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Death of an Old Old Man (A Roald Dahl Short Story) — Content Guide for Parents

By Roald DahlPenguin Books Limited2012-09-13ISBN 978140591124518 pages
Death of an Old Old Man (A Roald Dahl Short Story)

Themes present

Violence
Scary content

Not found

Religious themesRacial/cultural contentProfanityClimate changeSexual identityGender rolesLGBTQ+ themes

Content themes

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Religious themes

PRESENT

Contains references to prayer and church attendance. A minister character plays a supporting role in two chapters.

About this book

Death of an Old Old Man is a short, gripping story of life in wartime from Roald Dahl, the master of the shocking tale.

In Death of an Old Old Man, Roald Dahl, one of the world's favourite authors, tells a brutal story of pilots and the terror of aerial combat.

Death of an Old Old Man is taken from the short story collection Over to You, which includes nine other dramatic and terrifying tales of life as a wartime fighter pilot, and is drawn from Dahl's own experiences during the Second World War.

This story is also available as a Penguin digital audio download read by Julian Rhind-Tutt.

Roald Dahl, the brilliant and worldwide acclaimed author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and many more classics for children, also wrote scores of short stories for adults. These delightfully disturbing tales have often been filmed and were most recently the inspiration for the West End play, Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales by Jeremy Dyson. Roald Dahl's stories continue to make readers shiver today.

Frequently asked questions

  • Is Death of an Old Old Man (A Roald Dahl Short Story) appropriate for a 7-year-old?

    The story contains brutal depictions of aerial combat and the terror faced by pilots during wartime, which qualifies as violence. The narrative is described as gripping and intense, reflecting the harsh realities of war. The story includes frightening elements related to the experiences of pilots in combat, which may evoke fear or anxiety in readers due to the intense and dangerous situations depicted.

  • Does Death of an Old Old Man (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have violence?

    The story contains brutal depictions of aerial combat and the terror faced by pilots during wartime, which qualifies as violence. The narrative is described as gripping and intense, reflecting the harsh realities of war.

  • Does Death of an Old Old Man (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have scary content?

    The story includes frightening elements related to the experiences of pilots in combat, which may evoke fear or anxiety in readers due to the intense and dangerous situations depicted.

  • Does Death of an Old Old Man (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have religious themes?

    No religious content is present in the book itself. The search results include information about Roald Dahl's personal beliefs but do not indicate any religious themes or practices in the narrative of 'Death of an Old Old Man'.

  • Does Death of an Old Old Man (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have racial/cultural content?

    No explicit racial themes or discussions are present in the book. The search results do not indicate any focus on race or racism within the narrative of 'Death of an Old Old Man'.

  • Does Death of an Old Old Man (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have profanity?

    No profanity is mentioned in the book. The search results do not provide any evidence of strong language or inappropriate content in 'Death of an Old Old Man'.

  • Does Death of an Old Old Man (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have climate change?

    No climate themes are present in the book. The search results do not indicate any environmental discussions or activism related to climate within 'Death of an Old Old Man'.

  • Does Death of an Old Old Man (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have sexual identity?

    No sexual content is present in the book. The search results do not indicate any sexual themes or references in 'Death of an Old Old Man', focusing instead on its wartime context.

  • Does Death of an Old Old Man (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have gender roles?

    The book does not actively discuss or promote gender roles. The narrative is centered on wartime experiences and does not focus on gender dynamics or expectations.

  • Does Death of an Old Old Man (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have lgbtq+ themes?

    No LGBTQ+ themes or characters are present in the book 'Death of an Old Old Man'. The search results primarily reference general LGBTQ+ literature and do not indicate any relevant content within this specific story.