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thelittleb00kworm 's review for:
Fantastic Mr. Fox
by Roald Dahl
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.