The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar

 The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar by Roald Dahl

A strange little story about a man who learned to see through things - blindfolds, closed eyelids, etc. He practiced for years the art of concentrating on a single object until eventually he could read a playing card laying face down on a table. At first it seemed an easy way to make money so he went to casinos, winning every game he played but carefully limiting himself at each location so as not to arouse suspicion.

He found the mere accumulation of wealth not very interesting when there was no challenge to it, so he looked for a purpose and found one in establishing and funding orphanages around the world. He hired a financial officer to take care of the money and handle the business end of things while he took to wearing various disguises so he could continue to gamble and win the funds needed to support the cause. This is how he lived the remainder of his life.

I listened to a very good audio version (2 hrs, 16 mins) narrated by Martin Jarvis. It’s odd - it is Roald Dahl - and kind of mesmerizing. Henry is…or at least, becomes…an appealing character, the plot is truly unique, and the story is well told. I’m about to watch the short film with Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead role and am curious to see how he interprets Henry.    

Quirky and satisfying; it made me smile.