"Mr Hoppy, a retired bachelor, harbours a secret passion for his neighbour, the lovely Mrs Silver. Unfortunately she lavishes all her affection on another... Alfie, her pet tortoise. Mr Hoppy's wildly ingenious plot to defeat his rival and win the love of his lady will delight and amaze, involving, as it does a cryptic riddle and no fewer than a hundred and forty tortoises, large and small."
Esio Trot has to be one of my favourite Roald Dahl books ever. It's shorter than many of his other books, but the story is just as fantastic and inspirational.
Mr Hoppy lives alone, and when he begins to fall in love with Mrs. Silver he'll do anything to win her heart. But she doesn't notice him. Her love is directed to her pet tortoise, Alfie.
I just love the whole idea of this book. Loving someone so much that you will do anything, even deceive them (not the best of morals, but still!) in order to win their heart.
Those smart-witted readers of you may notice something about the title that plays a central part to the story. Something else that ammuses me about this story.
It's one of the most prominent of Dahl's stories that I have read. It just makes me happy every time I read it.
