Book Review: Matilda

Book: Matilda by Roald Dahl with illustrations by Quentin Blake

Cover Art by Quentin Blake

Edition: Paperback

Description:

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!




Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Matilda follows a rather remarkable five and a half year-old Matilda Wormwood who was going to face down the greatest threat to children, the horrible school Headmistress, Miss Trunchbull.

Matilda really is an amazingly intelligent and thoughtful little girl. For instance, she taught herself how to read when she was three years old by reading newspapers and magazines around the house. At four she read the only book found at her house, a cookbook but wanting something more interesting to read, Matilda asked her father to buy her a book. You would think her dad would be happy she asked for a book (most parents would) but not Mr. Wormwood. He was dismissive and mocked her for wanting a book instead of watching TV.

During the week, she was left at home alone while her mother was out playing Bingo but one day when Matilda was four and a half years old, she had the idea to walk to the library. Once there, the librarian Mrs. Phelps immediately took notice of Matilda because she was so little and unattended and wanted to know where the children's books were. Matilda relished spending her weekly two hours a day reading books where she would eventually read all of the children's books at the library.

Looking for something else to read, Matilda asked Mrs. Phelps what she should read next. The librarian was a little perplexed at first but she started to recommend books such as the Great Expectations by Charles Dickens she thought the little girl might be interested in reading. Matilda was thrilled at the chance to read all the new books and as weeks passed by she not only read Great Expectations but a long list of other books.

Once Matilda turned five and a half, she was finally enrolled in Crunchem Hall Primary School where she was placed in Miss Honey's class. While getting to know her new students, Miss Honey was astonished to learn that Matilda was not only a prolific reader whose reading skills are beyond those of her classmates but that she's also a mathematical genius.

With great excitement, Miss Honey tried to tell the school's Headmistress Miss Trunchbull about Matilda and how she should be in a higher grade but Miss Trunchbull was too irascible and stubborn to listen to Miss Honey. Matilda's parents were also not very receptive to Miss Honey's news about their daughter.

It's a good thing Miss Honey was looking out for Matilda's best interest and provided her with textbooks and other educational material from higher grades. Thanks to her teacher, Matilda was learning new things but nothing could prepare her for Miss Trunchbull.

The Headmistress was all sorts of horrible including torturing children all for her loathsome enjoyment. But thanks to her, Matilda discovered she had something unbelievable, a super power. After she psychically knocked over a glass of water on the evil Miss Trunchbull and finding out a little something about both Miss Honey and the Headmistress, Matilda had a plan to get even with Miss Trunchbull and to help Miss Honey.

This was a delightfully interesting story because it shows that you can do anything, if you set your mind to it. I think living in a neglectful environment, taught Matilda to be self-reliant because she taught herself how to read and to do math but also to speak up and fight back against bullies. Her parents are not very encouraging and seem to see her interest in reading as being something weird or a slight against them because they prefer to watch TV.

What I like about Matilda is that she may be tiny but she had a way of getting even with bullies. In the story, there were a couple of times where she pulled pranks on her father and another on her family. Her mother and father truly didn't appreciate her at all and then she had to go to school and be treated (along with the other students) equally bad by the abusive Miss Trunchbull. So when she developed her telekinetic power, it gave her another way to fight against bullies.

Prior to reading this, I had only seen the Matilda movie (it's still one of my favorite movies) and after reading the book I can say that the movie is a wonderful adaption of the book. Both are humorous, whimsical and at times maddening, as the story follows the precocious Matilda who lives with neglectful parents and attends a school that is run by the monstrous Miss Trunchbull.

I find both Matilda Wormwood and the story to be inspiring because you are never too young or too old to become a lifelong learner and to stand up to bullies.