I felt an urge to keep reading and discovering what may happen to the characters, which only proves how excellent Roald Dahl is as a storyteller.
I had to pause many times to appreciate his well-selected words. As the story proceeds, a shift from an ordinary story of a gifted child to an exaggerating and whimsical one is quite amusing. I love the way Roald Dahl tells a distressing story in such a pleasant way. No matter how delightful the book seems to be at first glance, the ending left me with such a bittersweet feeling. Dahl doesn’t let his little characters escape the harsh reality with fantasy but rather trusts in their strength to cope with the cruel things in their own ways. Last but not least, let’s not forget to mention that with only a few scratchy lines, Quentin Blake’s illustrations will leave you with vivid imagination throughout this profound children’s book.
-
“And don’t worry about the bits you can’t understand. Sit back and allow the words to wash around you, like music.”
-
“Children are not so serious as grown-ups and they love to laugh.”