Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

New School Classic Read for November 2015

Let's begin the discussion for Matilda by Roald Dahl. This is the thread.

Wasn't Dahl British?

I can see that. I have to say Perlman & Devito did a great job portraying them in the movie I thought

Now that you mentioned it - I saw even more similarities to "Harry Potter". The magical ability to move things for example (in a situation where she wanted sth bad/funny to happen to a cruel person). And several other things. Was this book an inspiration to Rowling perhaps?

I have to reread this one!

Quanjun wrote: "How did everyone find Matilda's first day in class?

Dahl writes that it is normal for children to start primary school at 4+ or 5. I only went to kindergarten at 5 and primary school at 7-12. Was ..."

Yep, we start school in England aged 4-5, depending on which month your birthday falls. You wouldn't be expected to know anything upon starting, though most children would have been through nursery and done some very simple reading, writing and counting skills nowadays.

I can see the similarity with Harry Potter too :)

Just finished the book and I loved it. Now that it's been mentioned, the beginning of Harry Potter does seem a bit like it could have been influenced by Matilda. It was pretty random that she suddenly had this power and then so quickly it just went away. It's not as if Matilda stopped using her brain as much as Miss Honey suggested. She was working in the books from the higher form during class and she was always reading at home as well. Of course nothing has to necessarily have a reason or make sense at all in a story.

I was relieved that the book didn't draw out the part with Miss Trunchbull's house as much as the movie did. I think it worked for the movie and added a bit of suspense or tenseness, but just wasn't necessary to the story.

Quanjun wrote: "I think Matilda and Harry Potter are both about growing up in less than ideal situations. Matilda is about neglect and abuse. Harry Potter, as Rowling has often said, is about being an orphan.

I s..."

My memory is terrible and it's been a long time since I read Pullman's series. Can you remind whose powers went away there? Just for a fun thing to think about :) I may not have finished them actually.. I remember about the animals being split from the children.

Quanjun wrote: "Ok I'll write it in a spoiler tag. My memory is faulty with this particular series too, :).

Lyra, from the beginning, was able to read the "golden compass", and I think it predicted things for her..."

Ahhh okay, thank you for that! :) Yeah, I feel like maybe I only got partway through the last book and then stopped. I know that I definitely loved the first book; maybe I was starting to feel like the ending was not so great as well.

A first read of Matilda for me. I have read many Dahl books but not this one. Obviously he had to include modern life to keep up with the changes in our world but... I was almost sad to see the inclusion of benefits mentioned, wills and more disturbing for me as a teacher - students going home with a teacher! I seriously hope kids don't think that is the norm.

I loved the earlier Dahl books, yet this one not so much. It felt like a child protection case of neglect simply fictionalised and with magic added to glitter up the situation.

Nope Dahl - this isn't the magical world you created for me as a child in which I wallowed for hours and have fond memories of. Disappointed.

Quanjun wrote: "I think Matilda and Harry Potter are both about growing up in less than ideal situations. Matilda is about neglect and abuse. Harry Potter, as Rowling has often said, is about being an orphan.

I s..."

I think it is a common childhood fantasy that something will emerge to prove to everyone that you special and your gifts are exeptional. That you will find a unique and fitting way to punish your enemies - or most often that they will be hoist by their petards! Then again maybe that was just me ;)

Certainly it is a common theme in childens fiction. Another good example is in Lewis Carroll narnia series.

Quanjun wrote: "I have yet to read Narnia (I know, the shame). And worse, I saw the movie first. Yea I do somewhat remember a lot of stories where children lose their abilities as they grow up. A darker book (not ..."

Quanjun, one prank that had me in knots laughing as a child was where Matilda put peroxide in her fathers hair oil. As an adult all I I could think was that she could have blinded him! Maybe a little unwise on Dahls part LOL

Quanjun - you don't really need to understand my opinion, if you have your own. I read children's books as an escapism and another world to belong to when I was a child. Therefore Dahl including such modern elements is hardly escapism, to me. My view is that a children's book should offer adventure and delight like dahl's other books, the struggle can still remain but it is the 'setting' I don't like. The magic - great, the struggle - great, the unemployment benefit - leave that out, this world teaches them about that far to quickly, in my opinion.

I was a bit surprised that kindergarten (ish) age kids were doing multiplication.

My friends kid is only first grade and she's working on addition/subtraction problems of 3-4 numerals, decimal placement etc. I don't think she's hit the times tables yet.

3/4 done, I'll finish it tonight.

Myst wrote: "I was a bit surprised that kindergarten (ish) age kids were doing multiplication.

My friends kid is only first grade and she's working on addition/subtraction problems of 3-4 numerals, decimal pla..."

Myst, agreed it is a very advanced class of 5 year olds! Maybe it is the influence of matildas magic??

Okay, I just finished Matilda. This was a first-time read for me. To be honest, I really didn't like it. I was stressed the entire time I was reading and couldn't wait to be done with it. I was trying to look at it through the eyes of a kid and just enjoy the humor, but all the abuse was disturbing to me.

I felt like this could easily be rewritten into a horror story. Besides the obvious wretched treatment by her parents and Miss Trunchbull, I was also waiting for something horrid to happen as she was walking to Miss Honey's house. Everything was being described all scary, including it "feeling like walking through a tunnel" to get into her "Hansel and Gretel" house, etc. It got dark in places. Maybe only in my mind--haha--I'm curious if anyone else saw it that way. The ending just broke my heart.

My 8yo daughter was reading it along with me, but it didn't seem to affect her a bit. I kept asking her what she thought about how everyone treated Matilda and she just shrugged it off as they are "mean". I guess I'm getting too old for this kind of thing. I don't know how to loosen up and just enjoy it for what it is. I want to save the poor little wretch...after I'm assured she's not actually psycho. I was in doubt there for a while, with all the time she spent thinking up ways to get revenge on her parents.

My review if you're interested.

Pink, I don't know how these discussions work. If I've said too much too soon in my previous comment, let me know and I'll either delete it or add spoiler tags.

Dawn wrote: "Pink, I don't know how these discussions work. If I've said too much too soon in my previous comment, let me know and I'll either delete it or add spoiler tags."

Since you posted in the spoiler thread, anything you want to say about the book is totally fine! It was interesting to read your thoughts on it. I won't be able to read this one this month, but I remember thinking that the film was pretty dark for a children's story too.

Christine wrote: "Dawn wrote: "Pink, I don't know how these discussions work. If I've said too much too soon in my previous comment, let me know and I'll either delete it or add spoiler tags."

Since you posted in t..."

My daughter and I watched the movie last night. Didn't like it either, although the acting was great, esp. Devito and Perlman as her parents, and also the actress who portrayed Miss Trunchbull. The camera angles, etc. were effective in adding to some weirdness, but all in all, it was just too gross. A lot of close-up shots of Trunchbull's nasty teeth and more than one incident of watching them shove disgusting-looking chocolate cake in their mouths with their hands, all over their faces, etc.--not just the Bogtrotter boy. Ick. Won't watch that one again.

I'm a little over half way into the book.
I don't know yet if I can really say I like it.

I don't often really hate characters in books, but the parents and Trunchbull definitely are going on that list.

Sarah wrote: "I'm a little over half way into the book.
I don't know yet if I can really say I like it.

I don't often really hate characters in books, but the parents and Trunchbull definitely are going on that..."

I agree with you, Sarah!

I just have to ask, did anyone else read the anarchy in it or is it just me? I mean in the sense that all of the authority figures are bad, Ms Trunchbull is tyrannical, her parents are greedy and corrupt and Ms Honey is weak and inefficient and can't stand up to a broken system. It is up to Mathilda and her friends (which is one of the reasons I love the book, while Mathilda is the one with the powers her classmates also do their part to move the story along and save the day) to save the world and fix everything.

I'm probably late on this thread, but I read Matilda yesterday and the underlying themes in the book were very impactful. The one that I appreciated most was the disdainful character and attitude of people who can't appreciate books towards readership. Matilda's father being our key exhibit. The theme really resonated with me, I could have gone on and on about the topic while writing my review but I had to keep words to a minimum so as not to bore. But I just think this book will stay with me. And oh, I loved the movie too :))

My girls love this movie, and I can't wait to read the book with them. I remember loving it when I was a young reader, and got a copy for myself years ago. :)