Bit Blot Forum
Aquaria => Gameplay => Topic started by: Quemaqua on December 09, 2007, 10:31:38 pm
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So I feel like the game so far has been pretty darn kid-friendly on the whole, but I haven't completed it yet. My question is whether or not the first hours of the game are indicative of the latter parts? The story seems like it has the potential to be quite dark, which is a plus in my book, but depending on how that goes as the story progresses, I can see it taking some twists that might be a bit much for some younger folks.
So what's the scoop on this? Any particular age range that you think the game might be considered unsuitable for, or does it mostly maintain its initial sensibilities? It has the potential to be a great Christmas present, so I figured I'd ask now in case work or other such obnoxious responsibilities keep me from finishing it as soon as I'd like.
[Alec: added spoiler tag]
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It certainly gets darker. I haven't beat it yet, but I believe I am at the physical bottom of the world right now and it's a pretty creepy story. Nothing amazingly traumatizing, but I don't know if I'd let a 5-8 year old play unsupervized, for instance.
Spoilers for two of the levels, don't read unless you are really really far:
One level takes you into a bastardized cathedral with living growths all over the walls with mutated enemies and a generally really depressing and disgusting vibe going on. The main character remarks on her disgust a few times during the level. You end up fighting the betrayed God of the race, and the main character explains his downfall and mutation in a cutscene afterwards.
Uber spoilers for an even later level, seriously don't read unless you want it ruined:
Another takes you to the pitch black Abyss, which is amazingly atmospheric and claustrophobic. The enemies are your basic razor fanged angler fish, and once you get even deeper ghosts of humans show up. This is where I am now, so I'm unsure how this story part will end but it isn't looking too happy.
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oooohhh...
Spooky >:D
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She discusses her fears a lot. She's afraid of getting lost in the kelp forest, losing her sapience, and going completely feral. She's afraid the "energy form" will corrupt her soul. She's afraid of herself, because she's starting to enjoy killing ancient beings. The plot of the game involves a number of gods committing genocide, wars between races, and the lust for power leading to deep corruption.
I'd say 8 or so is the youngest that could understand it, and even then, I'd play it WITH them, and discuss the story as you go along. It covers some pretty deep stuff. There are intestines growing in the cathedral and the pulsing blobs of flesh... but in my experience, kids can handle that sort of thing pretty well (YMMV). What will probably cause problems is the fact that your avatar character is worried about becoming evil.
Kids like violence, to a certain degree... so long as its good triumphing over evil. Moral ambiguity and heroes who aren't so heroic? That's what gets scary.
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Well, looking at the last dungeon, I wouldn't suggest this for anyone below 12. Around that.
Up till then, it should be playable for younger audiences (well, except for the insane difficulty in some areas), but I wouldn't let any kid play the last dungeon alone.
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Thanks much for the info, guys. I appreciate it.
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Aquaria is dark in aspects yeah..and you need a certain age to understand it..but its nothing really horrifying..and im close to the end...10 and above should be suitable to understand fully...
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I have just read this threat - and will agree that it should be ok from about 10 -12 years old. That is the age of my daughter and I have no problem lettíng her play it - but I would play with her as well in the more scary areas. Would have to anyway since she doesn't speak english :D
She is the age where a Harry Potter movie og the Golden Compass isn't too much with adults nearby - so she can play Aquaria as well.
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Just popping in to say that I find this thread really interesting. :)
I'm all for parents playing games with their kids. I think that's really cool.
If there are parents here playing through with their kids I'm curious to hear their experiences and what the kids thought!
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Considering some of the things revealed in the ending sequence, 12 or 13 might be a better minimum age than 8...
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I'm almost 30 and I find some of it too creepy, like the cut-scene pictures of the monsters. the Sun Temple monster coming out of that guy's head, or Mithalas/Mithalan sucking the energy out of the other. (I can't tell which is which)
and the last boss? with body parts falling off. ew.
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I would recommend the game for ages 10-14. Below 10 I am not sure that the child would understand completely what is going on.
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I say 12. Just my 2 cents.
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I think it'd depend a lot on the kid and how mature they are.
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I just finished the game (for the expanded ending), and I saw no content unsuitable to a kid. There's no blood and guts violence, no guns, no sex/nudity, and the only "drug" is rainbow soup :) The only thing that might disturb some kids is the ability to kill (and eat) some really cute sea creatures. Whether some kids would understand the story or not, is a different matter, but you don't need to understand every detail of the story to have fun playing the game. The game has some rather challenging parts, but then when I was eight I was playing games WAY harder than this on the NES. If this were to be ranked by the ESRB, I don't think it would even get an E10+, probably just an E.
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It is not all about blood, sex and violence. The game creates a certain mood that may be spooky enough at some places to give nightmares to children.
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Thats right. A game isn't always judged by those factors, but actually, ESRB only looks at those 3 things. Whenever you see a rating higher then "For all ages" Its usually for mild violence, language or nudity but in Aquaria theres the scare factor, dark caves, scary monsters and that blob all over the cathedral which is just nasty IMHO .
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Yea I know my sister is 15 now and she's still scared of creepy environments in games. She doesn't even like to fight bosses in Zelda ffs. That's why I'd say Aquaria is for 12 and up, because any younger and you won't understand the story and perhaps not have the skill to complete the game. And also 9 or 10 year olds might understand the story but still be scared by it and that's sometimes worse than not understanding it at all.
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I swear, when your in the sunken city and that booming creepy laugh comes..its enough to make anyone piss in their pants.
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i'd have to say that naija's fears about the energy form corrupting her (expecially in the Mithalas Cathedral) might scare younger children, and defiantly the ending would! (both the normal and secret endings). And as someone said, it does depend on the maturity of the child.
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I still disagree, unless you are talking 4 or 5 year-olds or something (at which they probably wouldn't make it very far anyways). It's not like a horror movie, with it getting dark and quiet and something jumping out, making loud noise and trying to scare people. A "spooky" atmosphere isn't bad for kids at all. And as I said, when I was 8 games were WAY harder than this one (just try the original Metroid!), yet I played through them and had a very fun time.
And how could Najia's fears about being corrupted scare a child? Would the child even understand?
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Whats the point in squabbling about whether a child would get scared or not? It depends on the kid totally. Some are more mature then others. Some aren't Thats it. We should really let a kid play it and see properly.
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ESRB looks onto certain aspects of a game, to see if it fits with their standards. We can't just relay on them and their judgements can be sometimes incorrect.
I don't think this game shouldn't be played by youngsters. I would rather say this game was meant to be created for people from age 9-99 :D - it has everything that would attract both kids and mature people. It's obvious that there are some things, that might be perceived as not suitable for youngest kids, but it merely bases on things like the ingame atmosphere or simple elements, which can be treated as nasty or horrible (the tissues in cathedral, coating all the walls and things can be seen as really disgusting), but it mostly depends on a kid, which is playing the game. Some might be afraid, some will be rather amused. It's a fact that small kids won't take much from the game and they won't understand everything, but this is not the thing we're talking about. Small kids are playing games mostly for fun, so we shouldn't be concerned about this - only the older ones will start focusing on story a bit depper, and they will propably ask us about things that might amused them :). It's normal way, as for kids.
If I'd had a kid, I would firmly put him besides the pc and turn Aquaria for him. Furthermore, I would play the game with him, so it could understand everything. In my opinion Aquaria has a beautiful story and it brings many morals and ideals. It can teach many things, especially the children. When I finished the game, I realized once again that the true substance of our existence lies within us and above all, love is one of the most important things in our life, although we still forget about it, lost in disorder of our everyday lifes...
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Here's a very thorough parental review for Aquaria. Rather than just stating a recommended age, I have tried to enumerate everything that might be found objectionable or otherwise problematic in allowing children to play Aquaria. This will allow parents to gauge the suitablility of the game based on their own values and the maturity of their children. Please point out any errors.
Summary: (Scale: None, Minimal, Mild, Moderate, Substantial, Heavy, Extreme)
Alcohol, Smoking or Drugs: Minimal
Attention Span: Moderate
Attitude, Behavior and Ethics: Mild
Blood and Gore: Mild
Difficulty: Moderate to Hard (depending on gaming experience)
Imitative Behavior: Minimal
Profanity and Vulgarity: None
Relationship Tension: Moderate
Religion and Spirituality: Mild
Scary Scenes and Music: Moderate
Sex and Nudity: Mild
Violence/Guns/Weapons: Moderate
Detailed Parental Review (ÜBER-SPOILERS ABOUND)
Alcohol, Smoking or Drugs
- An ingredient in the game (Rainbow Mushrooms) can be used to prepare food which causes a psychedelic reaction when consumed. Naija then starts giggling, then apparently reacts in pain or discomfort before it finally wears off. This is a gag and is not central to the game; players might not encounter it.
- As in many other games, the player will frequently need to use food items to enhance their abilities. It is treated in a quite innocuous fashion--food is supposed to be beneficial, after all--but a few people might draw comparisons to performance-enhancing substances in sports.
Attention Span
- As Naija gains new abilities, areas that were previously inaccessible become available, and as such a fair amount of backtracking is required, especially if you are going for "completeness." This may test the patience of some children (or adults, for that matter). ("We've already been here!")
Attitude, Behavior and Ethics
- Naija is lonely, and sometimes feels that her depression is more than she can bear. She may be perceived as feeling suicidal, although she never expresses the sentiment directly.
- Naija will sometimes laugh in a somewhat sinister fashion when firing rapidly while in energy form.
- During the Mithalan Cathedral segment, Naija comments that she finds herself starting to enjoy killing creatures, although the observation disturbs her.
- The Mithalan god has been corrupted against his will. When he is defeated, he thanks Naija for killing him, since he views it as being freed from bondage.
- Late in the game, Naija becomes consumed with the desire for revenge against an entity which has taken Li away from her. This desire does not appear to be lessened when they are reunited. In the end, however, she renounces her violent tendencies.
- In the ending cinematic, Naija states that she never again felt the desire to explore new places, then as the scene slowly fades, she can be seen frowning, as if she is dissatisfied with her lot in life.
Blood and Gore
- The Mithalan Cathedral has been overgrown with strange blobs of flesh, some of which pulse rhythmically. However, the player cannot interact with it and it is all done in a bloodless fashion.
- Some enemies make a gooshing sound when they are defeated, especially when Naija devours them with her beast form. However, no blood is seen.
- The final area of the game takes place inside a gigantic living organism. As such, some biological structures are present, but are not done in a bloody or gory fashion.
- Some bosses are somewhat grotesque in appearance.
- Defeating the final boss requires the player to knock off part of what appears to be his skull, then remove his eye. A strange, mouth-like structure sprouts from his abdomen, inside of which another head can sometimes be seen. When defeated, his jaw falls off, followed by the rest of him. All of this is done bloodlessly.
Difficulty
- Aquaria requires some dexterity, critical thinking and puzzle-solving ability, (especially in boss fights) which may be too difficult for young children.
Imitative Behavior
- The game is about underwater exploration, so some children might be tempted to "explore" in water without supervision.
Profanity and Vulgarity
Relationship Tension
- Naija feels alone and abandoned during much of the game due to memory loss.
- Naija is forcibly separated from Li twice during the game, which upsets her.
- Naija sees Li trapped inside a large bubble. It is unknown at the time whether he is dead or just unconscious. Later, Naija is able to free him, and he is shown to be alive.
- A young boy is the only survivor of a disaster. When he obtains the power to create beings, he tries to recreate his parents, but never fully succeeds.
- If the player discovers all three of Naija's lost memories, they see an additional scene at the end of the game where Naija is reunited with her mother, Mia. Unfortunately, she turns out to be a malevolent being who desires to conquer the world, and who wiped Naija's memories as part of her plan. Naija refuses to help Mia, who retaliates by removing her consciousness and trapping her inside a crystal. Naija's son is shown touching this crystal to access her memories, presumably with the intention of freeing her. The game ends with Naija still trapped inside the crystal.
Religion and Spirituality
- Civilizations are portrayed worshipping animal-like gods, the sun, nature, etc. Naija has to fight some of these gods.
- Late in the game, the player encounters and interacts with ghosts.
- The final boss asserts that he is the creator of Naija's world and everything in it, including Naija herself. He demands that Naija bow before him, which she refuses to do. It is later revealed that he is actually a young boy who has been posessed by a powerful, malevolent spirit.
Scary Scenes and Music
- Some areas of the game have a definite "creepy" feel, such as the Mithalan Cathedral, the Abyss, the Sunken City and the Body. This is achieved through darkness, creepy sounds, voices or music, or Naija's emotions as narrated by herself. The presense of ghosts, biological structures and unsettling-looking enemies enhances the creepy feel of these areas.
- Some enemies attack suddenly and rapidly, which may startle the player.
- Bosses tend to be quite large in comparison to Naija, and may be intimidating in appearance and behavior.
- One phase of the final boss fight requires Naija to swim around in a darkened cavern, searching for the boss. She may stumble across him suddenly and he has a rather startling appearance in this phase.
Sex and Nudity
- Naija's various forms (and optional costumes) tend to be modelled after swimwear, as would be expected for a character that lives underwater. Several of these outfits expose the midriff or some cleavage. One collectible outfit is a bikini, and she wears a different bikini in the ending cinematic. Li is also shown to be wearing something akin to a "speedo" in the end sequence, and a cutscene shows others wearing similar outfits. None of this appears to be done with the intention of being provocative.
- One boss takes the form of a large female face in a tree, and a small amount of cleavage is visible below the face. This is not totally obvious, however, due to the gnarled form of the tree.
- When Naija sees Li for the first time in the game, they kiss each other. This is partly to impart to him the ability to breathe underwater, as Li would otherwise drown. A scene that the player may not encounter shows that Naija and Li had met before, though how well they knew each other is unknown. Due to her memory loss, Naija has only a vague impression that she has met him before.
- The final boss sometimes appears as a humanoid male which does not seem to be wearing clothing. However, he does not appear to have any "naughty bits" and it is not done provocatively.
- The ending shows Naija and Li's child (possibly more than one, though this is unclear), thus implying that they had sex.
Violence/Guns/Weapons
- Naija has several different forms, some of which have offensive capabilities, including: 1) energy bolts; 2) the ability to bite creatures, and in some cases devour them whole, temporarily granting her their projectile attacks; 3) a projectile which causes a cactus-like plant to sprout rapidly, causing injury to creatures that touch it; 4) (with a food item) poisonous clouds; 5) missile clusters; and 6) a powerful sonic attack.
- Naija can use her powers to pick up a rock, then drag it into other creatures as a weapon.
- Naija is sometimes accompanied by Li, who has a projectile attack similar to her energy bolts.
- Naija, if directed to do so by the player, can attack, destroy and sometimes eat creatures who are passive or pose no threat to her, some of which may be considered "cute." While the player is not strictly required to do so, it can be difficult to accumulate ingredients needed to create many food items for healing or special abilities without doing so.
- Naija can attack and kill some humanoid creatures, though they are in all cases clearly hostile.
- Many other creatures encountered in the game have attacks which can harm Naija by touch, bite or via projectile attack.
- A cutscene shows two Krotite warriors in ceremonial combat, and later a Krotite kills an individual of a different race that appears to be trying to defend itself.
- In cutscenes, Naija explains in a general fashion that an angry god destroyed several underwater civilizations. Some of these exterminations are shown in a bloodless fashion: they just sort of wink out in a puff of vapor.
- Naija destroys the final boss, which turns out to be a small boy who had been possessed by a malevolent spirit. She expresses some regret at this, but would clearly have been destroyed herself if she did not.
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*whistles in awe* i think that just about points out every thing that might not be "Kid-friendly" in Aquaria
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Wait, why exactly was this made?
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Wait, why exactly was this made?
To inform parents who are saying, "Okay, so my kid's really interested in this Aquaria game. Am I okay with them playing it?"
Maybe I could list each of the categories at the top with their levels so that you can get a non-spoilerific yet still fairly detailed parental review. EDIT: Done.
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Thanks, anyway, alot of games nowadays besides the very kiddy games like "Winnie The Poo" games are really for small kids. Between the very kiddy and possible for adult games is a very VERY small area. There aren't much games that score high AND are for small kids. Even though in my opinion this one comes pretty close, closer then UT3, WoW, Crysis or even Runescape... Blegh..
All I'm trying to say is that this game isn't especially designed for kids and that ALOT of games that kids like lately are also mostly aimed for adults. I know enough 12 y/o's that talk about GTA games or other FPS, while FPS most of the time include bullets and blood.
But, this parental review is really good and very explained, which will be needed for the more... watching parents.
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I agree.
But it's somehow needed. Thanks for the great review, it might be seen as a very detailed and useful one.
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Glad to oblige. I know that a lot of parents worry about the content in the games their kids are playing, so I hope that this will help them decide whether Aquaria is right for them. Personally, I think it's far more appropriate for kids than most of the stuff out on the shelves these days. (Seriously, when I visit the local Wal-Mart, about 2/3 of the games there are rated M. Does a game have to be full of sex and violence to be fun? I don't think so.)
Anyway, I hope adding the more general ratings makes it more useful for parents who are interested in playing the games themselves (or even better, with their kids) so that it isn't spoiled for them. As for the detailed review, I want to make sure that it's very complete, so that nobody can say there were any "surprises" when playing Aquaria with their kids. ("Hey! It didn't say anything about that!") So if you can think of any changes that should be made, let me know. I'm also interested in any way that I could reword things so that they're less spoilertastic, while still being complete about content's suitability for kids.
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Some people consider the "good ending" (which you unlock by finding all three of Najia's memories and then beating the game) to be disturbing...dunno if a kid would understand it enough to be disturbed, but if you want to be complete, info on that ending should be added to your list.
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I think that's already under Relation Tension.
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Correct. I already have it under "Relationship Tension." (Can anyone think of a better name for that category? I based this review method off the parental movie review site ScreenIt.com. They had "Tense Family Scenes" as a category, but... *SPOILERS* I don't know if Li, being more of a boyfriend than actual family, would be technically included, and a fair amount of Naija's tension comes from losing Li.)
I gotta say, Aquaria is probably the only game I've played where the "good ending" is less happy than the alternative.
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For the sake of completeness, you might add the fact that Li and Naija kiss in the scene where they meet.
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True. That was partly to prevent Li from drowning, though. We also know that she has met Li before (though she doesn't clearly remember it), but just how well they knew each other is unknown.
Anyway, I added it.
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As a father, I'd like to put in my 2 cents if I may.
This is a really interesting discussion, because while certain aspects of Aquaria (or should I say some of Naija's forms) are fit for 5-y-olds, others could even be considered X-rated by some. There is not much gore or visual violence, but the game is in fact dark and has parts that need to be explained. I'd say that the key word here is "supervision".
I play the game with my 3-year-old daughter on my lap. She's too young to actually control Naija, so she tells me where to go and I do it. She calls the 1st form "Good" and the 2nd "Bad" and she wants me to keep swapping, telling me to "be good" or "be bad". To be honest, I thought the Energy Form was pretty evil myself after swimming around singing for the first couple of hours of gameplay. So that's one thing. Plus of course there's the 3rd and 7th forms too.
The darker parts of the game (the Abyss, the Cathedral, the Body) and many creepy areas are certainly things I wouldn't like her to see alone, mainly because she might be scared. But then again she's 3. I don't know what I'd be like if she was 13. What worries me most though is the whole role of the Creator. ..
*****SPOILER FOLLOWS****
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...once you start deciphering the Aquascript there's plenty of pretty gloomy (to say the least) messages scrawled all over the place, as well as some bleak images of the Creator. The whole idea that your God is evil and must be destroyed is a questionable one, and certainly one that many parents would object to, especially if they are religious. I can imagine several who'd rather not let their kids have that sort of influence.
So, to sum up, even though the game does not really have any extreme images, and even though on average it mostly involves swimming about in pretty waters, there are elements that certain parents could find disturbing. My advice would be to finish it on your own first and then decide whether you want your kids to play it. Personally, I play certain areas with my daughter and others on my own when she's away. And I certainly don't want her in the final battle (mainly out of fear she might accidentally press some key).
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Well you know, the concept of your God being evil is a complex moral concept that should be encouraged and debated in young people I think...of course if you are religious you're used to be told everything in a book (Oh wow that was a low blow...I don't care, it's true). And what's more, the point is that he isn't really a god, he's a little boy who's been given powers. Admittedly it is not something one can expect to be fully understood by a 3-year-old...or even a 5-year-old. But questions are a form of learning, and cencorship is never the answer.
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Ultimately, I think the parents need to be informed about the media that their kids consume so they can make what they feel is the best decision for their children. Trying to regulate it at any higher level is just asking for problems. That's why I've tried to cover *everything* that might possibly be objectionable or troublesome in Aquaria, regardless of whether I personally feel that it's a big deal or not.
And as you've pointed out, it's not just language, sex and violence. There are themes that parents may (or may not) be a concern to parents. Ultimately, we'll never be able to agree as a society about this stuff, so the best we can do is inform so that parents can determine for themselves how they feel about their kids watching a particular movie or playing a certain game.
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My daugther aged 12 has just recently asked if she could play Aquaria. I've spend a (too) long time playing the game and I haven't seen anything that might scare her or make her feel discomfort. She doesn't understand what Naija says (we're from Denmark) so I have to translate and explain along her way. She really enjoys the game and I pretty sure she'll complete it before I get even close. Well I've taken a detour while Li is trapped. ;D Gotta explore some more before the end! Anyhow I know the rules are very diffenrent in various contries, but Aquaria is a game that have a sometimes sinister feeling to it so I wouldn't recommend it to kids under the age of 10. Unless they have a parent to explain and guide. Besides the gloominess I also think it's a hard game to beat and I doubt most kids will have the patience to fight the bosses (mini and the real ones) over and over again. Plus the whole deal about exploring places and then go back with a new form to re-explore takes a lot of patience and well.... stamina. Even I sometimes wish it could be a little faster. And then not really.... 8)
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I hope you don't mind me adding my 2 cents to this discussion?
I'll explain myself first. I'm 58 and possibly amonst the games oldest fans, Alec it's brilliant you are a genius, your game is a flash of pure inspiration :D
As well as being 58 I can also recall all of my childhood reactions to things on the tv etc, to me puppets were real, fairies really exhisted and the dark things scared me, but if my parent was there and wasn't scared then neither was I. Children see things in a totally different way to us adults and a kiss makes them feel sick, it's yucky time, so that kiss between Naija and Li will not corrupt at all they will just find it funny or yucky!
Dark spaces are far more worrying for a child and can cause bad nightmares and leave them too terrified to go to sleep, so make sure that they have a personal lamp for when they watch Naija in the dark area and for when they go to bed. Now only a good understanding parent will know instinctivly when their child can cope with it, this is because the understanding parent will listen, I mean really listen to their child and see the real meaning behind their child'swords.
Now before you argue with me and say that you are ok and that you are an understanding parent, just stop and think of the people you see every day ignoring their kids when they should be watching or listening to them. How many buy their kids games and computers and then say that they are fine because they are playing in their room, and they will perhaps only see them at meal times? These we can only advise and hope that for a chance they will stop preening themselves and listen to them. It's because of these bad few then I also must suggest that age of 12 and above limit is best, unless they are sat on the parents lap :D
I used to love to sit and watch my son play computer games a lot the time but graphic ware was at the early Zelda stage then, Aquaria is just so far away from that, that it leaves me gasping almost....... totally in awe of this beautiful game....
edited for grammar :D I didn't understand my own writing :D
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Wow. Silverflagon, you've earned the distinction of being the only person over 50 I know that plays videogames avidly.
On a separate topic, I am the youngest person on the forums (unless a pre-teen is logging on :o ) and my 10 year old sister is unfazed - I love that word - by the pictures of soul-sucking priests. (That same sister is the one that convinced me to enter Mithalas Cathedral even though I was scared shitless :) )
{EDIT} removed my asterisks "post like a man, Chibi!" ;D
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Well only when I am not painting or into heavy discussions 'cough!' with my fellow artists lol
I'll tell you something Chibi/max, we get on like a house onfire most of the time but our fourm is no place for anyone of a nervous nature or who doesn't like a few swear words lol
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Sorry, it's just a mannerism: if I didn't get into a habit of censoring words, my email-pal would be offended In other words, I'm not afraid to say shit. :D
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*Amen* to that! Freedom to express the mind and express personality. :)
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*Amen* to that! Freedom to express the mind and express personality. :)
Amen lol
I am not really into swearing though, it's something that I found very difficult to do at one time, but it's got a lot easier as I've got older ;)
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What the ... you would think it would becomeharder as you grew older. Maybe you're one of those people whose spirit stays young while they grow old.
this is from a Roald Dahl book "...but if you think good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you shall always look lovely."
:D
[EDIT] a much better quote than the rough approximation I had previously (see Glamador's post below)
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What the ... you would think it would becomeharder as you grew older. Maybe you're one of those people whose spirit stays young while they grow old.
this is from a Roald Dahl book if you think good thoughts you will always look beautiful no matter how old/bowlegged/insert affliction here :D
Perhaps lol or perhaps I find more things that make me want to swear? I like that Roald Dahl saying though :D
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Roald Dahl is my favorite children's book author; unfortunately he died a few years ago. :'( He wrote very whimsical stories that often held a deeper meaning (as in that saying from The Twits
{EDIT} I changed my signature, but here is the rough quote. "...but if you think good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you shall always look lovely."
{EDIT} I had "quotes" instead of "thoughts" before. "slaps face in stickler-inspired disgust"
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I like the quote in his signature quite more. Roald Dahl made some very entertaining and meaningful books. Some of them were downright scary though. That book about the Giant Peach had a movie made for it and there were several animated versions of his books as well. I remember his work was really big when I was in elementary school.
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His books weren't around when I was a kid, or perhaps none of my teachers or my parents considered his books good enough for school or home?
But I do remember buying at least one for my son and he loved them especially James and The Giant Peach :D I loved the film of it, it really managed to keep the special atmosphere that all his stories had :)
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his adult short stories are *nuts* , he's easily one of my fave authors :D
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Have you read Skin? It has stories that send a shiver down my spine. My favorite two are the ones where the wife kills her husband with a leg of lamb then feeds it to the coppers and the one where the old artist's tattooed back is sold.
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Judging from that description, I think I'd rather NOT read them.
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They're not as grisly as one would think: Roald Dahl writes so that his fluent prose disguises the most gruesome events (his descriptions are relatively tame compared with the likes of R.L. Stine)
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yep, pretty much have read everything he wrote. those ones are wonderful, one of my favourites is Parson's Pleasure even though there is minimal horror, it's mostly psychological.
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That one made me wince; there's something incredibly sad about a destroyed piece of beautiful (and valuable) artwork. I found myself thinking, "Parson you BLOODY idiot, what on earth were you thinking!" >:D ;)
BTW sorry for dragging your post off topic, Quemaqua