Esio Trot was Dahl’s final book, published just months before he died. Dahl was an elderly man when he wrote this story about older people and their loneliness. Dahl, while a beloved and celebrated author, was frequently lonely, even among other people. Esio Trot serves as a lonely, elderly man’s meditation on what loneliness is like for aging adults.

Dahl had a troubled personal life, marked by relatively few peaceful periods. He had at least one extramarital affair, was frequently in feuds with publishers and other authors, and experienced great personal losses. He seemed resistant to tranquility, and there were times when he sought conflict for reasons that may have been mysterious even for him. This created greater loneliness at times because he could alienate people quickly, doing a lot of harm with few words and impulsive reactions.

Esio Trot was one of his only books to feature adults who were neither tyrannical nor incompetent. He was more likely to create adult characters like Mrs. Trunchbull from Matilda or the horrible aunts from James and the Giant Peach than Mr. Hoppy and Mrs. Silver. The story still contains Dahl’s trademark irreverence and some questionable dealings, which reflect his unapologetic love of mischief.