Roald Dahl, the Inimitable

When Roald Dahl died in November 1990, the Times described him as 'one of the most widely read and influential writers of our generation'. It seems to be true because in the year 2000 he was voted the nation's Favourite Author in the World Book Day poll.

Following his graduation from Repton, a renowned British public school, in 1932, Dahl avoided a university education and joined an expedition to Newfoundland, Canada. He worked in Dar es Salaam (now in Tanzania), and enlisted in the Royal Air Force when World War II broke out. Flying as a fighter pilot, he was seriously injured in a crash landing in Libya. He served with his squadron in Greece and then in Syria before doing a stint as assistant air attache in Washington, D.C.

It was there that the novelist C.S. Forester encouraged him to write about his most exciting RAF adventures, which were published by the Saturday Evening Post. Dahl's first book, The Gremlins (1943), was written for Walt Disney and later became a popular movie. He achieved best-seller status with Someone like You (1953), a collection of stories for adults, which was followed by Kiss, Kiss (1959). His children's book James and the Giant Peach (1961), written for his own children, was a popular success, as was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ( 1964).

Dahl has a unique sense of humour. It is no wonder that during the last year of his life he wrote, in collaboration with his wife Felicity, one last book of his. What was it? You'd never guess – a book of anecdotes and recipes!

Revolting Rhymes is a collection of poems that re-interpret popular fairy-tales.

There are a total of six poems in the book. In Cinderella, one of the ugly stepsisters switches her shoe with the one Cinderella left behind at the ball. However, when the prince sees whom the shoe fits, he decides not to marry her, and instead cuts off her head. When the prince removes the head of the second stepsister and makes to do the same to Cinderella, she wishes to be married instead to a decent man. Her fairy godmother grants this wish and marries her to a simple jam-maker.

In Jack and the Beanstalk, the beanstalk grows golden leaves towards the top. Jack's mother sends him up to fetch them, but when Jack hears the giant threaten to eat him, he descends without collecting any of the gold. Jack's mother then ascends herself, but is eaten. Undeterred, Jack decides to bathe and then climbs up and collects the leaves himself as the giant was unable to smell him after he had bathed. Now rich, Jack resolves to bathe every day.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves begins familiarly, but after the huntsman agrees not to kill Snow White, she takes a job as a cook and maid for seven jockeys in the city. The jockeys are compulsive gamblers on horseracing, but are not particularly successful. Snow White resolves to help them, and sneaks back to steal the magic mirror, which can correctly predict the winning horse and makes the seven jockeys (and Snow White) millionaires.

Wow, yeah. So, read one more of the revolting rhymes and see for yourself.