Matilda

Friday, June 28, 2013



Matilda
by Roald Dahl
★★★★★

Matilda is a precocious 5-year-old with a brilliant mind. Her parents are the worst sort of people and think reading is horrible. Luckily she has a kind teacher, Miss Honey, who sees the potential in her work. The school Matilda attends is run by the terrifying headmistress Miss Trunchbull, one of the all-time best villains in children’s literature.  

I read this book so many times when I was little and I loved returning to it. I was an avid reader at a young age and I identified with Matilda. Obviously I wasn’t as advanced as her and my parents actually supported reading, but I still loved her story. I love almost everything Roald Dahl wrote, but this remains my favorite. Sure, the story is a bit far-fetched when it comes to Matilda’s intelligence and child custody laws, but who cares? It’s a children’s story and I love it.

BOTTOM LINE: An absolute childhood favorite that I adore. Perfect for that little reader in your life.

There’s a list of books that Matilda reads when she’s a little girl and I’ve always wanted to read everything on it. Here it is with the books I’ve read in bold.

Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Gone to Earth by Mary Webb
Kim by Rudyard Kipling
The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Good Companions by J.B. Priestly
Brighton Rock by Graham Greene
Animal Farm by George Orwell

9 comments:

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

Definitely plan on collecting the Mathilda series for my little one when she gets a bit older.

Jason C said...

So nostalgic! A childhood favorite of mine as well. I forgot what great taste in literature she has for a 5 year old! I didn't know that she loves reading Graham Greene which makes her even more awesome.

Nikki Steele @ BookPairing.com said...

Oh I'm like tearing up remembering this book. It was the BEST. I had forgotten the different books she had read. Thanks for including them here. Ah, I so need to go back and read this one, stat!

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

Diane - It's such a wonderful book!

Jason C. - I know! She read some fantastic books.

Nikki - It was so much fun to re-read!

Enbrethiliel said...

+JMJ+

I've always wondered about Matilda's reading list. Were those books which Roald Dahl himself loved, books which could be commentary for the story, or just a random list of titles he just threw in there? It's impressive, yes, but it's so random!

Care said...

The Matilda Reading Challenge! I think I've read about 10. I am curious about Brighton Rock now.

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

Enbrethiliel - I wondered about that too. It's a good variety, but an odd one.

Care - Me too, I really want to read the final 5 on my list.

Captain Nick Sparrow said...

I love the movie and have had the book for quite awhile. Maybe it's time to read it!! Thanks for the inspiration.

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

Captain - Aww, enjoy!