Matilda

Plot: Matilda is an intelligent little girl who can read and has been reading before she could walk! Her parents are mean to him; she is a genius but they are the stupid ones. Matilda has been dreaming about school and when she finally does go it is half a nightmare...

An amazing fact about the book connected with the author: Roald Dahl imagined being a child an again when he wrote Matilda.

Another cool comment about the book: Matilda won the Children's Book Award in 1988 and was voted most popular in 1999 on World Book Day that year!

Rating and recommendation: 7/ 10; to all Roald Dahl fans.

One of my favourite childrens' books (2/2 people found this helpful)

I read Matilda many times in primary school because I found it exciting, funny, and empowering. It teaches children that they can be clever without being a goody goody, or forsaking modesty. It also teaches children that if they are clever enough then they will develop special abilities, though perhaps not quite the same ones that Matilda has!

matilda magic (1/1 people found this helpful)

Matilda powers are very exiting & funny we will recamend it to enywhon how
can read.Have you herd about the bit where Matilda uses her powers on the Princeable. It was very good. We enjoyed it to bits.
by Mariyah and Daanish

A pinnacle of Dahl's children's writing (3/3 people found this helpful)

All of Roald Dahl's key works contain common features that make his books special and unique. Apart from gripping tales of the unexpected, the key reason for their appeal is in the treatment of the baddies in the story. However, Dahl counters this rollicking, uproarious and wicked humour with deep relationships between the young protagonist and a sensible grown-up in his social circle. This theme features throughout most if not all his works, and was first introduced when he wrote Danny, the Champion of the World, maturing when Dahl wrote The BFG, The Witches (Puffin Novels)and Matilda.

On the surface, Matilda may be a gripping yarn that revolves around Matilda's environment of Crunchem Hall Primary School and the domain of fearsome Miss Trunchbull, arguably the most revolting villain that Dahl ever created. This harks back to his own dark days as a student. As with all his books, Dahl keeps his audience of young readers in mind. Not only is his style easily accessible and lively, but he sides with his young audience through his writing, He draws the characters of Miss Trunchbull and Matilda's repulsive parents such that they convey revolting personas and you wouldn't want to befriend them. Dahl particularly draws the character of the Trunchbul effectively such that we readers can really feel her as a "holy terror that frightend the life out of the pupils and teachers alike". I admit that this book dwells a little too much on the Trunchbull's torturous punishments, but these only serve to make the Trunchbull more real. A signature twist to make this a tale of the unexpected is when Miss Honey reveals that Matilda's father was a crook who sold stolen cars.

However, the understated core of the book should be Matilda herself and her relationship with Miss Honey. His portrayal of this relationship offers distinct echoes of Danny's relationship with his father in Danny the Champion of the World. From the moment that Dahl first introduces us to Matilda's maturity, we know that we are getting to know an extraordinary little girl. In spite of her sensitive and brilliant mind, she is a character who engages our sympathies. Matilda always strives to break free of the thrall of her crooked family, especially her father, who acts and talks like a gangster towards her. This serves to make the tricks she plays on her parents not just hmorous clowning around, but rather compelling. In a way this is reminiscent of the tricks that thw Twits play on each other. Matilda strikes up an acquaintence with Miss Honey and quickly learns of Miss Honey's situation. She is then able to do things in her power to help her and restore her rightful claim to her father's inheritance. This may appear to be self-interest on Matilda's part, but sshe does this because she shows a genuine sympathy to Miss Honey's plight.

In short, this swansong in Dahl's long children's novels stands as an undisputed masterwork and demonstrates the maturity in Dahl's children's writing. It's truly a work that shows Dahl at the top of his game, at the pinnacle of his writing career, and sums up all that his children's writing has come to stand for. (Apparently he spent 20 years writing this book.) Although I could have done with less coverage of the Trunchbull's cruelty, this book is still an undisputed Dahl classic that deserves to be up there with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox and The BFG.

worthy of a place on any bookshelf (3/3 people found this helpful)

Dahl has the ability to reach every child by showing them that anything is possible, regardless of your circumstances. It's a nice thought but he succeeds where others have failed because of his skillful use of language. The opening pages -and many thereafter- are filled with insults and perfect put-downs which make children laugh. The gentle pace of the story and the familiar way it's told could easily allow it to be mistaken for an unchallenging read,but closer inspection reveals a high standard of vocabulary and a subliminal message which might send some off in quest of Matilda's reading list.
It's a book that children can read on their own, or that parents can read to their children. It should be a literary family staple.

Roald Dahl

Reader Reviews:

Not same cover but still a great book, one of the best! (8/8 people found this helpful)

One of my favourite childrens' books (2/2 people found this helpful)

matilda magic (1/1 people found this helpful)

A pinnacle of Dahl's children's writing (3/3 people found this helpful)

worthy of a place on any bookshelf (3/3 people found this helpful)

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