15 Uplifting Roald Dahl Quotes
What’s your favourite Roald Dahl book? Growing up I always loved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, while others have a soft spot for The Witches or James and the Giant Peach. Regardless of whichever was your favourite, Dahl was brilliant at writing magical, uplifting quotes that have and continue to inspire millions of children around the world. Here are 15 of my favourites!
First is a short passage from Matilda, which has some of the very best quotes for book lovers.
“Books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone.”
Here’s another gem from Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory:
“So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install, a lovely bookshelf on the wall. Then fill the shelves with lots of books.”
And these are a few bookish quotes from Roald Dahl himself:
“Books shouldn’t be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage.”
“If you are going to get anywhere in life you have to read a lot of books.”
I certainly agree with all of these!
Roald Dahl also had some very lovely things to say about beauty, and the ways of human nature. Here are a few from The Twits:
“A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly.”
“If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”
“It doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like, so long as somebody loves you.”
Such a lovely one from The Witches!
Finally, here’s some advice about living life to the full, living your dreams and believing in a little bit of magic.
“Somewhere inside all of us is the power to change the world.”
– Matilda
“Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it's unbelievable.”
– Matilda
“Most of the really exciting things we do in our lives scare us to death. They wouldn't be exciting if they didn't.”
– Danny the Champion of the World
“A little magic can take you a long way.”
– James and the Giant Peach
“But there was one other thing that the grown-ups also knew, and it was this: that however small the chance might be of striking lucky, the chance is there. The chance had to be there.”
– Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
“It is almost worth going away because it’s so lovely coming back.”
– Boy: Tales of Childhood
“Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”
– Billy and the Minpins
And here’s one from the BGF, just for fun:
“Meanings is not important, said the BFG. I cannot be right all the time. Quite often I is left instead of right.”
Did I share your favourite Roald Dahl quote? Let me know if any gems that I missed in the comments!
Further reading
Quotes from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory AND Wonka