 | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 09/15/2016 *Starred Review* Matilda Wormwood is a precocious little girl. By the time she was three, she could read the newspaper, and by age four, she’d finished all of the library’s children’s books and sat happily pinned under the weight of Great Expectations. Her parents, however, can see no value in reading. Mr. Wormwood is a cheat of a used car salesman and his wife is vain and vacuous. To them, Matilda is seen not so much as a genius, but as an inconvenient piece of gum stuck to the bottom of their shoes. Neglected but not dispirited, Matilda finally sees things turn around when she begins attending Crunchem Hall Primary School. Here, her kind teacher, Miss Honey, immediately recognizes how Matilda would have skipped straight to the top class if it weren’t for the terrible Headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. Dahl paints a wonderfully wicked picture of this heartless tank of a woman. She is “a gigantic holy terror, a fierce tyrannical monster,” who despises children and should generally be treated as if she were an “enraged rhinoceros.” One day Miss Trunchbull unjustly accuses Matilda of playing a prank on her, and all the girl’s pent-up anger and frustration unleashes itself in a most magical way. Originally published in 1988, Matilda has established itself as a children’s touchstone for good reason. The line between the heroes and villains is clearly drawn, revenge is applauded in a most satisfying way, and all victories are had at the hands of children. Dahl exaggerates to the point of absurdity, which makes his cruelest characters (usually adults) more comical than terrifying, a quality perfectly echoed in Blake’s loose, cartoonish line drawings. Readers will revel in Dahl’s wordplay and in bookish Matilda’s triumphs. A fantastically funny and empowering story of happily-ever-after. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. Loading...
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