Matilda

Image credit: Publishers Weekly

The memorable tale of the brainy girl with temporary telekinesis is one that has entertained both kids and adult readers for years and –like Peter Pan or the Narnia series- it’s a children’s story that stands the test of time and will continue to be read and adored for many more years to come.

Matilda tells the story of an extraordinarily intelligent little girl who is ignored by her parents and repressed by her headmistress. To avoid losing her mind she dives into the wonderful worlds of books and when she goes to school her teacher, Miss Honey, does her very best to nurture her gift. But as her parents and the dreaded Miss Trunchbull suppress her intelligence, she discovers that she has a special power, which she uses to teach them a lesson.

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Like J. M. Barrie Roald Dahl writes in an interesting way that is accessible to both children and adults. The story of a small girl discovering that she has a very special power certainly appeals to the young and the young at heart, but the intelligent voice in which the book is written coupled with its bouts of social commentary and general humour make it quite a mature book. Dahl’s representation of children, women, and authoritative figures is questionable and –for the most part- rather unflattering and harsh even, but the memorable characters and shenanigans they get up to still prove to be timeless. While the language of the book is generally very simple, its tone and a few words encouraging a broader vocabulary give it a cheeky and fun, but at the same time adult and cynical tone.

Accompanied by wonderful illustrations by Quentin Blake that guide the imagination and keep the younger ones turning pages by breaking up the chunks of text, Matilda is one of my all-time favourite books from childhood and, rereading it as an adult, I am amazed at just how clever and sophisticated a story it is. It’s the mark of a true classic when both kids and adults can enjoy it equally and Matilda definitely falls within that category.

Matilda was written by Roald Dahl and first published by Jonathan Cape Ltd in 1988.