Reviews with content warning for Colonisation - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

This was my 15th book finished in 2024. I've seen the 2005 film, and most recently the "origin story", but never read the book.

There are such mixed messages in this book... Wow, Roald Dahl sure hates fat people, especially fat children Fat people bad, but as outlined in the beginning of the book, Charlie's selflessness is good. But then Charlie's greed when buying two chocolate bars instead of giving his family the money is what makes him win the ticket. So what's meant to be the message here, Roald? Is greediness good under certain circumstances?

According to Wonka, nothing is better than chocolate! Unless you're fat. "Don't indulge in too much because it will make you fat and then you'll be sucked into a tube and punished. Oh but then I have said I'll give you a lifetime supply of chocolate when you win".

Also for most of the children, their bad behaviour is explained by the way their parents brought them up. But Mr Wonka will punish the children for it.

Some of the play on words in the book were amusing, and Mr Wonka can be funny sometimes, but he just gaslights everyone throughout. I assume you're supposed to like his character, but I didn't. And I don't understand why he liked Charlie so much? That boy has zero personality and basically didn't say a single thing in the factory.

Remember kids, Roald Dahl says you're a bad person if you're fat, if you chew gum, if you're spoiled (fair, but the parents are to blame), and if you watch TV! A very dated message from a middle aged man in the 1960s who didn't want to change with the times. Boomers love defending Dahl, but the book really is getting a bit dated sixty years after publication.

The TV chapter was the most annoying of all... yes yes we get it, TV "rots your brain". We've been hearing that nonsense for three generations now. We'll be fine, get over it Roald.

On a last note (the elephant in the room), the Oompa-Loompa songs got very annoying very quickly. Not to mention the horrid colonial undertones of enslaving African pygmies and making them work in your factory for a pittance of cacao beans. Icky.

I give it a 3.25 because it was clever and amusing in places, but I didn't enjoy the dated undertones and mixed messages.

Content Warnings

burnourhistory's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Content Warnings

madmadmaddymad's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I liked it as much as chocolate but
Oompa Loompa’s rhyme kind of lazily
And towards the end - their songs become tedious
If you like songs - it might make you crazy

Heartwarming, sort of, we all know the story
Willy Wonka has the ability to make me feel like a child
There’s candy and whimsy and lessons about love and kindness
Thank you Roald Dahl for a book that’s both worthwhile and wild

Content Warnings

kayleigh_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was so cute and fun! I had such a good time while reading and really enjoyed it! I will say this book did have some issues that just didn’t sit well with me like Willy Wonka being depicted as the savior of the Oompa Loompas and the fatphobia present throughout the book. I also felt like some of the chapters felt disconnected from the one previous and made it seem like some chapters were there own little story. Overall though I really enjoyed it and it was a fast fun read!

Content Warnings

te_ss_i's review against another edition

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Content Warnings

forsidious's review against another edition

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challenging medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

-1 star for the blatant racism and fatphobia making it near unreadable. I knew this one would be rough, but damn. Fatphobia galore and happy colonized slaves - and lets not forget these are the censored oompa loompas. The story is a classic, but even with reworking some of these aspects are hard to ignore to appreciate the story underneath.

Content Warnings

jonessp's review against another edition

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dark sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.25

Content Warnings

teki_p's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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