Slow

Matilda by Roald Dahl


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Matilda by Roald Dahl is about a small, sweet girl who is a genius. She deals with over-exaggerated bullies in her parents and the headmistress of her school. Her father is a used car salesman who thinks females are dumb and only useful in the kitchen. Her mother believes a girl should focus on being pretty to catch a man. Both her parents love TV and hate books. While the headmistress is a giant of a bully, Matilda finds a confidant in her teacher Miss Jennifer Honey.




The plot is slow-moving and I think ends rather abruptly but overall it was ok and slightly amusing. Some reviewers complained the adults were too idiotic and overly abusive. In my own experience this is typical of British literature. Yes, the characters tend to be one-dimensional, but this is a children’s book published several years ago. For those who complained it was unbelievable—it is a fantasy, it’s not meant to be believable.




This won’t make my list of favorites but I would still consider it a contender for classic in British children’s literature.






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