Matilda :Review

MY  WORLD..........

Author: Roald Dahl (1916-1990)

A journey to be out of the past, to live a better future.

Worthy of the children’s book award, Matilda is a story of an innocent girl, Matilda. She has horrible parents, an even more horrible headmistress and an ignorant and pampered brother. However, her life of loneliness and sorrow turns into a life of adventure when she joins school and meets miss rosy. This results in the formation of a page-turning endeavour of funny situations and an intense, involving but kid-friendly story. The author has involved humour, adventure, agony, ambition and an urge to live a better life. And most importantly magic, which is part of most of his books. It has all a children’s book needs- imaginative illustration (by Quentin Blake), adventure, tricks, fun, triumph of the hero, oops! Heroine. Matilda in the course of the book changed the fate of miss rosy and also of her school, which got a better head after the nasty Miss Trunchbull.

           The story begins with a note from Roald Dahl. He discusses the relationships between parents and children, describing the worst set of parents as the ones who have brats but pamper them; and the ones who have gems but don’t value. Matilda’s parents are both of the above. More of gender partiality is portrayed. Michael is pampered and Matilda isn’t valued. She is called a liar, cheat, stupid and verbally abused. However, she has a wonderful intellect, a book lover and a clever mind. However, she has smart tricks up her sleeves and she outsmarts them which cause absolutely funny situations.

                 Miss rosy, her class teacher is surprised by her reading and calculating skills, which were superb for a five year old. Miss Rosy’s conversation with the Wormwoods is enchanting, where an adamant miss rosy tries in vain to convince them to promote Matilda to a higher grade.

         Later, a bond develops between miss rosy and Matilda. A very good relationship of love, affection, which heals their wounds of loneliness, is formed. After hearing Miss Rosy’s story Matilda feels an urge to help her. In a bid to help, Matilda discovers magical powers in herself, which she uses in order to avenge the murder of miss rosy. I won’t say anything more, and leave all for you to Read.

     The story of immense willpower, strength, love, perseverance forms one of Roald Dahl’s best classics.
                                                              by SHAHEN PARDIWALA 

©Shahen Pardiwala. All Rights Reserved.