Matilda is the world’s most famous bookworm, no thanks to her ghastly parents.

Her father thinks she’s a little scab. Her mother spends all afternoon playing bingo.

And her headmistress, Miss Trunchbull?

She’s the worst of all.

She’s a big bully, who thinks all her pupils are rotten and locks them in the dreaded Chokey.

Despite these beastly grownups trying to push her down, Matilda is an extraordinary girl with a magical mind.

And she’s had enough.

So all the terrible adults had better watch out, because she’s going to teach them a lesson they’ll never forget!

Paperback | 256

Publisher: Penguin Random House UK (2016, as part of a set of 15 books)

Read: 16th May 2020.

Age Range (if applicable): 7-9 years old.

It has been over 2 decades since I’d last read Matilda and the most vivid memory of it is of course, the film. I was eager to revisit it as an adult and to see what I could gleam from it.

As I’ve said before with Roald Dahl, there isn’t anything to trip up on in terms of reading. I got on with reading this very well and it only took me an hour and a half to read.

My memory of Matilda melded with the film had created a character that was far different from the actual Matilda. It was challenging to put the memory down and to revisit Matilda as she actually was. I still had that magical feeling while reading this book and got the sense of Matilda’s true essence and overall charm. Reading about her with an adult brain made her more compelling and I felt I was given a better understanding of her character and the characters around her. I also got to better understand her powers – which is something the film didn’t really show – and overall, I discovered many gems I’d forgotten and enjoyed the reading experience.

t was easy to visualise. I’d somehow forgotten that Matilda is set in England, but nevertheless, I had no issues in visualising what was happening.

It is always interesting to revisit a loved children’s book as an adult and for me the experience has always been a mix of whimsy and discovery. The Matilda I remembered was far different from the Matilda in this book. I suppose that’s years of watching the film and of moulding Matilda into a character that better suited me. It was interesting to go back to the roots of the story, for Matilda is one of Dahl’s most popular and heavily adapted books. Reading the story again with clear eyes was very refreshing.

It is currently the bank holiday Sunday (though when this is posted a bit of time might have since passed), and I have committed today to reading. There are many books that I should have read, or books that were higher up on the tbr list than Matilda but for some reason, I wanted to read this book. I’m glad I did and that I got to revisit a book I clearly enjoyed as a child. It was, as I’ve stated above, interesting to read with an adult mind but I enjoyed the experience as much as I did as a child also.

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