Wales and how they made their fortune. It then introduces us to his kindergarten years and his sorrowful memories of the death of both his father and sister. The book soon goes past his melancholic memories and onto his more joyous ones about his kindergarten years at Elmtree House.Then of course it moves on like most autobiographies do, to his later years. How he went off to big school at Llandaff Cathedral School from when he was seven to nine years old. The book is full of his wondrous adventures and at this stage it was the great mouse plot that took centre stage, this event resulted in our hero’s first caning.Roald Dahl shares with us his wonderful memories of his idyllic childhood and his great memories of his holidays in Norway. It tells us of his holidays in such a brilliant way that his memories come at you as if they are your own. His memories of his time in Norway are always good, all except for one; it was the holiday where he had a visit with the doctor.Roald Dahl tells us of how his complaints to his mother about having constricted breathing and pains at the back of his throat result in a doctor violently ripping his adenoids out of the back of his throat. All the pain he went through is so brilliantly transcribed to us so that we can understand the pain he felt and can relate to it.From his time at Llandaff cathedral school it goes on to tells us his less fond full but not any less enjoyable memories of St Peters boarding school. The horrible school masters played a predominant part in his memories of St Peters boarding school. From all the canings he had gotten to the time he had faked being sick to get sent home from school. Not to mention his first trip in a motor car which had resulted in his nose being severed clean off had made up his memories of St Peters boarding school.While his memories of his time at St Peters boarding school are less joyful there is one memory which he shares which is my personal favourite, the goat’s tobacco incident. In which Roald Dahl places goat’s droppings in his sister’s boyfriend’s pipe in place of tobacco. For once after the initial shock this incident was beneficial to everyone. High school at Repton and shell was more of the same memories. His years at Repton and shell tell us of yet more horrible teachers and getting the cane when you stepped out of line. Although unlike primary school at St Peters, at Repton and shell there where the older boys, the corkers. They would boss him around and get him to tidy their dormitories, and if he did a bad job he would get a beating. However his later school years where more enjoyable for him than the others because of one thing, sports. It tells us of his wonderful time as the captain of two sports teams and the respect in the school which it gave him.Roald Dahl is a wonderful writer using many different techniques to create his fabulous works. He embellishes his stories with technique used when writing fiction stories. His character developing skills are of a very high quality, creating a portrait in the mind of the reader. He uses the voices of the people for characterisation. Boy by Roald Dahl is a great book his use of language is fantastic creating and interesting and exciting book which delves into the past of one of the world’s best children’s writers. While it is a wonderful book like all books it has some flaws, while Roald Dahl uses the English language very well he uses very simple writing style and a low level of language difficulty so it is not as enjoyable for older readers. However I very much enjoyed this book and would recommend it for everyone although it is best suited from readers of 8 to 12 years.

[angiestahl-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Roald Dahl is one of my favorite childhood authors. I love his imagination, as well as how in all of his books, his generosity of spirit and unconventional thinking shine through. His characters are simply, but completely drawn, don't patronize or talk down to younger readers and speak to the child in all of us. I've read most of his stories several times...except this one.Written in much the same style/tone, Boy is a compilation of Dahl's childhood memories grouped by age - his family, summer adventures, early schooling and boarding school as well as some family photographs. It's like reading a time capsule of growing up in Norway, boarding school in Britain and ends with a preview of his first job/experiences in East Africa post-school. It is a very charming and enjoyable snapshot of a fairly regular and non-remarkable boyhood in a very different era. His mother seems like a very interesting person--much of the book is a love letter of sorts to her, to childhood friends, and to formative experiences both painful (surgery without anesthesia! cruel headmistresses! canings!) and pleasurable (summer adventures! letters from home! and how they shape us into the adults we become.I think I would have really enjoyed knowing and chatting with Roald Dahl and maybe, in a life after this one, I'll get my chance. Highly recommended for Dahl fans.

[rosenstern · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was the first autobiography I read. It was in Dahl's easy to read writing and filled with the adventures of his childhood. It has stories from when kids were still whipped by school teachers and there were entire stores dedicated purely for candy needs and desires (two ends of the spectrum, eh?) It was a fun and easy read.

[lateacher_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I think everyone in sixth grade should read this because it's an interating stoy about Roald Dahl's childhood. Also, i think many people can relate to this book.

[saretta7l · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Roald Dahl in questa autobiografia racconta gli anni in cui è stato bambino, anni di scherzi, di vacanze in Norvegia ma anche di lezioni, punizioni con la bacchetta e dolorosi incontri con dottori vari.
Chi ha già letto i romanzi per ragazzi dell'autore potrà vedere le tracce che li hanno ispirati, questi adulti grandi come giganti agli occhi dei bambini, le degustazioni di cioccolato, maestri ingiusti ma soprattutto una famiglia affezionata alle spalle e una mamma pronta a supportare i suoi figli in ogni occasione.

---

Roald Dahl wrote this autobiography about his children years; a period of jokes, Norwegian holidays but also of lessons, cane punishments and painful medical examinations.
The readers that read and liked Dahl’s children novel may find here what inspired them: adults big as giants to children eyes, chocolate degustation, unfair and mean teachers but mostly a supporting and loving family and a mother willing to help her children at all costs.

[olongbourn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A memoir not an autobiography!

[nycx7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Book Review of BoyRoald Dahl’s book Boy was first published in 1984. Its genre is controversial as can be seen to be an autobiography though the author states that it is not. It can also be seen as a narrative, recount, reminiscence and a memoir just to name a few. It is a collection of short but true stories that cover the most unforgettable experiences in his life as a boy both pleasant and dreadful such as holidays at Norway and school life, respectively.The stories of Roald Dahl when he was a boy start from when he was age 6 and continue to age 20, which was from 1922 to 1936. The major events are The Great Mouse Plot and ‘goat’s tobacco’ and being caned by the headmasters.The book shows the ideas of what the world was like in the 1920’s. It shows how dreadful it is to be in the presence of a headmaster. Roald Dahl shows this by exaggerating the size of the headmaster. ‘A giant of a man.’ In The Great Mouse Plot, the group consisting of Roald Dahl, Thwaites and three others have a foreign feeling. The author describes it as ‘jazzed up’ and ‘We felt like a gang of desperados setting out to rob a train or blow up the sheriff’s office’Roald Dahl uses techniques of fiction in Boy, using description to create life-like characters and settings, figurative language intensify the description, suspense to tempt us to keep reading and embellishment to make everything more exciting and interesting.I enjoyed the part when the dentist removed his adenoids the most because it was vividly written and very suspenseful. As I read it, I clamped my mouth shut and tried not to think about it too much.‘The tiny blade flashed in the bright light and disappeared into my mouth. It went high up into the roof of my mouth, and the hand that held the blade gave four or five very quick little twists and the next moment, out of my mouth into the basin came tumbling a whole mass of flesh and blood.’ – Page 65 BoyThis part could lead me to believe that the whole book is a monstrous nightmare if it was one long story instead of lots of short stories. It also leads me to believe that the rest of the book is also as gripping as this paragraph.It is a great book as expected from one of the world’s greatest storytellers. It is filled with thrills and well-written plots that ‘defy invention.’ It is a relatively short book but this minor weakness is overcome by its sequel Going Solo. Although Roald Dahl states that the headmaster of Repton who caned him became the Archbishop of Canterbury. Records show this headmaster left Repton a year before Roald Dahl’s arrival. I recommend this book for anyone. It contains magnificent techniques but written in colloquial language that children can easily comprehend.

[themulhern · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Short memoir that rather resembles Dahl's novels for children. Really humourous and well read by Robin Sachs. Ends rather better than most of Dahl's novels seem to.

[bianca0_0 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

6 word review: An autobiography you can actually read.

[bagpuss-3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Boy covers Dahl’s family life from before his birth until he leaves school – he states that it’s not an autobiography but rather a collection of stories about his life. Dahl was born in Wales to Norwegian parents – his father had become wealthy after starting his own business and Dahl led a pretty idyllic childhood.

This memoir is packed full of photographs, drawings and anecdotes – all in Dahl’s relaxed conversational tone. In one incident Dahl describes having his adenoids taken out on a table at the doctor’s surgery with no anaesthetic - ouch! Many of his tales made me chuckle out loud. For instance, the time when the family holidayed in Norway and he put goat droppings in his sister’s boyfriend’s tobacco (probably funnier than it sounds!).

It’s not without its bleaker side too. Dahl’s sister died of appendicitis when he was just three years old, and his father died weeks later of pneumonia. His mother thought of returning to Norway with her children, but his father had wanted the boys to receive an English education so the family stayed. Dahl attended public schools – first a preparatory school in Wales when he was seven, transferring to boarding school in England at the age of nine and then at 12 moving to Repton in the Midlands. His time at these schools was not always happy – the masters favouring corporal punishment, but there were some good times (notably an incident referred to by Dahl as The Great Mouse Plot).

After Repton, Dahl joined the company Shell as a trainee, and this is where the book ends. I think whether you are young or old you will find something for you in this excellent book and I’m very much looking forward to reading the second part, Going Solo.

[bertha_-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was an in-between-books book for me, but honestly, it was SO good. A partial auto-biography. Truly worth reading.

[abbylibrarian_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I listened to the BBC Audiobook recording of this book and it was fabulous! Great narration and you can see how events from Dahl's childhood inspired his books. A must-read for Roald Dahl fans.

[cacv78 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dahl, Roald. (1984) Boy: Tales of Childhood. New York: Penguin Books.This autobiography by the author looks at his early years before he became a writer. He spent a lot of his time in boarding schools in England. It is a quite lengthy autobiography because it goes into a lot of detail about his family and his life away at school. It is geared toward an upper elementary school school because of the length and the language. It would also be for someone who was a fan of the authors writing and will show them how although he had difficulties growing up, he had a great time overall.

[themadturtle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. It's chock full of wonderful stories from Dahl's childhood, many of which offer keen insight into the man that would later write stories like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. A very worthwhile read.

[joannajuki · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Despite being a school librarian from 2002 until 2013, I had never read this book, and only one other Dahl book in the company of my then very little boy. I love memoir and had it in mind to read for many years. It didn't disappoint, in its depiction of the beauty of prewar Norway and the concurrent horrors of pre-war Britain. The man-to-boy sadism that is recounted by Dahl, inherent in the British public school system, is saddening and very disturbing. Mothers sent their boys off to this risky game of dominator-and-dominated were ignorant of its dark underworkings, or did so with faith that their own child would not become one of life's permanet 'fags', but would carry the work of the empire forward as a Boazer or at least equal to a Boazer (prefect). Are homosapien men inherently sadistic and violent? Do they inscribe this tatoo under the skin of their women, or onto their effigies, where it suits them - out of prurience?

[kimbrady · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Boy" is Roald Dahl's autobiographical collection of tales from his youth. The chapters take us through his family life and school days, vacations, can car rides. Dahl's style is humorous and mischievous in relaying a number of interesting but real characters from his past. The text is interspersed with simple illustrations and photographs. This is an interesting look into the childhood of a well known author. It is a good addition to a YA or school library collection. I would recommend this book not only for fan's of Dahl's fiction, but also for young readers exploring autobiography.

[sriemann_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book and its sequel were so wonderful I went on a Roald Dahl reading spree for around a month. I wish he could have written about other peoples' lives as well.

[thecreatr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

BOY OH BOY!!BOY: Tales of ChildhoodAuthor: Roald DahlIllustrator: Quentin BlakeRating: Genre: autobiography (sort of)Published: 1984Advantages: Funny, amusing, shortDisadvantages: seems like a children’s bookRecommendations: Anyone who can readBoy: If you have read any of Roald Dahl’s other marvellous stories, you should guess that this book is just as wonderful. It is a recount of Roald Dahl’s life and is the prequel to: Going Solo.At the beginning of the book, Roald Dahl explains that the book is not an autobiography which is true since it is a recollection of his embellished childhood experiences. “An autobiography is a book a person writes about his own life and is usually full of all sorts of boring details. This is not an autobiography. I would never write a history about myself. On the other hand, throughout my young days at school and just afterwards a number of things happened to me that I have never forgotten.”The story starts with an introduction on Roald Dahl and his Norwegian background and relatives but focuses a lot on Roald’s school days. Roald paints illustrious pictures of his characters using embellishment. Photographs, letters and pictures by Quentin Blake create more accuracy to the stories.The stories themselves are unputdownable and are filled with suspense leaving readers on a hook. The book can appeal to older audiences and adults. The language is descriptive and witty with lots of feeling which builds characters in your mind.Roald Dahl’s stories usually appeals to children but is still enjoyed by many adults around the world. The book is an honest, exciting recollection of Roald Dahl’s experiences which revisits his childhood life.

[dahu_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

BoyBook ReviewBoy is a book written by the famous and popular author Roald Dahl in 1984. It is an autobiography which retells the entertaining stories of Roald Dahl’s joyful, and at times rough, childhood adventures at boarding school. His memorable anecdotes about growing up have not only amused the audience through time, but have also presented messages to us.The stories of Boy span between 1922 -1936. It begins with Dahl and his family’s history. It talks about his father’s (Harold Dahl) childhood experiences such as breaking his elbow, losing his first wife and how he his next wife[My mum(Sofie Magdalene Hesselberg)]. Then it shows a picture of Dahl’s birth and a letter to from his dad. This is then followed by his life during the kindergartens, primary school and then high school years. One of the major events that happened was the ‘Great Mouse Plot’ and what made it so perfect was the use of characterization of the old woman. It happened in 1924 when Roald Dahl and his friends wanted to prank an old woman who owned a lolly shop. They had a grudge on her because she was unhygienic so they put a mouse in the gobstopper jar and they were severely punished at school by being caned. Another time, Dahl’s nose was hanging by a thread of flesh after his sister had a car crash whilst turning at a sudden bend. He described it brilliantly of what had happened before it and then he’s nose. ‘Goats Tobacco’ was also a significant event and where Dahl tried to drive away his ‘ancient half sister’s’ boyfriend by putting goat dropping in his pipe. One of the sisters let the cat out of the bag and Dahl was chased into the seas. The suspense of what was going to happen was great.The message conveyed by Roald Dahl is that a naughty boy can change dramatically and become a mature and a fine boy and through time, have a job beyond anyone’s wildest expectations such as a Cadbury Chocolate tester. Dahl chose these ideas to tell us, readers, that not everyone that not all people remain the way they are, good or bad. By using descriptive language, characterization and suspense, he displays the hardships and what can be achieved through time. My favorite part of the book was the ‘Great Mouse Plot’ as it was entertaining and exciting. It makes you curious of what would happen next after the shop got closed and then it is revealed. This part already tells me that whatever happens next isn’t going to be dull and boring. Generally, this book is fantastic because it is short, amusing and easy to read. The only let down is that it can only be seen as a children’s book. I definitely recommend this book to children around the age of 10 and others who have interests in autobiographies and are prepared for exciting tales.I agree with 'kittu26' that it is a great book

[apandrow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An awesome way to introduce autobiography to young readers, showing them that non-fiction, autobiographical and biographical writing does not have to be boring, dry or lame. Because so many students by the time they are in middle school have read the many magical writings by Roald Dahl, I would introduce this book to young middle schoolers, so they can get a feeling for the man behind the magic. This book explores the delight and tragedies of boyhood during a day and age when automobiles were first becoming accessible to the public, travel by boat and taxi took days or weeks rather than hours by plane, and getting a cavity or a sore throat meant insurmountable pain that today would be quickly numbed by a shot of Novocain. Like all books by Roald Dahl, Tales of Childhood is fascinating for readers of any age, but can be most useful when taught through lessons in the early middle school age range.

[paulmorriss · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

All too short book of stories of Roald Dahl's early years.

[cars27_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really liked this book because I enjoyed his book that he wrote,and now what he did when he was you youger I never now that a headmaster to become archbishop of canterbury.I have NEVER heard of goats tobacco, a very good book .

[iamcalvin_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Boy by Roald Dahl Boy is a thrilling, entertaining, and humorous book. The book Boy was written by Roald Dahl, a famous Norwegian writer who wrote fiction for kids. One of the most famous books he wrote was Boy. Boy was written in 1984 about his younger life from 1917~1936 and soon became popular within months of its release. Boy is an autobiography that has been embellished for your entertainment. It also has patches of humour as his life unfolds in his book Boy. This story is about Roald Dahl’s most interesting and humorous parts of his younger life and he has squashed those moments into a book called Boy. Boy been written because as a famous writer he thought his beginning as a child was extremely weird and decided that he would share it with the world. Boy includes events mainly from 1920. Some of the main events in Roald Dahl’s life are: His dad died when Roald was just was 4 years old; when Roald grew up he joined the Shell petroleum company, World War 2 started. Roald joined the Royal Air Force, Roald married famous Hollywood actor Patricia Neal, and they both had 5 children. One of Dahl’s first children's books, The Gremlins was being made in to a film and was published in 1943, Roald Dahl died in November 1990 at the age of seventy four from a rare blood disease.The main messages and themes of this book are chosen by Dahl in order of how interesting and humorous they are. These events are transferred into your mind using Dahl’s extremely descriptive language and how he describes each character which gives you the perfect image. Roald Dahl also uses the foreshadowing technique which creates suspense and makes you want to continue reading and then continues on the story to the peak then ends the story with a very interesting plot. Roald Dahl also tells the story in each characters point of view so you get the best image possible when you read the book Boy this is what makes Dahl’s books very fun to read. Roald Dahl also exaggerates his characters to the extent of their name such as Captain Hardcastle and in James and the giant peach Dahl makes the Aunts names Aunt Sponge to show how fat and chubby she is and Aunt Spike to show how thin she is. My favourite part of the book Boy was when Dahl and his friends decided to drop the rat which they found under the floor boards in the gobstopper jar.This probably gives you an impression that Dahl was a cheeky little kid that always gets into trouble by doing sneaky little things.Overall I would give this book a nine out of ten as it was really fun to read and the hand drawn pictures were especially funny and had made me laugh for quite some time. This book would have deserved a ten if it was printed in colour, was longer and covered more events. There is a second part to this series called Going Solo. I would recommend this series to ages in between ten and fourteen. This book has been one of my favourites and definitely deserves to be one of the most widely read books.