Fantasy Texts

Book Title:  Matilda
Author: Roald Dahl
Illustrator: Quentin Blake 
Publisher: Puffin Books
Date Published: 1996
ISBN:  0141301066

About the book:

Matilda lives with her parents and her older brother in a nice home, in nice neighborhood. However, Matilda isn't your average 5 year old girl. Her parents consider her a nuisance and often ignore her presence completely carrying on with their lives as if she doesn't exist. Matilda is smart though. By age 3, Matilda has already taught herself to read, cook and take care of herself. Matilda's parents are dishonest and unkind leading Matilda to carry out a series of pranks against them. She puts superglue in her fathers hat, puts bleach in his hair product, and puts a talking parrot in their chimney leading her family to believe that there is a ghost in the house. When Matilda is 5 and a 1/2 years old she finally convinces her parents to let her go to school. Matilda loves school, especially her teacher Miss Honey but there is one bad thing about school... headmistress Trunchbull. She is mean and nasty towards everyone at school and happens to be Miss Honey's aunt. Throughout the story Matilda starts to realize that she has magical powers that she uses against her parents and the Trunchbull to stop her from abusing the children at school. At the conclusion of the book, the Trunchbull leaves town and the house that she stole from Miss Honey's father for Miss Honey to move into. Matilda's parents decide they want to move to Spain leading Miss Honey to adopt Matilda so she doesn't have to go with them. 

                                                 

Book Review

Growing up, the movie version of Matilda was often the movie of choice for my sisters and I. I can't even count the number of times we have collectively watched the movie and yet this is the first time I've gotten my hands on a physical copy of the book itself. I honestly think that my fondess of the movie deterred me from reading the book. Sometimes stories and literature that we have read have been adapted to create a film that ends up falling short of our expectations. However, I was pleased to find out that Dahl's version of Matilda is very similar to the movie version. Of course there are some minor details that have been changed in the film such as the talking parrot in the book that is replaced by Matilda blowing up the tv, the character description of Matilda's father who is short and fat in the movie but scrawny in the book, and some other details. I love the story that Roald Dahl tells about Matilda and the way he paints the story of the picture in the book. Matilda is a child heroine and that is something that can inspire young children. The only complaint that I have about this book is that some of the content, especially in relation to the Trunchbull's character, can get heavy. It includes topics such as abuse and misconduct that can cause turmoil. However, it's important to consider that the behavior of the villains in Matilda is not condoned. In the end, Matilda's able to rid herself and the other good people in her life of the evil. How can you not love Matilda's character? To me I give this story a 5 out of 5. I'm basing that score off of the positive role it has played in my life and the memories that go along with it. I will always cherish this story and plan to share it with my kids someday.