Dynamic duos in stories often endear us to the books because of their wonderful relationship, or their interactions. These remarkable relationships could range from heartwarming to totally-not, but they stand out, and ensure we remember these characters, especially as part of the duo more than not, and hence the book itself. On Roald Dahl Day, here are a few relationships from his book that caught my attention and stayed with me for some reason or the other for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday’s theme of relationships in books.
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Dahl’s Dynamic Duos
All the ones featured today are non-romantic relationships (except maybe the Foxes!) but I know I was going to remember them for a long while after I first read them. That turned out to be true when I sat down to write this post today for I read most of these stories ages ago.
Matilda and Miss Honey (Matilda)
I teared up so many times while reading the book and more so when I read those scenes between Matilda and her teacher Miss Honey.
Charlie and Grandpa Joe (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
The heartwarming relationship between Charlie and his Grandpa Joe in this book shows the special connections that can exist between grandparents and grandchildren.
And Grandpa Joe reminds me of one of my grandpa’s younger brothers, who I still am fortunately able to have wonderful lively conversations with.
The Narrator and his Grandma (The Witches)
While we never learn the name of the little boy in The Witches, his relationship with his grandmom is endearing and so very strong.
Sophie and the BFG (The BFG)
The BFG instantly reminded me of one of my favorite childhood shorts – Wilde’s The Selfish Giant. Plus, the unlikely friendship between Sophie and the BFG reminds me of the magic that can happen when people from different worlds come together to make a difference.
Mr. Fox and Mrs. Fox (Fantastic Mr. Fox)
With Fantastic Mr. Fox, I saw the movie before I read the book but watching the couple interact with each other gave me serious ‘couple goals!’
Danny and his Dad (Danny, the Champion of the World)
Every boy and every girl, too, will love to have a dad like Danny’s. This is what I wrote about Danny and his dad in my review of the book in this post.
The Narrator and the Landlady (The Landlady)
So The Landlady is one of his stories for adults. Dark and with twists that, like the title of this collection says, ask you to expect the unexpected; and that unexpected is what you need to expect in the relationship in this story too.
The Boy and the Turtle (The Boy Who Talked With Animals)
I read the story of the marvelous boy who talked with animals in this wonderful collection of Dahl stories. And you will see why this relationship caught my attention when you read the story.
Mr. and Mrs. Maloney (Lamb to the Slaughter)
This was my first Roald Dahl read though I realized it much later. I read it in high school as part of one of the required reading though I had not paid attention to the author at the time. The story wowed me then and continues to till date. And the relationship? Well, read it and you will find out for yourself 🙂
Peter and the Swan (The Swan)
Sad, sweet, short, and everything in between…This one is included in the Henry Sugar collection mentioned earlier.
Related Reads (Dynamic Duos? And More)
In related news, I am looking forward to seeing Wes Anderson’s Netflix adaptation of one of my favorite Dahl stories – The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar. And also that of The Swan.
- Top Ten Twos Day: 22 Wonderful Books With Titles Featuring Duos (of a sort!)
- On Unlikeable Characters In Books That I Love
- 10 Fictional Characters Who Would Get Caught Reading For Sure
- 10 Characters That Deserve More, Better, A Book Their Own, etc.
- Top Ten Characters That Most Resonate With Me
And Now, the End of This Post
Dear reader, which is your favorite among Dahl’s dynamic duos? Do you have any other than the ones listed here? Or list your favorite among any other dynamic duos from any book.
I love his books. They are always such a fun read and I love the duos.
These are some great books! I’ve actually read some of them and I love them.
Roald Dahl wrote so many great books!
Here is my Top Ten Tuesday post.
This was an interesting article. It was nice to see so many of the books my children have read and loved over the years.
This is a fun analysis. I have not read many of these books, so it would be interesting to check out these titles. I would like to read more books by Ronald Dahl.
Your ability to dissect these duos and highlight their uniqueness was truly insightful. It made me appreciate Dahl’s storytelling even more.
Thanks for these suggestions! I have now added Kiss, Kiss to my reading list.
Your reflections on Roald Dahl’s dynamic duos were delightful! It’s evident you have a deep appreciation for the special relationships he crafted in his stories. Your personal insights made me nostalgic for these cherished literary connections. Keep sharing your love for literature!
I have never heard of this author nor have read any of his books, I see I few sounds so interesting and add to my reading list. thanks for sharing.
Dahl does such a wonderful job at character building and making easily digestible stories for children!
There are some great books listed here! Thank you for sharing!
I need to re read Dahl stories. I loved the Charlie and his Grandpa Joe story. This relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is so precious!
Such a great selection of books! Thank you so much for sharing and recommending it
Wow, such great books! I now have some great suggestions for my nieces.
Mr. and Mrs. Fox looks like a super cute book! I know my son would have loved this when he was little.
These are amazing books! I remember when I was a kid charlie and the chocolate factory is my favorite!
As an anti-Semite, I have never indulged in his stories.
Some things just have to be avoided.
Love Dahl’s books! We have most of these on our shelves, but will check the ones that aren’t!