Well, I’m late posting April’s classic, but it’s only the 15th!  I’m still 5 whole days ahead from last month’s classic! 😉

April’s Classic

Check it out on Goodreads!

Originally Published: 1988

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: Matilda is a little girl who is far too good to be true. At age five-and-a-half she’s knocking off double-digit multiplication problems and blitz-reading Dickens. Even more remarkably, her classmates love her even though she’s a super-nerd and the teacher’s pet. But everything is not perfect in Matilda’s world. For starters she has two of the most idiotic, self-centered parents who ever lived. Then there’s the large, busty nightmare of a school principal, Mrs. (“The”) Trunchbull, a former hammer-throwing champion who flings children at will and is approximately as sympathetic as a bulldozer. Fortunately for Matilda, she has the inner resources to deal with such annoyances: astonishing intelligence, saintly patience, and an innate predilection for revenge.

She warms up with some practical jokes aimed at her hapless parents, but the true test comes when she rallies in defense of her teacher, the sweet Miss Honey, against the diabolical Trunchbull. There is never any doubt that Matilda will carry the day. Even so, this wonderful story is far from predictable. Roald Dahl, while keeping the plot moving imaginatively, also has an unerring ear for emotional truth. The reader cares about Matilda because in addition to all her other gifts, she has real feelings.

WHEN I Discovered This Classic

When I was little, I was OBSESSED with this movie (honestly, I still am)!  So, naturally, knowing how much I loved the movie, my grandparents bought me the book when I was probably 8 or 9.

WHY I Chose To Read It

Like I said, I received this book when I was 8 or 9, and that was the last time I read it.  I remember absolutely loving it then, and being that it had been over 10 years since I read it last, I decided it was definitely time for a re-read!

WHAT Makes It A Classic

Roald Dahl is a very prolific and well-loved children’s author.  Matilda is just one of his very popular books, and it has been made into a movie (one of my absolute favorites, actually!), as well as a successful Broadway musical!

WHAT I Thought Of This Classic

I absolutely loved it!  In fact, I think I enjoyed reading Matilda more now than I did when I was little.  This book is just so clever!

Matilda is the perfect example for why I love children’s literature so much. Unlike adult books, or even YA, children’s books don’t try to impress with fancy language and unnecessary drama, in order to be “complex” or “worthy” of being literature.  They simply are what they are.  Even though it’s not filled with complex language, Matilda is so beautifully written.  It is one of those books that make you appreciate books and reading all the more.

I just had so much fun reading this book!  The characters are so creative, The Wormwoods are awful and crazy, Miss Honey is just lovely, the Trunchbull is terrifying, and Matilda is so clever, and just a little naughty.

One thing I found interesting though, was Matilda’s powers.  If you have seen the movie, and I know many of you probably have, you know how large a part Matilda’s powers come into play.  That is not the case with the book.  In fact, I was over halfway through the book before they were even mentioned or discovered.

WILL It Stay A Classic

Absolutely!  Matilda is one of those books that make you remember why you love books and reading so much.  It has such a magical quality to the story and its writing, that as long as there are bibliophiles out there, this book will thrive.

WHO I’d Recommend It To

I would recommend this book to fans of the movie, children who are tired of reading the same old books and are looking for clever and unique reads, and adults who are tired of reading the same old books and are looking for clever and unique reads.  I would also recommend this book to anyone who loves books, reading, and the library.