by Patrice Downing, Contributing Writer
Children around the world grew up mesmerized by the worlds created in James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Matilda– whether in the original text or the movies they inspired- but most of us know hardly anything about the man who dreamed them up. Now, thanks to a new 10-part audio docuseries by writer, creator, and host Aaron Tracy, that is no longer the case.
The Secret World of Roald Dahl is the latest in a growing catalog of thoroughly researched and expertly crafted historical and biographical audio dramas from Parallax. Tracy founded the entertainment company, now synonymous with premium dramatic audio content following the success of Audible Original, The Coldest Case (starring Aaron Paul) and the historical drama, Supreme: The Battle for Roe (starring Maya Hawke and William H. Macy). This success is no doubt due to Tracy’s extensive career as a writer, creator, and/or showrunner on dramatic series including Law & Order: SVU, The Tap, and Fairly Legal. It’s his experience as a creator of intrigue in the crime genre that translates to captivation for this biographical series. That paired with the fact that Tracy is not just a presenter but the research architect behind the script gives the series a feel of listening to a friend sharing stories rather than a historical lecture being given. Even though he is telling you about Dahl’s remarkable life, Tracy regularly asks questions, leaving the listener both engaged and bewildered with the tale from beginning to end.
But Tracy’s narrative prowess aside, Dahl’s life was an absolute cavalcade of captivating career choices, intriguing interludes, and clandestine encounters that when strung together are even more wild than the antics of his literary creations. If I said Dahl “was an Acting Wing Commander in WWII, dabbled in espionage alongside Ian Fleming, collaborated with Walt Disney, raised racing Greyhounds, recruited a team to develop an improved shunt to aid in recovery from brain injuries, and was particular about his marmalade making process,” do any of them stand out as false? Maybe that’s because this is only a small sampling of fascinating facts about Dahl’s eclectic life that are all true. Tracy even mentions early on that ‘Dahl’s writing is only about the 19th’ most interesting aspect of the adventurous author’s life.’ This is mind-boggling as we are talking about the most popular children’s writer of all time. That’s not hyperbole either. According to Tracy, Dahl’s books have sold more than 300 million copies which is more than every work by Virginia Woolf, Herman Melville, Toni Morrison, Henry James, Shel Silverstein, and Philip Roth combined. In fact, he points out that the entirety of their published works’ sales only amounts to about 25% of Dahl’s. A fact made even more impressive when you learn Dahl didn’t begin writing children’s literature until he was 46 years old, a facet of his life that isn’t deeply explored until six episodes in. I mention this to emphasize just how eventful Dahl’s personal and professional life has already been prior to his pivot to becoming a celebrated author.
But those accolades have not been without their issues. In case you are unaware, Dahl made some unfortunate comments on several occasions before his death. Prior to Netflix purchasing the rights to the entirety of Dahl’s works, the writer’s estate did release a statement of apology, a sentiment Tracy is not convinced the man himself would have endorsed. Separating art from artists is a topic that has sadly become more and more relevant in today’s society. The ethics and morality of should we consume material by creators who have through their own words or actions come into conflict with our values and beliefs is a tough one. Tracy spends the majority of the last two episodes exploring the multifaceted conversation around whether or not it is possible or if we even should try to separate the media we consume from those who made it. It becomes more and more complex the deeper he dives when you start to consider a multitude of factors: Is their prejudice leaching into their work? Are they profiting from it? Is the work from a point in their career after the controversial incident? Did the artist apologize? Does that even matter? I didn’t think I was going to actually finish listening when the conversation turned from Dahl himself to this exploration of ethics but I’m glad I did because Tracy provides a well-rounded discussion through guest interviews on all sides of the arguments.
It may clock in at over six hours, but I found myself hungry for more with each passing episode. Far more engaging than a biographical lecture, and equally entertaining as a traditional docuseries. I wasn’t sure that an audio-only series would be able to draw my interest over such an extended period, but Tracy sets the stage with such clarity through the use of thoughtful descriptions and insightful details. If anything, he spurred my interest in two more books and a handful of movies.
Rating: Loved It
The Secret World of Roald Dahl is currently available on iHeart, Spotify, and Apple Podcast.
You can read more from Patrice Downing, and follow her on Serializd and Letterboxd