Matilda by Roald Dahl- illustrated by Quentin Blake

Matilda is a sensitive and brilliant little girl. By the age of one and a half, her language skills were perfect. By the time, she was three, she was able to read. But the only book in her house was something called Easy cooking. Once she finished it, she decided she wanted something more interesting. She heads up to the public library in the village where she could discover classical novels.

Her parents don’t really care what she does. Her father is a dealer in second-hand cars company and thinks that no one ever gets rich being honest. Her mother spends most of her time out of the house, playing bingo every afternoon. Her parents love watching stupid TV programs on television while eating some junk food. Matilda was constantly told by her dad that she was ignorant and stupid when she knew she wasn’t. The father is very mean and naughty and hates seeing Matilda spending her time reading. One day, he comes home, snatch The Red Pony by John Steinbeck from her hands, ripped the pages out of the book in handfuls and throwing them in the waste-paper basket.

She grows up in this terrible environment until she goes to school at the age of five for the first time. Matilda’s parents were not very concerned one way or the other about their daugher’s education and had forgotten to make the proper arrangements in advance.

Will the school give her an opportunity to escape from her odious parents ?

Matilda was written by Roald Dahl in 1988. It is one of his last book. I can’t remember reading it when I was a child but I do have a vivid memory of Danny, the champion of the world published in 1975. The reason why I wanted to read Matilda was because I knew the story was about a talented and gifted girl who loves reading but to be fair nothing more. The first part focuses on her passion about books explaining how often she goes to the library, where she would like to read while drinking a hot chocolate and the benefits of reading. Roald Dahl comes up with a formidable list of famous writers page 18 such as Charles Dickens, Jane Austen or Charlotte Brontë.

The second part relates how Mathilda feels in her school organised by a dangerous headteacher. This was the bit I found less captivating but surely children will be delighted with it because the author is humorous.

It has a surprising ending even if it’s not really realistic.

The book is about trouble at school. It is a satire of a disrespectful headteacher who is bullying students, being violent and rude. Most of the adults in this novel are gormless. In spite of being just considered as a nuisance, Matilda will remain strong and will try not to be affected by people who have taste for boasting and bullying.

The text is supported with lively black-and-white illustrations by Quentin Blake and once I put the book down I felt like trying to draw the main character.