Roald Dahl was a genius—and a shocking bigot
No magic potion or friendly giant can resolve this tension, as a new play shows
Perhaps, in the squeamish spirit of the times, the Royal Court Theatre in London should have put on two versions of “Giant”, a blistering new play about Roald Dahl—one that quoted his bigoted remarks about Jews, the other omitting them for propriety. As it is, the show is an unblinking study of a great author’s prejudice and its bearing on his art. Unlike Dahl’s zany children’s stories, with their noble heroes and appalling villains, this one offers no easy morals.
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This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Roald Dahl, genius and bigot”
From the October 5th 2024 edition
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