[HPFGU-OTChatter] Boy by Dahl

[Queer as John]

Shaun Hately said:

> Just an observation - people who went to school with Dahl, say that his
> descriptions of the beatings he received at Repton are exagerated (although
> the rat incident at his prep school does appear true), and the description of
> the bare bottom caning of a friend is a total fabrication (although it is
> possible Dahl, as he is reporting it second hand, believed it to be true).
> Fiction writers sometimes have a hard time not embellishing things a bit.
> 
> Caning is certainly unpleasant (believe me, I know) and it certainly *can* be
> brutal - but Boy doesn't really give a true impression according to others who
> were there.

I'm not necessarily sure that's true, Shaun. If you watch the film _If..._,
starring Malcolm MacDowall, which was released in the late 1960s, you'll see
that the practice of caning was still prevalent in the British public school
establishment. I watched a documentary about _If..._ three years ago and
they described how caning was outlawed during the 60s (possibly into the
early 70s).

Just my ha'p'orth,

--John

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