The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives.
Nowadays you can go anywhere in the world in a few hours, and nothing is fabulous any more.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on how modern advancements in travel have diminished the sense of wonder associated with exploring new places.
In this quote, Roald Dahl expresses a sentiment about the effects of globalization and technological advancements on our perception of travel. With the ability to reach virtually any destination in a matter of hours, the extraordinary nature of exploration has been lost, leading to a world where the marvelous becomes commonplace. This speaks to a broader existential contemplation about how convenience has affected our appreciation for experiences that once felt remarkable and transformative.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about cultural appreciation, one might quote this to emphasize how ease of access can lessen the appreciation of different cultures.
More from Roald Dahl
All quotes βMatilda said, "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.
I asked my mum, who's a very clever psychotherapist, and she says that kids love stories about death; they need it, they need to have stories that deal with death and explain it, as a place to put their fears.
By the time I am nearing the end of a story, the first part will have been reread and altered and corrected at least one hundred and fifty times. I am suspicious of both facility and speed. Good writing is essentially rewriting. I am positive of this.
You seemed so far away," Miss Honey whispered, awestruck. "Oh, I was. I was flying past the stars on silver wings," Matilda said. "It was wonderful.
If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.
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Back in the autumn I had awakened to a growing darkness and cacophony, as if something in the depths were crying out. A whole chorus of voices. Orphaned voices. They seemed to speak for all the unlived parts of me, and they came with a force and dazzle that I couldn't contain. They seemed to explode the boundaries of my existence. I know now that they were the clamor of a new self struggling to be born.
I would like to make sure, first of all, that our women in the informal sector - I mean, these are the farmers and the traders; many of them are not educated, many of them lacking literacy - be able to give them better working conditions. And we've done a lot to be able to achieve that.
By nature man hates change; seldom will he quit his old home till it has actually fallen around his ears.
The goal in the end is not to win elections. The goal is to change society.
There is no debate about whether or not climate change is happening. We will deal with it as a challenge. But we also take it as an opportunity to invest.