Roald Dahl | 2016 | Fiction, Children's Literature, Fantasy | Penguin Random House Children's UK (Kindle Edition)
Hi readers! A famous author, J.K. Rowling, said, "I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book." In this article, Childucare will not talk about J.K. Rowling or her books. But we will talk about a book about an amazing young girl who loves reading, Matilda. It was written by Roald Dahl and has been adapted into several films and musical dramas. Happy reading!
OVERVIEW
"Matilda" tells the story of an extraordinary little girl with a passion for books, Matilda Wormwood. She is intelligent and kind. Unfortunately, her parents never appreciate her. They never understand Matilda's passion for reading, which they consider a useless activity. There were none of the interesting books at home where Matilda was growing up. Yet, Matilda still found ways to borrow books from the library. At a very young age, Matilda read books more than people older than her.
While her father is a 'smart' car dealer, her mother watches television dramas and plays poker. For her parents, Matilda is a know-it-all and annoying child. Her father, Mr Wormwood, often speaks and behaves harshly towards Matilda. On the other hand, although Mrs Wormwood does not behave rudely, she does not defend Matilda either. Matilda does not approve of her parents's attitudes toward her. She started doing pranks on her father, such as replacing her father's hair product with her mother's hair dye and smearing glue on her father's hat. Mr. Wormwood is furious. But he never knew who did it.
One day, Matilda got enrolled in a Crunchem Hall Primary School. She is excited to finally learn at school. She loves studying, whises to have new friends, and obviously . . . read more books. Her wish came true, partly. Matilda has new friends. She also has a kind homeroom teacher named Miss Honey. Miss Honey realizes Matilda's intelligence. She is amazed and wants to support Matilda. Unfortunately, the cruel and rude principal, Miss Trunchbull refuses this.
Miss Trunchbull is more frightening than Mr Wormwood. She enjoys using harsh words to demean her students. She also enjoys punishing them for minor mistakes, sometimes even without any. Miss Trunchbull's favourite punishment is The Chokey, a small room filled with sharp objects used to imprison students (frightening, right?).
Matilda despises Miss Trunchbull's unjust behaviour, adding fuel to anger inside Matilda's emotions due to her parents's attitudes. It flows through her system. Her building anger and her outstanding brain create outbursts of energy, a power. When Matilda realises her 'power,' she uses it to get back at her parents and principal's cruel behaviour.
Matilda, in the second row, sat very still and said nothing. A strange feeling of serenity and confidence was sweeping over her and all of sudden she found that she was frightened by nobody in the world. With the power of her eyes alone she had compelled a glass of water to tip and spill its content over horrible Headmistress, and nobody who could do that could do anything.
BRIEF REVIEW
Matilda is more than just a tale of an extraordinary girl with a passion for books—it's a timeless story of resilience, empowerment, and the triumph of intelligence over ignorance. This classic novel was written by Roald Dahl and first published in 1988. This 200-page book (kindle edition, Puffin Publishers) is suitable for children aged six to ten. However, it still can be enjoyed by any age.
The story plot in Matilda's novel is entertaining, intriguing, and emotional. For instance, Matilda is a lovable little girl with outstanding intelligence and a huge love for books. We can witness her amazing minds through this novel. In addition, Miss Trunchbull's cruel treatment of her students is horrifying, but sometimes her attitude is hilarious. In this novel, Matilda is definitely the centre of the story. However, even though the other characters seem minor, they all manage to support the whole story.
The dialogue and language used are easy to understand. Even though Roald Dahl uses some quite difficult vocabulary in the dialogue, it only highlights Matilda's intelligence. Dahl's writing style in this novel suits my taste. He inserted various issues of children's education and parenting. This novel shows his brilliant ways of drawing attention to those issues.
Finally, Matilda is a classic that teaches children valuable lessons about intelligence, kindness, and courage. Captivating stories and characters make this book a must-read for children and adults. It will remind us that no matter how difficult life is, if we have the mindset and determination to grow, we can always find a way to overcome adversity.
I’ve always said to myself that if a little pocket calculator can do it why shouldn’t I? -Matilda-
CONCLUSION
So, Matilda's novel is an interesting children's novel to be read by various age groups. This novel, which is adapted into films and musicals, is presented in a language that is easy to understand and raises educational issues. For those who haven't read the novel, this novel should be included in your TBR!
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