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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
A Classic Tale of Wit, Whimsy, and… Theft?
Fantastic Mr. Fox is one of those children’s books that stays with you long after you’ve closed the final page. It's short, simple, and deceptively lighthearted — but beneath the surface, it’s all about survival, cleverness, and a touch of rebellion. Dahl never talks down to kids, and that’s what makes this story work so well for readers of all ages.
Mr. Fox isn’t your typical hero. He’s a thief, yes. He’s teaching his kids how to steal, sure. But his motivation is clear: family first, survival at any cost. The farmers — Boggis, Bunce, and Bean — are cartoonishly villainous, almost ridiculous in how far they'll go to catch one fox. And that's the charm: these exaggerated personalities let Dahl critique greed, cruelty, and class, all while wrapping it up in a fun adventure.
What I Loved:
Mr. Fox’s unbreakable optimism and cleverness.- The simple but effective humor that still holds up.
- The illustrations — charming and perfectly suited to the tone.
- How the book manages to balance lighthearted storytelling with darker, more serious undertones (starvation, survival, class war) without ever losing its playful edge.
Quick, witty, and fun. I picked this up to help my younger cousin with a school assignment and ended up reading it in one sitting because it reminded me just how good Dahl is at what he does.
Book vs. Movie: A Quick Reflection
While the Wes Anderson film adaptation shares the basic bones of Dahl’s plot, it builds a lot more around character development and deeper themes.
The book keeps it simple: fox steals food, fox survives, fox celebrates.
The movie layers in: midlife crises, father-son dynamics, existential dread, quirky humor, and that signature Anderson aesthetic.
Both are great in their own way — but the book keeps to the heart of Dahl’s storytelling: cleverness wins, villains are buffoons, and a little chaos isn’t such a bad thing.
Final Thought:
This book is pure nostalgia, but also just a genuinely fun, well-written story. If you’re looking for something that captures Dahl’s unique brand of dark whimsy, sharp wit, and underdog triumph, this is it. It’s also a great reminder that sometimes, the simplest stories leave the biggest impact — even if they encourage a little mischief along the way.
Highly recommended — especially if you’ve ever secretly wanted to live underground and outsmart your enemies over a good feast.
Roald Dahl is the best! I'm just sad his books weren't a part of my childhood.
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-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
i LOVE the movie and all of the additions it made to the book. obviously i can’t hate the book that inspired the creation of one of my favorite films but i will say i enjoy its screen production much more.
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Yada yada yada you shouldn’t review books comparing them to their movie adaptations yada yada ya- well I don’t care. This book is decent, even if a little dark at times for being a children’s story, but this is Roald Dahl after all, that’s kind of part of his charm. But I’m going to be fully honest here, the movie is the better piece of media. Personally, I much prefer Wes Anderson's interpretation and expansion of the story, plus the way it further fleshes out the characters, and particularly Mr. Fox, by giving him new motivations and traits such as Spoilerhis fear of wolves or his wish to no longer live in poverty. I also quite like the rivalry arc between the son of Mr. Fox and his cousin, I kinda missed that in the book. The original is still alright and enjoyable as a bedtime story though, although I also feel not as clear or clever with its message.
TL;DR: WATCH THE MOVIE, IT'S GREAT AND VERY WELL MADE.
TL;DR: WATCH THE MOVIE, IT'S GREAT AND VERY WELL MADE.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
As a young kid this was my all time favourite book. Although I saw the Wes Anderson movie a few years ago, I hadn't read this book since.
However doing a reread of this, its still holds up as a favourite of mine
8/10
However doing a reread of this, its still holds up as a favourite of mine
8/10
In fourth grade, I got a big box of Roald Dahl's books at the scholastic book fair, and I enjoyed reading them as a kid. Now, as I'm rereading the books years later, I'm kind of.. disappointed?
I hadn't previously read Fantastic Mr Fox, but I love Wes Anderson's film. And now I know: I much prefer it. I realise that the book is intended for children, but children's books can still be "good" or "bad", even if those labels are mostly subjective.
I'll limit myself to what disappointed me most: Mrs Fox.
While Anderson's Mrs Fox is one of my favourite characters, Dahl's Mrs Fox remains one-dimensional and mostly irrelevant to the story.
I hadn't previously read Fantastic Mr Fox, but I love Wes Anderson's film. And now I know: I much prefer it. I realise that the book is intended for children, but children's books can still be "good" or "bad", even if those labels are mostly subjective.
I'll limit myself to what disappointed me most: Mrs Fox.
While Anderson's Mrs Fox is one of my favourite characters, Dahl's Mrs Fox remains one-dimensional and mostly irrelevant to the story.