The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

My favorite book I have ever read is The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar by Roald Dahl.  (He is the other of great works such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, and James and the Giant Peach.)  It is a short story, measuring only 68 pages in total.

The book is a story within a story within a story, where a wealthy man named Henry Sugar reads the writings of Dr. John Cartwright, who is describing the history and experiences of Imhrat Khan.  Imhrat is an Indian man who acquires special powers from a yogi deep in the jungle, and uses his powers to perform various street acts, such as walking on hot coals and seeing while blindfolded.  Henry Sugar, intrigued, decides to follow the methods described in the doctor's writings to try to acquire these special powers himself.

Although the story itself is very engaging, the best quality of the book is its ability to convey information easily and quickly without insulting the intelligence of the reader.  The first two sentences establish Henry as the main character with his key qualities, leaving no room for interpretation: "Henry Sugar was forty-one years old and unmarried.  He was also wealthy."  The remainder of the first page gives more defining examples of his characteristics, elaborating on the established qualities of the first two sentences.  The simplicity in the writing requires the reader to think less, and enjoy the story more.  Instead of purposefully trying to confuse the reader, or supplying them with superfluous information, leaving them only to guess what the characters are like, Roald Dahl is very simple and direct.

The entire book reads very fluidly and quickly, and you will easily get absorbed in its fast-paced style.  It includes many funny sarcastic moments, as well as fancy British words, which make you sound cultured when you say them.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is much like the book Henry Sugar finds in the library, describing the actions of Imhrat Khan.  Although it (probably) won't give you magical powers, you might enjoy it very much and gain a new perspective on life.