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A review by funnellegant
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl
2.0
We've read this and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory one after another, but there were eight years between their publishing dates. It felt as if the first two-thirds of the book (in space with the vermicious knids) was an entirely different imaginary world of Dahl's invention that he copy-and-pasted characters into from his previous book. The chaos was fun and the dialogue was sometimes clever, but it read more like a Monty Python skit at times than a children's novel (complete with non sequiturs and racist jokes).
When the principal characters return to the chocolate factory, much of the magic of the original story is returned. Willy Wonka as a character regains depth and we return to a formula of cautionary tales and Oompa Loompa songs.
As a footnote, I kind of hate that we retroactively learn that all four grandparents were bedridden for 20 years from a serious case of cowardice, laziness and stubbornness rather than any real disability. Definitely my least favorite Dahl book so far.
When the principal characters return to the chocolate factory, much of the magic of the original story is returned. Willy Wonka as a character regains depth and we return to a formula of cautionary tales and Oompa Loompa songs.
As a footnote, I kind of hate that we retroactively learn that all four grandparents were bedridden for 20 years from a serious case of cowardice, laziness and stubbornness rather than any real disability. Definitely my least favorite Dahl book so far.