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bibliophile_37 's review for:
Matilda
by Roald Dahl
Having worked in bookshops for most of my life, one of the many joys of the job is keeping a constant, steady supply of classic books that appeal to children of all ages. One book that has consistently proved wondrous for any child interested in books (or any adults for that matter) is Roald Dahl’s Matilda. To those who understand their power, books are magic portals to a realm of unsupervised adventure and experience. Between the covers, anyone can slip into a new world and for a brief moment in time come alive in a different dimension. Matilda is one such book, where imagination is key. Read in childhood, the book is a feast for the senses and an innocent foray into the endless possibilities that belief entails. As an adult, it is a nostalgic reminder of the fact that we are capable of anything if we only set our minds to the task at hand.
The story focuses on a young girl, Matilda Wormwood who wields telekinetic powers which allow her to make small objects levitate. She is also a genius with arithmetic and develops literacy skills far beyond her years. Matilda is the child of two gormless, ignorant individuals who fail to appreciate her for the talent she is. Part of the charm of Dahl’s writing is his ability to capture the mindset of a child; guileless motives, intelligence and a natural sense of wonder. Matilda has these qualities in spades, alongside a talent that is notably ignored by the adults around her, apart from her teacher, Miss Honey.
My favourite part of the book has always been Matilda’s discovery of and trips to the library. The moment Matilda finds out she can borrow multiple books and escape into their worlds in her room with a cup of hot chocolate still takes me back to being a child. I remember feeling the same love for the written word and the same ability to enter strange new lands, a lifetime away from my bedroom with a cup of hot cocoa.
Matilda’s close bond with her teacher, Miss Honey, is also part of the book’s magic. Her parents disregard their infant daughter as a waste of space and it is wonderful to read of Matilda’s friendship with Miss Honey and her trips to her teacher’s modest cottage for tea and bread. The meeting of intellectual minds has rarely been written in literature without pertaining to an element of snobbery, but Dahl captures and expresses the bond effortlessly.
A classic in children’s literature, Matilda is a superb read at any age and makes for a thoughtful gift. I recommend you check it out and if you’re already familiar, a second read is well worth it.
The story focuses on a young girl, Matilda Wormwood who wields telekinetic powers which allow her to make small objects levitate. She is also a genius with arithmetic and develops literacy skills far beyond her years. Matilda is the child of two gormless, ignorant individuals who fail to appreciate her for the talent she is. Part of the charm of Dahl’s writing is his ability to capture the mindset of a child; guileless motives, intelligence and a natural sense of wonder. Matilda has these qualities in spades, alongside a talent that is notably ignored by the adults around her, apart from her teacher, Miss Honey.
My favourite part of the book has always been Matilda’s discovery of and trips to the library. The moment Matilda finds out she can borrow multiple books and escape into their worlds in her room with a cup of hot chocolate still takes me back to being a child. I remember feeling the same love for the written word and the same ability to enter strange new lands, a lifetime away from my bedroom with a cup of hot cocoa.
Matilda’s close bond with her teacher, Miss Honey, is also part of the book’s magic. Her parents disregard their infant daughter as a waste of space and it is wonderful to read of Matilda’s friendship with Miss Honey and her trips to her teacher’s modest cottage for tea and bread. The meeting of intellectual minds has rarely been written in literature without pertaining to an element of snobbery, but Dahl captures and expresses the bond effortlessly.
A classic in children’s literature, Matilda is a superb read at any age and makes for a thoughtful gift. I recommend you check it out and if you’re already familiar, a second read is well worth it.