When you grow up and have children of your own
Do please remember
something important
A stodgy parent is no fun at all
What a child wants
and deserves
Is a parent who is
SPARKY
…and with that li’l post-script, Roald Dahl sums up the essence of Danny The Champion of The World.
Danny is a small boy, living with his father in an ancient gypsy caravan. They run a filling-station and lead an idyllic life in the countryside. Danny’s father is a fount of interesting ideas and information. Everyday brings something new and undiscovered to learn and Danny idolizes his dad.
But as it is with idols and their proverbial feet-of-clay, Danny soon discovers that his dad has a vice : Poaching. Poaching pheasants, to be precise. He dreams up of outlandish ploys to catch the birds and his favourite hunting-ground is owned by the wealthy (but nasty) Mr.Victor Hazell. Danny is soon swayed by the romanticism of the whole exercise and eventually his father intends coming up with a master plan.
Mr.Hazell holds an annual pheasant shooting-party. A grand affair attracting the rich and influential, it is Mr.Hazell’s moment of glory. And Danny’s father wants to teach the vile, beery-faced landowner a lesson..... by emptying the woods of every single pheasant. A sizeable task and here’s where Danny’s clever idea comes into play.
The book is a tricky one to judge. You start off a bit disgruntled to read about Danny’s father encouraging the unlawful act of poaching. But gradually like Danny you see the brilliance, daring, devilry and sheer thrill of the chase. Thanks to Dahl’s fiendish story-telling, the tables are turned and you are drawn towards the father-son relationship. It is warm, exciting and thanks to the one big flaw, all the more believable. One of Dahl’s more down-to-earth ventures.
