Matilda (Paperback)

by Roald Dahl (Author) "It's a funny thing about mothers and fathers..." (more)
Key Phrases: green breeches, Miss Honey, Miss Trunchbull, Bruce Bogtrotter (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The success of the recent movie version should encourage kids to read the hilarious, thought-provoking original novel. Matilda is a genius who not only has to deal with loud, obnoxious, idiot parents who scapegoat her for everything but with "the Trunchbull"! "The Trunchbull" is actually Miss Trunchbull the ex-Olympic hammer-thrower, Head Mistress of Matilda's school who has terrorized generations of students and teachers. When "the Trunchbull" goes after Miss Honey, the one teacher, the one person, who supports and believes in Matilda, our heroine decides it's time to fight back. Her parents and "the Trunchbull" don't stand a chance! Ages 7-12. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
Matilda is an extraordinarily gifted four-year-old whose parentsa crass, dishonest used-car dealer and a self-centered, blowsy bingo addictregard her as "nothing more than a scab." Life with her beastly parents is bearable only because Matilda teaches herself to read, finds the public library, and discovers literature. Also, Matilda loves using her lively intelligence to perpetrate daring acts of revenge on her father. This pastime she further develops when she enrolls in Crunchem Hall Primary School, whose headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, is "a fierce tyrannical monster . . . ." Adults may cringe at Dahl's excesses in describing the cruel Miss Trunchbull, as well as his reliance on overextended characterization at the expense of plot development. Children, however, with their keenly developed sense of justice, will relish the absolutes of stupidity, greed, evil and might versus intelligence, courage and goodness. They also will sail happily through the contrived, implausible ending. Dahl's phenomenal popularity among children speaks for his breathless storytelling charms; his fans won't be disappointed by Matilda. Blake's droll pen-and-ink sketches extend the exaggerated humor. Ages 9-11.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0141301066
• ISBN-13: 978-0141301068
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (379 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #418,948 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Trunchbull: Do villainous names get any better?, June 17, 2004

By	E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Originally published in 1988, "Matilda" was one of the last books author Roald Dahl wrote before his death in 1990. Most authors as they age become more cynical and dour. Think of the final writings of Dickens or Twain and how bitter they seemed in their late years. Then look at "Matilda". Here we have a sweet charming little piece of literature about a girl that is both good and interesting. Creating characters that you identify intrinsically with is not only difficult but (in children's books) sometimes near impossible. Reading "Matilda", it becomes clear that Roald Dahl never lost his touch for creating wonderful original characters and situations.

The heroine of this little book also carries its name. Matilda is incredibly intelligent, even as a small child. Living with her boorish parents and oblivious brother, she teaches herself to read from the various magazine and newspapers lying about the house. Her parents are completely indifferent to their only daughter and it is only by playing small tricks on them when they've been particularly nasty that little Matilda is able to keep a hold on her sanity. By age five and a half Matilda has read all the children's books in the library and quite a few of the adult ones as well. On entering school for the first time, our protagonist comes face to face with a very worthy enemy. The Head Teacher, Miss Trunchbull, is the worst kind of dangerous violent adult. It is only through Matilda's cleverness that she is able to come to the aid of her teacher, Miss Honey, and save the school from the Trunchbull's insanity.

As I mentioned before, Matilda is just the nicest kid ever. Intelligent without ever becoming pig-headed. Nice without becomes precious. She's just a swell child all around. Through her, Dahl takes some mighty fine cracks as his fellow kiddie lit authors. I was especially fond of the portion in which Matilda points out that though C.S. Lewis and Tolkien are fine writers, "There aren't many funny bits". And as we all know, Dahl is the master of the funny bit for kids. This book is chock full of them too. It contains all the usual peculiar Dahl touches (like kids being swung out of the playground by their pigtails) as well as practical jokes and nasty adults. The Trunchbull is perhaps THE nastiest adult ever to grace the pages of the Dahl world. Definitely unhinged, she abuses the children around her, coming just shy of actual physical contact. It is amazing then that Dahl doesn't dispatch of her in a violent or crazy fashion. She merely...disappears. Likewise Matilda's parents get their comeuppance by merely fleeing the country to Spain. Dahl was quite soft in his old age, it seems.

Reading this book today I was struck by how much Lemony Snicket owes to Mr. Dahl. Not just the usual adults-are-nasty-cruel-and-possibly-batty take, but the narrative voice as well. It took me a couple minutes to realize that this was Dahl talking and not Mr. Handler. Illustrated by Quentin Blake, the book is perfectly complimented by the illustrators' insane imaginings and concoctions. The Blake/Dahl pairing is often inspired, and it works to its best advantage here. I can't imagine this book without Blake's particular little pointy nosed heroine gracing the pages. For those parents who either don't approve of Dahl or just don't "get" him, I think "Matilda" is the perfect story to win them over. You'd have to be pretty hard of heart not to love its little heroine and the troubles she gets into. A charming treat to be enjoyed for years to come.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reading aloud pleasure., May 20, 2002

By	Britt Arnhild Lindland (Norway) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Matilda (Hardcover)

I'm out of the country with my 6 years old daughter for a week. When we travel together we always bring enough reading stuff, and our main book this time is Matilda - a fantastic book about a fantastic girl. I have read all of the Roald Dahl books for my kids several time, Matilda has always been and still is my favorite :-)

Matilda is a small girl with extraordinary talents. Already when she is three years old she starts visiting the local library and reads all the books there, starting with the children's books, keeping on with the world classics. Matilda's parents are very neglective, and refuse to see any of Matilda's talents. But Matilda is a fighter and finds her own very creative and very funny ways to get revenge.

Matilda is a funny book, showing a girls fight for her individuality, in a typical RoaldDahlish way. I love it, and all my kids have loved it as well. My youngest daughter is only six, and should be a little too young for the book. But still the book works perfectly for her. The chapters are quite long, but none of us manage to stop after just one chapter. Being on holiday, we can sleep long in the mornings, and can read for a long time in the evenings.

An extra pluss with the book is all the fantastic recommandations of future books it gives us. Dahl has made a wonderful list of the books Matilda read at the library.

Britt Arnhild Lindland

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is great!, June 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Matilda (Hardcover)

I read this book when I was 6, now 8 years later I still remember the content very well. A little girl who was a genius but his parents never discovered it, they never cared much about her at all. At school, Mrs Trunchbull, was an extremely mad and unresonable headmaster who threw school children up the air just for fun.

Although the environment Matilda grew up in wasn't nice at all, she met her class teacher(err..forgot her name), who appreciated her talent and gave sympathy to her situation.

Later, Matilda discovered that she had supernatural powers and used it to teach Mrs.Trunchbull a lesson, and the headmaster was nowhere to be seen again after she fleed from her house in a hurry. Matilda'a father, because of selling old cars dishonestly, had to escape from the country as well. Matilda offered to stay in her teacher's house and so they lived happily ever after.

I just love the stories told by Roald Dahl, his stories always fascinate me, his words are suitable for children and the stories are full of imagination.