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From the bestselling author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The BFG ! Adapted into a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical and a Netflix film! Matilda is a sweet, exceptional young girl, but her parents think she's just a nuisance. She expects school to be different but there she has to face Miss Trunchbull, a kid-hating terror of a headmistress. When Matilda is attacked by the Trunchbull she suddenly discovers she has a remarkable power with which to fight back. It'll take a superhuman genius to give Miss Trunchbull what she deserves and Matilda may be just the one to do it! "Matilda will surely go straight to children's hearts." โ The New York Times Book Review Review: Great story teller! - This is a book I hope girls of all ages find time to read. Roald Dahl is a topnotch author, but he is more of a deep thinker! He was well travelled, he himself experienced so many interesting ups and downs. He used words as simple as possible to tell more than just stories. Through his writing, he shares principles, he shows moral qualities, he guides readers by making smart choices not throwing some blunt actions. To me, the most meaningful aspect of his writing is how to bring seemingly dull moments in life to vivd pictures. Review: A Pinnacle of Dahl's Children's Novels - All of Roald Dahl's key works contain common features that make his books special and unique. Apart from gripping tales of the unexpected, the key reason for their appeal is in the treatment of the baddies in the story. However, Dahl counters this rollicking, uproarious and wicked humour with deep relationships between the young protagonist and a sensible grown-up in his social circle. This theme features throughout most if not all his works, and was first introduced when he wrote Danny, the Champion of the World (Puffin Novels) , maturing when Dahl wrote The BFG , The Witches (Puffin Novels) and Matilda. On the surface, Matilda may be a gripping yarn that revolves around Matilda's environment of Crunchem Hall Primary School and the domain of fearsome Miss Trunchbull, arguably the most revolting villain that Dahl ever created. This harks back to his own dark days as a student. As with all his books, Dahl keeps his audience of young readers in mind. Not only is his style easily accessible and lively, but he sides with his young audience through his writing, He draws the characters of Miss Trunchbull and Matilda's repulsive parents such that they convey revolting personas and you wouldn't want to befriend them. Dahl particularly draws the character of the Trunchbul effectively such that we readers can really feel her as a "holy terror that frightend the life out of the pupils and teachers alike". I admit that this book dwells a little too much on the Trunchbull's torturous punishments, but these only serve to make the Trunchbull more real. A signature twist to make this a tale of the unexpected is when Miss Honey reveals that Matilda's father was a crook who sold stolen cars. However, the understated core of the book should be Matilda herself and her relationship with Miss Honey. His portrayal of this relationship offers distinct echoes of Danny's relationship with his father in Danny the Champion of the World. From the moment that Dahl first introduces us to Matilda's maturity, we know that we are getting to know an extraordinary little girl. In spite of her sensitive and brilliant mind, she is a character who engages our sympathies. Matilda always strives to break free of the thrall of her crooked family, especially her father, who acts and talks like a gangster towards her. Matilda strikes up an acquaintence with Miss Honey and quickly learns of Miss Honey's situation. She is then able to do things in her power to help her and restore her rightful claim to her father's inheritance. This may appear to be self-interest on Matilda's part, but sshe does this because she shows a genuine sympathy to Miss Honey's plight. In short, this swansong in Dahl's long children's novels stands as an undisputed masterwork and demonstrates the maturity in Dahl's children's writing. It's truly a work that shows Dahl at the top of his game, at the pinnacle of his writing career, and sums up all that his children's writing has come to stand for. (Apparently he spent 20 years writing this book.) Although I could have done with less coverage of the Trunchbull's cruelty, this book is still an undisputed Dahl classic that deserves to be up there with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox and The BFG.



| Best Sellers Rank | #1,487 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #18 in Children's Humor #22 in Children's Classics #86 in Children's Literature (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 23,184 Reviews |
M**S
Great story teller!
This is a book I hope girls of all ages find time to read. Roald Dahl is a topnotch author, but he is more of a deep thinker! He was well travelled, he himself experienced so many interesting ups and downs. He used words as simple as possible to tell more than just stories. Through his writing, he shares principles, he shows moral qualities, he guides readers by making smart choices not throwing some blunt actions. To me, the most meaningful aspect of his writing is how to bring seemingly dull moments in life to vivd pictures.
Y**G
A Pinnacle of Dahl's Children's Novels
All of Roald Dahl's key works contain common features that make his books special and unique. Apart from gripping tales of the unexpected, the key reason for their appeal is in the treatment of the baddies in the story. However, Dahl counters this rollicking, uproarious and wicked humour with deep relationships between the young protagonist and a sensible grown-up in his social circle. This theme features throughout most if not all his works, and was first introduced when he wrote Danny, the Champion of the World (Puffin Novels) , maturing when Dahl wrote The BFG , The Witches (Puffin Novels) and Matilda. On the surface, Matilda may be a gripping yarn that revolves around Matilda's environment of Crunchem Hall Primary School and the domain of fearsome Miss Trunchbull, arguably the most revolting villain that Dahl ever created. This harks back to his own dark days as a student. As with all his books, Dahl keeps his audience of young readers in mind. Not only is his style easily accessible and lively, but he sides with his young audience through his writing, He draws the characters of Miss Trunchbull and Matilda's repulsive parents such that they convey revolting personas and you wouldn't want to befriend them. Dahl particularly draws the character of the Trunchbul effectively such that we readers can really feel her as a "holy terror that frightend the life out of the pupils and teachers alike". I admit that this book dwells a little too much on the Trunchbull's torturous punishments, but these only serve to make the Trunchbull more real. A signature twist to make this a tale of the unexpected is when Miss Honey reveals that Matilda's father was a crook who sold stolen cars. However, the understated core of the book should be Matilda herself and her relationship with Miss Honey. His portrayal of this relationship offers distinct echoes of Danny's relationship with his father in Danny the Champion of the World. From the moment that Dahl first introduces us to Matilda's maturity, we know that we are getting to know an extraordinary little girl. In spite of her sensitive and brilliant mind, she is a character who engages our sympathies. Matilda always strives to break free of the thrall of her crooked family, especially her father, who acts and talks like a gangster towards her. Matilda strikes up an acquaintence with Miss Honey and quickly learns of Miss Honey's situation. She is then able to do things in her power to help her and restore her rightful claim to her father's inheritance. This may appear to be self-interest on Matilda's part, but sshe does this because she shows a genuine sympathy to Miss Honey's plight. In short, this swansong in Dahl's long children's novels stands as an undisputed masterwork and demonstrates the maturity in Dahl's children's writing. It's truly a work that shows Dahl at the top of his game, at the pinnacle of his writing career, and sums up all that his children's writing has come to stand for. (Apparently he spent 20 years writing this book.) Although I could have done with less coverage of the Trunchbull's cruelty, this book is still an undisputed Dahl classic that deserves to be up there with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox and The BFG.
J**E
Perfect โค๏ธ
I was expecting the yellow copy shown in the photo. The book I received has a pink/magenta paper sleeve cover, and the book itself is navy blue with gold details. No big deal unless you just really want the yellow cover shown in the picture. For me, it didn't matter, and I actually really like the navy blue and gold. Book arrived on time, completely undamaged, and they sent the hardcover I requested. Matilda by Roald Dahl is easily one of the best children's books ever written in my opinion. Great bedtime chapter book for kids. I'm not ashamed to admit I'm 36 years old and I actually bought this book for myself. lol. But it was one of my all-time favorites growing up
S**E
Matilda is a good, funny book
You should read Matilda by Roald Dahl it will make you feel happy. They talk funny, like calling the principal the headmistress, but that did not bother me. It is a good book. Boys should read it. Girls should read it. Grown-ups should read it. Only people that hate children and are principals that pick kids up by their ears and throw them around should not read this book. Matilda is a nice kid and lives in a big and nice house. Her dad is a bad guy and he buys stolen cars and fixes them up. Matildaโs mom goes out to bingo every day and leaves her home alone. Matilda is a really smart kid. She is smarter than every kid in her school. She has read all the books in the local library. The coolest thing about Matilda is that she can move stuff with her eyes. Really. Listen to this from the book: โShe concentrated the whole of her mind and her brain and her will up into her eyesโฆ.and then the millions of tiny invisible arms with hands on them were shooting towards the glass, and without making any sound at all she kept on shouting inside her head for the glass to go over. She saw it wobble, then it tilted, then it toppled right over and fell with a tinkle on the table-top not twelve inches from Miss Honeyโs folded arms.โ Miss Honey is very nice to kids of all ages. She is a very sweet person. Miss Honey is Matildaโs Kindergarten teacher. She wants to put Matilda in a class where she will actually learn something new. Miss Trunchbull would not allow that. So Miss Honey went to the other teachers and got Matilda some books to read. She let Matilda read during class. Miss Honey tries to protect the children. She says in the book: โA word of warning to you all โฆ The Headmistress is very strict about everything. Make sure your clothes are clean, your faces are clean and your hands are clean. Speak only when spoken to. When she asks you a question, stand up at once before you answer it. Never argue with her. Never answer back. Never try to be funny. If you do you will make her angry, and when the Headmistress gets angry you had better watch out.โ She tries to protect them but needs Matildaโs help. Miss Trunchbull is the principal of the school Matilda goes to. Miss Trunchbull is very mean to children. She picks them up by their ears and throws them around. She also picks them up by their hair and holds them there until they do what she says. She always screams at children instead of talking. The worst thing is that she does things so crazy that the school kidโs parents will never believe what the kids say and Miss Trunchbull will never get in trouble. But the very worst part is that she is the aunt of Matildaโs teacher, Miss Honey. Matilda always outsmarts Miss Trunchbull. Matilda made the chalk of the blackboard move by using her eyes. She made Miss Trunchbull think the ghost of Miss Honeyโs father wrote her a note. It scared her so much she ran away. Roald Dahl wrote the book so it made me think I was really there. When he was 8 the principal hit him with a stick for putting a dead mouse in a jawbreaker jar. He was sent to boarding school and he missed his mom very much. He used his real life experience to make his book so very good.
A**R
Imperfectly Perfect
Okay, first off I don't know why it's taken me so long to read MATILDA. My only excuse? There are a lot of great middle grade books out there. However, every time I watch the Danny DeVito film version I promise myself I will read the book. So now I have. Did I enjoy it? Absolutely. I love Roald Dahl's whimsically fun voice. Is MATILDA perfect? Absolutely not. I know I am treading on hallowed ground with some people, and to those people I extend my heartfelt apologies, but for me MATILDA does have a few issues. The dialog is often stilted and unrealistic. Yes, I know it's a fantasy, but the characters should still speak like real human beings. The writing style is overly simplistic for today's middle grade reader, although I am certain it was appropriate for its time. It seems to have multiple antagonists. You think it's her father at first, then later on its the Trunchbull. Matilda's goal early on is ill-defined, and there is no central goal throughout the book. And finally, the ending is too abrupt for my taste. I would have loved for there to be a "...and they lived happily ever after...", or some such thing. As for the Matilda herself, I loved her character, but do we really want to teach kids that it is all right to take revenge on their parents if their parents do something they don't like? Yes, she had terrible parents, but that's poor justification. For all of these reasons I gave it four stars and not five, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. It is fun and funny, heartwarming and touching. Is it perfect? No. But I'll take a billion imperfectly perfect books just like it.
M**N
Quality
Classic that every home library should have. The quality of book is good and easy to read.
C**Z
Fun and laughs
Matilda written by Roald Dahl is a story about a gifted five year old girl named Matilda, who lived with terrible parents that didn't know how special their daughter was. Until, one day she goes to school and meets Miss Honey. Miss Honey is a caring teacher who from day one realized just how brilliant Matilda was. There she also meets the horrific headmistress Miss Trunchbull who hates children and treats Miss Honey awful. In the middle of the novel Matilda realized she has powers to defend herself and others too. She uses these powers against the evil principal Miss Trunchbull. The story gets exciting when Matilda finds out Miss Trunchbull had done something really bad to Miss Honey and Matilda decides to get revenge. I would recommend this book to boys and girls ages six through ten.This book is inspirational and filled with laughter. Children who like fun and heartwarming stories will enjoy this story.
A**Y
Great childrenโs book
Came in excellent condition and was shipped fast; exactly what my son wanted.
M**R
Hilarious !!
Fabuleuse histoire, mais difficile ร lire pour mes รฉlรจves de 6e. Nรฉanmoins, le challenge a รฉtรฉ relevรฉ. Le livre est la version originale et non modifiรฉe.
Y**G
A pinnacle of Dahl's children's writing
All of Roald Dahl's key works contain common features that make his books special and unique. Apart from gripping tales of the unexpected, the key reason for their appeal is in the treatment of the baddies in the story. However, Dahl counters this rollicking, uproarious and wicked humour with deep relationships between the young protagonist and a sensible grown-up in his social circle. This theme features throughout most if not all his works, and was first introduced when he wrote Danny, the Champion of the World, maturing when Dahl wrote The BFG, The Witches (Puffin Novels)and Matilda. On the surface, Matilda may be a gripping yarn that revolves around Matilda's environment of Crunchem Hall Primary School and the domain of fearsome Miss Trunchbull, arguably the most revolting villain that Dahl ever created. This harks back to his own dark days as a student. As with all his books, Dahl keeps his audience of young readers in mind. Not only is his style easily accessible and lively, but he sides with his young audience through his writing, He draws the characters of Miss Trunchbull and Matilda's repulsive parents such that they convey revolting personas and you wouldn't want to befriend them. Dahl particularly draws the character of the Trunchbul effectively such that we readers can really feel her as a "holy terror that frightend the life out of the pupils and teachers alike". I admit that this book dwells a little too much on the Trunchbull's torturous punishments, but these only serve to make the Trunchbull more real. A signature twist to make this a tale of the unexpected is when Miss Honey reveals that Matilda's father was a crook who sold stolen cars. However, the understated core of the book should be Matilda herself and her relationship with Miss Honey. His portrayal of this relationship offers distinct echoes of Danny's relationship with his father in Danny the Champion of the World. From the moment that Dahl first introduces us to Matilda's maturity, we know that we are getting to know an extraordinary little girl. In spite of her sensitive and brilliant mind, she is a character who engages our sympathies. Matilda always strives to break free of the thrall of her crooked family, especially her father, who acts and talks like a gangster towards her. This serves to make the tricks she plays on her parents not just hmorous clowning around, but rather compelling. In a way this is reminiscent of the tricks that thw Twits play on each other. Matilda strikes up an acquaintence with Miss Honey and quickly learns of Miss Honey's situation. She is then able to do things in her power to help her and restore her rightful claim to her father's inheritance. This may appear to be self-interest on Matilda's part, but sshe does this because she shows a genuine sympathy to Miss Honey's plight. In short, this swansong in Dahl's long children's novels stands as an undisputed masterwork and demonstrates the maturity in Dahl's children's writing. It's truly a work that shows Dahl at the top of his game, at the pinnacle of his writing career, and sums up all that his children's writing has come to stand for. (Apparently he spent 20 years writing this book.) Although I could have done with less coverage of the Trunchbull's cruelty, this book is still an undisputed Dahl classic that deserves to be up there with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox and The BFG.
J**N
A great classic!
This is a great classic story for any child or even adult to read. Matilda is a well written and handled story about abuse, justice, education, love, and power. The writing is quite clever and funny despite some darker themes: Matilda is an intelligent young girl who is mistreated and neglected by her family. Her new school headmistresses is also a cruel and abusive woman. Matilda uses her brilliant mind and new telekinetic powers to fight back against these abusers and get justice for herself and others.
S**S
Every child's favourite and also for parents
Very good book for children.
M**A
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