6.26k reviews for:

Matilda

Roald Dahl

4.32 AVERAGE

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
fast-paced
challenging dark hopeful sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

damn i never realized as a kid just how FUCKED up matildas parents AND miss trunchbitch where
lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Re-read but still my favourite children's book

After falling in love with the movie, it was time to finally read the book. I enjoyed the book, but I have to say that the movie simply flowed better than the book did.
funny hopeful fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Memorable characters, a couple of them moving in their depictions.

A solid send-up of everyone's reliance on the "telly" for entertainment vs. reading a book in one's hands. Basically an indictment of TV.

The list of Matilda the wunderkind's books read by 1st-grade age had me depressed. I haven't read some of those yet (Austen, the tortured Russian novelists).

A couple funny quips early about teacher-student relations and homework.

A fun, easy read, as a children's book *better be* at this point(!).

I'd have liked it better, but I imagined a better ending than the completely satisfying and yet action-lacking denouement. I'd thought my 4th grade teacher read this to the class in the day, and that the ending involved Matilda, in typical morbid Dahl-esque fashion, ending the treacherous reign of her school's headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, thus saving herself, her beloved teacher Ms. Honey, and everyone else. I thought this even took place by Matilda, who has powers to make objects move, coordinating some knives to fly at the Trunchbull and end her. Maybe I misremember this or am thinking of another kids' read (although what would that be?). Maybe I just saw Stephen King's Carrie too much.

I honestly probably wouldn't have picked it up again had I known the ending.

Whatever. In the end, classic Dahl.