And so it came to pass, that verily did Chris read 100 books in 2011. And lo! he did himself proud. The last book was always likely to be one of my choices purely for sentimental reasons and so I could (hopefully) make sure it was something extra special. Obviously this isn't always easy when you've not read a book before, but it was never my intention to deliberately pick something I'd previously read. As it turned out, having been on the subject of children's favourites recently, I plumped for what was probably my favourite book as a child.
It also turns out that it's still just a bit good. Roald Dahl's Matilda, then, was my final read of the year, finished on New Year's Eve and bringing up my ton. And if I was saving one of my best till last, I hadn't realised Dahl was too – Matilda was the last of what I would classify as his major children's books to be written. If you don't know the story, you probably shouldn't be reading this – not only should you be reading the aforementioned title instead, but I might also disown you.
Anyway, it's classic Dahl – wonderfully grotesque characters, brilliant yet downtrodden heroes in waiting, moral comeuppance, and a perfect happy ending. His understanding of what children want from a story, what they enjoy, how their minds work and what keeps things interesting is pretty much unsurpassed. He doesn't speak down to them and he engages right from the beginning. So many could learn so much from this master craftsman. But ultimately it's the story that captures the imagination and while I may have failed to be the child prodigy reading genius, I can still dream can't I?
Book number: 100
Title: Matilda
Author: Roald Dahl
Category: Chris' choice
No comments:
Post a Comment