My Year

by Roald Dahl

In this nostalgic work, Dahl combines recollections of his early years with reflections on the changing seasons...

In a delightful month-by-month journey through the passing year, Roald Dahl mixes past and present; reminiscences of childhood and adolescence are interwoven with his observations about the changing seasons and the festivals we celebrate.

Dahl's love of nature was a deep and abiding one. He kept careful notes about the animals, birds, flowers, plants and berries of the countryside around his home, Gypsy House. In the last year of his life, he recorded his thoughts in this fresh and memorable account.

My Year contains some of the most remarkable of Roald Dahl's writing. Watercolor illustrations by Dahl's frequent collaborator, Quentin Blake, are suffused with the beauty of the countryside Dahl loved so much. My Year will delight adults and children equally. It is a book to linger over, to savor and enjoy, and to return to year after year.

Roald Dahl was a spy, ace fighter-pilot, chocolate historian, and medical inventor. He was also the author of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' (1964), 'Matilda' (1988), 'The BFG' (1982) and many more brilliant stories. He remains the World's No. 1 Storyteller.

Note: The text in this book first appeared in 'The Dahl Diary' (1992) published by Puffin Books.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Childrens, Biography, Nature, Middle Grade, Essays

85 pages, Hardcover

First published August 27, 1993

About the author

Roald Dahl was a beloved British author, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter pilot, best known for his enchanting and often darkly humorous children's books that have captivated generations of readers around the world. Born in Llandaff, Wales, to Norwegian parents, Dahl led a life marked by adventure, tragedy, creativity, and enduring literary success. His vivid imagination and distinctive storytelling style have made him one of the most celebrated children's authors in modern literature.
Before becoming a writer, Dahl lived a life filled with excitement and hardship. He served as a Royal Air Force pilot during World War II, surviving a near-fatal crash in the Libyan desert. His wartime experiences and travels deeply influenced his storytelling, often infusing his works with a sense of danger, resilience, and the triumph of the underdog. After the war, he began writing for both adults and children, showing a rare versatility that spanned genres and age groups.
Dahl's children's books are known for their playful use of language, unforgettable characters, and a deep sense of justice, often pitting clever children against cruel or foolish adults. Some of his most iconic titles include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr Fox, and The Witches. These works are filled with fantastical elements and moral undertones, empowering young readers to challenge authority, think independently, and believe in the impossible.
Equally acclaimed for his work for adults, Dahl wrote numerous short stories characterized by their macabre twists and dark humor. His stories were frequently published in magazines such as The New Yorker and later compiled into bestselling collections like Someone Like You and Kiss Kiss. He also wrote screenplays, including the James Bond film You Only Live Twice and the adaptation of Ian Fleming's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Despite his literary success, Dahl was a complex and sometimes controversial figure, known for his strong opinions and difficult personality. Nonetheless, his books continue to be treasured for their wit, originality, and the sense of wonder they inspire. Many of his stories have been adapted into successful films, stage plays, and television specials, further cementing his legacy.
Dahl's impact on children's literature is immeasurable. His ability to connect with young readers through a mix of irreverence, heart, and imagination has made his stories timeless. Even after his death, his books remain in print and continue to be read by millions of children worldwide. His writing not only entertains but also encourages curiosity, courage, and compassion.
Roald Dahl's work lives on as a testament to the power of storytelling and the magic of a truly original voice. He remains a towering figure in literature whose creations continue to spark joy, mischief, and inspiration across generations.

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this.

No plot, the story-line just meanders from one month to another.

Yet, when you step back, you realize all the pieces fit into place and you're left with a really pleasing short novel.

This is the Bob Ross of books

No plot, the story-line just meanders from one month to another.

Yet, when you step back, you realize all the pieces fit into place and you're left with a really pleasing short novel.

This book was so refreshing. It takes all of the charming parts from Boy: Tales of Childhood while avoiding the traumatic, squeamish bits and combines it with fun seasonal trivia.

Dahl projects a generalized calmness and genuine love for the little critters throughout the book. Made me want to sit in a garden and just watch the chipmunks scurry about.

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[Arghavan-紫荆 · Rating 4 out of 5]

همیشه برام سوال بود که مردی که ماتیلدا، داستان موردعلاقه‌ی بچگی من و احتمالا خیلی از ماها رو نوشته، خودش چه جور بچگی داشته؟
چه تجربیاتِ دوران کودکی بودن که باعث شدن یه‌ نفر چنین خلاقیتی پیدا کنه که داستان "چارلی در کارخانه شکلات‌سازی"، "تشپ کال" ، "آقای روباه شگفت‌انگیز" و... رو بنویسه، کسی که توی ذهنش چنین دنیای شیطون و زنده و خلاقی داره، زندگی شخصی خودش چطوریه؟

و حالا می‌فهمم؛ یک چنین کودکی پر از هیجان و کنجکاوی و ماجراجویی بوده که چنین نویسنده‌ای رو پرورش داده. از یک طرف از خوندن چنین خاطرات زیبا و آشنا و بامزه‌ای واقعا مشعوف شدم و نه با هر صفحه که با هر خطش لبخند زدم، از طرفی ناراحتم که دیگه هیچ کدوم از ما و مخصوصل نسل‌های بعد از ما دیگه اینطور بچگی کردن رو تجربه نمی‌کنند...

(یک ستاره بخاطر ترجمه‌ی پر از غلط کم کردم)‌.

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

اولین کتابی بود که از رولد دال می‌خوندم و نمی‌تونم بگم که عاشقش شدم؛ تمامی خاطرات پرجزئیاتی که از کودکیش تعریف می‌کرد، گاهی اوقات خیلی جالب و ملموس بودن و در باقی مواقع پر از اطلاعات حوصله‌-سر-بر برای مخاطب غیر انگلیسی.

[Neda · Rating 5 out of 5]

حدس میزدم که این کتاب رو ایرانیها خیلی دوست نداشته باشند و الان که اومدم ستاره ها رو دیدم نظرم درست از آب دراومد.
اما مطمئنم برای خود انگلیسیها یا دست کم اروپایی ها باید خیلی جالب باشه.
عنوانی که خانم نجف خانی برای این کتاب انتخاب کردن رو نپسندیدم. راستش درست درک نکردم که چرا ایشون این نام رو گذاشتن روش! نام اصلی کتاب
My Year
هست و دال میاد درباره ی هر ماه از سال و تفریحات نوجوانها و نوجوانی خودش در انگلیستان حرف میزنه. راجع به آداب و رسوم و بازیهای محلی و رایج در انگلیس.
خیلی قشنگ بود.. من دوستش داشتم..
اما فقط یه قسمتی از یکی از فصلها داره راجع به موتورسیکلتش میگه و اینکه عنوان کتاب رو بذاری «راز موتورسیکلت من» خیلی آدم رو به اشتباه می اندازه.
راستش رفته بودم کتابفروشی که برای بچه یکی از اقوام هدیه سال نو بگیرم. بچه 9 ساله اش هست.
گفتم خب خوبه که با رمانهای کوتاه دال شروع کنم. این یکی رو نخونده بودم برای همین خریدمش.. اما وقتی خوندمش دیدم اوه.... نه به درد حمید میخوره و نه اون چیزی بود که انتظار داشتم..
نگهش میدارم برای خودم :))
خوبه ..

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

به نسبت بقیه کتابهای رولد دال از خلاقیت کمتری برخوردار بود و توضیحاتش راجع به گل و گیاه برایم جذاب نبود چون علاقه ای به این موضوع ندارم.ولی برای یادگیری ترتیب ماه های میلادی کتاب خوبی بود و در کل به خواندنش می ارزید.
جالب ترین بخش هم همانطور که اسمش روی ترجمه است،همان قسمت راز موتور سیکلت بود.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I spotted a copy on the bookshelf in our Stamford Airbnb bedroom and read it over our two nights there. These short month-by-month essays were composed in the last year of Dahl’s life. He was writing with children in mind and, because he still thought of the year as being divided up by the term calendar, remarks on what schoolkids will experience in each month, whether a vacation or a holiday like Guy Fawkes night. But mostly he’s led by the seasons: the birds, trees and other natural phenomena he observed year after year from his home in Buckinghamshire. Dahl points out that he never lived in a city, so he chose to mark the passing of time chiefly by the changes in the countryside. This is only really for diehard Dahl fans, but it’s a nice little book to have at the bedside. It’s illustrated, as always, with whimsical sketches from Quentin Blake.

[Arghavan · Rating 3 out of 5]

خیلی بامزه‌ست که تصوری که از نویسنده موردعلاقه بچگیت داشتی، دقیقا درست از آب دربیاد؛ مردی‌ که عاشق حرف زدن با بچه‌ها و کشف دنیاشون، طبیعت، حیوانات(مخصوصا پرندگان) و زندگی کردن بود. این کتاب هم دقیقا مثل اینه که ساعتی بشینی، به حرف‌ها و روایت های بامزه‌ی رولد دال گوش بدی و آرزو کنی که کاش پدربزرگت بود؛ تازه اون وسط کلی اطلاعات راجع به چیزهای مختلف یاد میگیری.
ممنون از دوست عزیزم که بهم هدیه داد این کتابو3>
مهم ترین بخش کتاب:
«با قورباغه‌ها مهربان باشید. آن‌ها از دوستان شمایند، چون در باغ لیسک‌های مزخرف را می‌خورند و به گل‌ها هم صدمه‌ای نمی‌زنند.

[Farida Mestek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful little book. It doesn't take long to read but it fills you with the warmest of feelings and makes you smile. I loved reading all these wonderful and detailed observations about nature and get glimpses into the author's childhood and youth and later years. Roald Dahl is an excellent storyteller (well, duh), but in this book I discovered him from a completely new angle. I'm very glad that I purchased this book when I had the chance. He had such an interesting and full life and so many amazing and amusing recollections to share. Life in general is very different now and I think we miss out on a lot of things that people in the past took pleasure in - in fact, took for granted. On the other hand, I'm not sure that we are even capable of having the same kind of appreciation for such simple things nowadays. We are people of a completely different time and age, cluttered with convoluted issues we think are so important we tend to lose sight of the crux of the matter and entirely spoilt by modern technology. "My Year" is a breath of the past: sweet and uncomplicated and forever lost.

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

rosado

Read by Ian Holm

Length: 1 hour, 4 minutes

UNABRIDGED Audiobook


Blurb: Roald Dahl had an abiding love for and interest in nature. He kept notes about the habits of moles and foxes, the colour and song of birds and the different flowers, plants and berries that blossomed in the countryside around his home, Gipsy House, throughout the year. In the last year of his life he worked on a diary. But what was originally intended to be a few lines turned into a memorable account of the passing year. Reminiscences of childhood and adolescene, combined with tips about how to rid your lawn of moles or attract birds to your garden, are interwoven with observations about the changing seasons and the festivals we celebrate.

The very best thing to have in one's ear when walking in the countryside, and it reminds me of the conkers we have 'cooking' on the branches back at västra bö.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you don't know this book by Roald Dahl, you should find it and read. It's a great start to the year, would be a sweet read-aloud if you have the audience, and might serve as a mentor text for personal writing. In it, Dahl speaks to us readers and it's rather like a nice conversation. He shares his thought about each month, and observations both inside and out. His love of nature lies at the forefront. Dahl names January a "miserable month" and if he had his way, he'd eliminate it from the calendar and have an extra July instead. The illustrations by Quentin Blake are pen and ink dashed with a bit of watercolor. It's a lovely book from the past.

[Åmîrö ghaderi (≡^∇^≡) · Rating 4 out of 5]

بسیار کول (بامزه🆒) بود 🙂❤️ خیلی برام جالب بود که زندگی نامه نویسنده محبوبم در این کتاب خلاصه شده بود 😃 و در فصل آخر یه بازی جذاب به نام بلوط بازی 🌰 رو به من آشنا کرده بود 😊

هدف بعدیم از کتاب های رولددال : جادوگرها 🎩🪄

[Sawyer Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Roald Dahl book, also was his final. This book was written in the last full year of his life. He observes nature and reflects on his childhood and his time in the military I must have read this ten times in my life, and I probably will read it again. This book was the perfect one to end with.

[Toby Sutton-Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

While we can probably all admit now in the 21st century view that Roald Dahl was not the nicest of people, I did read the majority of his children's works at an impressionable enough age that I view him as my quasi-uncle who didn't always say the nicest of things, but still quite comforting. In fact, I have been lucky enough to visit the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Great Missenden and even visit his garden when his family used to open it very occasionally. Very happy memories. And for this reason, reading this made me feel very, very emotional.

[Mehrnaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

memories of an old boy. loved it.

[Mojdeh Kh · Rating 1 out of 5]

کتاب شرح تجارب کودکی رولد دال از زندگی روستایی‌اش در ماه‌های مختلف سال است که هیچ درک مشترکی در من برنینگیخت.

شاید اگر یک انگلیسی بودم (که کاش بودم) خیلی بیشتر از این کتاب لذت می‌بردم.
اما نیستم و نبردم.

[iara · Rating 5 out of 5]

jo, volver a leer a Roald Dahl después de tantos años 🤧🤧

[Homa Lezgee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can you expect from Roald Dahl but a wonderful reading experience. When he’s writing for adults there’s always something uniquely bizarre about his stories. When he’s writing for children you always get to smile and then laugh out loud and more importantly you’re filled with a sense of wonder and surprise.

"My Year" is autobiographical, a sort of diary about the 12 months of the year, the passing seasons and what nature has to offer for those, who like Roald Dahl, have lived in the countryside. He’s interwoven his descriptions of various birds, trees and flowers with memorable accounts of his childhood and adolescence.

Through this book, you see Roald Dahl’s image as a gardener. He speaks fondly of collecting mushrooms and playing conkers in September, picking apples in October and setting off fireworks in November. He describes the character of moles ever so beautifully and teaches readers how to make them leave the garden with a couple of empty wine bottles. He talks about his childhood collection of over a hundred birds’ eggs and how he got hold of them. He describes the nasty habits of cuckoos and so much more amazing little facts about the natural environment around us, things that we may not stop to wonder about.

Quotes:

If I had my way, I would remove January from the calendar all together and have an extra July instead.

When you hear a bird singing or merely chirping in a tree, look for it and find it and then try to identify it.

I have never lived in a town or city in my life and I would hate to do so.

As far as climate goes, June is probably the loveliest month of all, except perhaps for September.

What has happened to these children? I believe they have too much pocket money and prefer to buy crisps and Coke in the shops rather than climb trees for apples. I find this infinitely sad. Boys should want to climb trees. They should want to build tree-houses. They should want to pick apples. Maybe all the crisps and the Coke and the junk food they consume nowadays has made them sluggish.

I know it is not right to subject children to these risks and I wouldn’t approve of doing it today. But it also happens to be true that the more risks you allow children to take, the better they learn to take care of themselves. If you never let them take any risks, then I believe they become very prone to injury. Boys should be allowed to climb tall trees and walk along the tops of high walls and dive into the sea from high rocks. It is far better to let them do these things than to keep saying, ‘No, Johnny, no. You mustn’t. It’s dangerous.’ The same with girls. I like the type of child who takes risks. Better by far than the one who never does so.

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should get this book and read it as soon as possible and then go forward more alive and aware of everything around you and live fully AND JOURNAL! In my opinion, it is that good. A small volume that is so packed full of sweet thoughts and wisdom that I cannot even offer any quotations, I would simply have to transpose the entire book here. You need this book. I'm going to go and read it again.

[Bahman Bahman · Rating 2 out of 5]

کتابی است در توصیف ماههای سال با حسی شاعرانه همراه با خاطرات کودکی و نوجوانی که فکر می کنم دال در سالهای پیری نوشته

[Niloufar]

حیاط فنی اول سال:)

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was absolutely lovely! A very quick listen as an audiobook, but wonderful. I highly recommend it.

[Mahdiye HajiHosseini · Rating 4 out of 5]

یک سال از دید یکی از شگفت انگیز ترین نویسنده هایی ک میشناسم.
با زندگی ای پر از جزئیات از طبیعت اطراف و خاطرات کوچک زندگی.
یکی از چیزایی ک ارزوشو دارم این تسلط روی شناخت حیوونا پرنده ها و گیاهاس

[Lyndon Goodacre · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a diary of reminiscences, giving a few pages about every month in the last year of Roald Dahl's life, which he spent in the English countryside at the cottage where he wrote many of his best works. He tells you what each month means to him, his most vivid memories. He didn't know this would be his last year. Or maybe he did; he never mentions his illness.

My rating is more like 3.5 stars. I enjoyed it, and there are some terrific observations and vignettes. For whatever reason I was slightly disappointed, or I'd give 4 stars. Maybe it's only because November is cold and dreary and not the best time to think about months and seasons and gardens and wildlife. Maybe it's that there is an undercurrent of sadness, just beneath the joyful reflections, and this was poignant in a way that didn't mesh ideally with the moment. The writing can be quite beautiful. Now, I should say I listened to the audiobook (while walking in said cold). The book itself was out of print for decades and is illustrated by Quentin Blake, and only recently back in print. If I get a chance I'd love to see the artwork.

Maybe I was disappointed because I have a special interest in the yearly cycle for research I'm doing. Having found Going Solo such a thrill, I expected a lot. My dad is also English and also grew up in the countryside, but during and after WWII, rather than before it. Dahl was old enough that he was a fighter pilot during WWII, as told in Going Solo and mentioned briefly here. Anyway, some of his youthful antics are quite similar to stories I've heard many times from my dad. This is very much about English boyhood before say 1960, and English flora and fauna, and what it's like to have a garden.

Something I never realized: Roald Dahl never once lived in a city or town, or so he says. (Hm, this seems to be a fib. If I remember correctly, he was working in intelligence and living in DC when he met his first wife and started publishing stories.) Anyway, he was a thoroughly rural fellow.

There's lots of talk about birds, which ones show up, where they're going or coming from, what specks of color are on their eggs, their odd habits, and so on. I wanted to like that stuff more than I did.

He spends much of one of the autumn months talking about playing conkers, a game I knew nothing about, a sort of battle using horse chestnuts. Without much of a reference point, I found this the nadir of interest—now that I've watched a YouTube video I can relate better.

The closest My Year comes to overt loss is a heartfelt complaint that children don't want to climb trees for apples anymore. When I was a little kid, we lived in Florida for a while and we'd take an orange or two from a tree just over a wall, until the guy who owned the tree yelled at us one day. Roald Dahl welcomed all children to climb trees in his orchard and help themselves, but the times changed and no one took him up on it anymore.

My single favorite bit is when he talks about an ancient Roman cattle highway that goes by not far from his house, and the wilderness that has cropped up on the sides, and the biologists who come by to discover new species in the tangle. He also talks about getting a motorcycle at the end of high school (he never went to college) and keeping it secret all year because it wasn't allowed at his boarding school, and breaking the rules to go for joyrides once a week during his few hours off. And he talks about how to safely and humanely ward off moles in your garden with a wine bottle, if that's what you want to do (he loves moles himself). And he mentions that some butterfly species hibernate through the winter as adults, while for others it's eggs that withstand winter till a spring hatch, and for others it's caterpillars waiting out the chill in a chrysalis. I'd never realized these are all options nature uses. For me those moments were the highlights.

[Diba Roshan · Rating 5 out of 5]

کتاب در واقع سرگذشت یک سال زندگی نویسنده است که آن را به صورت ماهانه نوشته و نام هر فصل از کتاب را براساس ماه‌های سال میلادی گذاشته است.
او در این کتاب ویژگی‌های هر ماه از سال و چیزهایی که در اطرافش دیده را بیان کرده است. او به خوبی طبیعت مکانی که در آن ساکن بوده را تعریف کرده و از همه پرندگان، ویژگی‌های ظاهری و حتی برخی از خلق‌وخوهایشان صحبت کرده است. در این بین گاهی خاطراتی از گذشته و کودکی خود را نیز آورده، مثل جمع‌آوری تخم پرنده‌ها برای داشتن یک کلکسیون بزرگ.
متن کتاب جوریست که انگار که آقای دال روبه رویت نشسته و باهات درد و دل و صحبت می‌کند و به خوبی می‌توان محیط را مجسم کرد.
نویسنده این کتاب را در ۷۴ سالگی نوشته است که نشان از اثری پخته و یا شاید هم کمی نصیحت‌گونه درباره طبیعت و زندگی دارد. کتاب بعد از مرگ رولد دال به چاپ رسیده است و یکی از ویژگی‌های دل‌پذیر آن طرح روی جلد است؛ پیرمردی که با عصا در حال راه رفتن در طبیعت است.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent indeed. Roald Dahl is a magnificent writer who never fails to show me something I love. Although I've know of him for several decades now, I've only just "discovered" him myself. This short book takes a month-by-month look at some of Roald Dahl's memories. He focuses on boyhood adventures, schooling, animals of interest, the weather, the plants, and a little about his time in the war. I love how he brings this mismatch of information together by month and ties everything together well while imparting so much interesting information. AND it has his signature snark here and there. It's a great read for sure.

[Helen Stafseth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exactly Edith Holden but still a wonderful foray into the changing seasons through the eyes of Roald Dahl. In this book Dahl tells us about the comings and goings of the birds and other living creatures in his garden and surrounding countryside through every month of the year, whilst throwing in some childhood memories and fun facts here and there. Not his best work, but still lovely to re-enter the world of Roald Dahls writing.

Thinking I might start a reread of all his books in chronological order this year (in all likelihood skipping The Tales of the Unexpected due to over analysation in school).

3 stars

[WrittenbySahra · Rating 3 out of 5]

شاید عمده علاقه ی من به رولد دال، بخاطر کتاب های چارلی و ماتیلداش باشه. اما از اونجایی که خواهر کوچیکترم کتابهاش رو میخونه، گاهی اوقات منم وسوسه میشم و میخونم. خب راستش، این کتاب سلیقه من نبود و برام جذابیتی نداشت. انگار داشتم گسیخته ای از افکار نویسنده رو میخوندم که به یمن ماه های سال، کنار همدیگه جمع شون کرده بود. خیلی از نویسنده ها، خاطرات و ماجراهای بچگی شون رو تا به امروز به رشته تحریر درآوردن، اما راز موتور سیکلت من اون شیرینی و حلاوتی که منتظرش بودم رو نداشت. نمیدونم شایدهم من تغییر کردم و دیگه مثل روزگار کودکی قلم رولد دال منو به وجد نمیاره.

[Fortuna Estudios · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hace poco me encontré en el camino con un puñado de chicos que volvían del colegio y les pregunté si les gustaría trepar a los árboles y llenar sus cestas de manzanas y me dijeron: ¡Nooo! ¿Qué les ha pasado a los niños? Yo creo que tienen demasiado dinero y prefieren comprar patatas y coca-cola en vez de trepar a los árboles en busca de manzanas. Lo cual me parece infinitamente triste. Los chicos deberían desear trepar a los árboles. Deberían desear construir casas en ellos. Deberían desear coger manzanas. Página 110

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roald Dahl can do no wrong in my eyes, but this one is a little, er....boring. I was hoping for more anecdotes and recollections like those in "Boy, Tales of Childhood." What I got was a few anecdotes sprinkled in among vast, lengthy descriptions of how the flora and fauna changes with the seasons.

I love that Dahl had a great appreciation for all things nature-related, but maybe a more appropriate title for this book might have been, "My Year in Nature" so the reader knows what he/she is getting into.

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came to this book in part because I enjoyed "Going Solo" but mostly because of the review written by Farida Mestek (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...). I thought if the book turned out to be half as good as Farida's review made it sound, it would be well worth reading. Needless to say, it was every bit as good as her review suggested.

It's a short read, featuring the months of the year, the flora and fauna of the English countryside, reminiscences of the author's earlier years, comments on changing social customs and numerous other odds and ends. All together, a pleasant farewell piece by one of the most popular writers of the late 20th century.