book report about matilda

by Roald Dahl

• Matilda Summary

Matilda Wormwood is a young girl who is extraordinarily brilliant. At a young age, she can solve complex math problems in her head and read books meant for adults. Unfortunately, though, Matilda has grown up with parents who do not give her the attention and love she deserves. Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood and their son, Michael, are quite different from Matilda, preferring to watch television than read books. They do not understand her, and often treat her badly.

Rather than feel hopeless, Matilda plays tricks on her family to get back at them for the way they treat her, replacing her father's hair tonic with platinum hair dye and using a parrot to convince them that their house is haunted. These tricks give Matilda some agency, and distract her parents from mistreating her.

Matilda starts school late for a girl her age, and is placed in the lowest form in Crunchem Hall Primary School. Matilda's teacher, Miss Honey , is a wonderful, sweet woman, and she immediately recognizes Matilda's intelligence and seeks to move her into the highest form, where she can maximize her potential. Unfortunately, though, Crunchem Hall is run by a terrible woman named Miss Trunchbull . She is massive and muscular, having been a former Olympic athlete for Britain. She absolutely loathes children and treats the students horribly, keeping them in line with terrible punishments such as the "Chokey," a thin closet with walls made of nails where students have to stand straight up for hours when they misbehave.

Miss Trunchbull will not move Matilda to the highest form, so Miss Honey keeps her in her class, giving her advanced books to study while the rest of the class learns basic lessons. She does her best to nurture Matilda's mind and allow her to learn new things. Meanwhile, Matilda quickly befriends the other students in school and learns about the ways they resist Miss Trunchbull's terror. The peak of Miss Trunchbull's horrible antics is reached when she calls a school-wide assembly, and makes a boy named Bruce Bogtrotter eat an entire giant chocolate cake on his own in front of everyone as punishment for stealing a slice of hers. To her surprise he does it without getting sick or quitting, a small victory for the students against her.

Miss Trunchbull comes into Miss Honey's class for one period each Thursday to take over, and she terrorizes the students with difficult math and spelling questions and punishes them with physical abuse when they cannot answer. Matilda's friend Lavender , seeking to get revenge on Miss Trunchbull, sticks a large newt in her drinking glass, sending Miss Trunchbull into a frenzy. Miss Trunchbull blames Matilda for placing the newt there, even though she did not do it, and Matilda gets so angry that a peculiar sensation of power comes over her and she manages to knock the water glass over with her mind, pouring the newt onto Miss Trunchbull's bosom.

Matilda is awed and frightened by her newfound power, and when she demonstrates it for Miss Honey, the teacher invites her back to her cottage to talk. Matilda is mystified when she sees Miss Honey's cottage, a tiny, sparse place hardly fit for living. Miss Honey reveals her life story to Matilda: her parents died when she was young, leaving her in the care of her cruel aunt, who has bullied her and forced her to work ever since. This terrible aunt takes nearly every cent of Miss Honey's salary, so she cannot afford to live anywhere but this tiny shack. At last, Miss Honey reveals who this aunt actually is: Miss Trunchbull.

Matilda comes up with a plan to get back at Miss Trunchbull and help Miss Honey. She hones her power until she can make objects move in the air at her will, and then the following week when Miss Trunchbull comes in to teach their class, she has the chalk move on its own and write an ominous message to Miss Trunchbull. Miss Trunchbull believes that the message has come from Magnus , Miss Honey's deceased father. Panicked, she disappears, moving out of his house and leaving Crunchem Hall.

When Magnus's will mysteriously appears, it is revealed that his house belonged to Miss Honey all along, as do his life savings. She moves in immediately, and Matilda is a frequent visitor. Under the new head teacher, Matilda is moved up to the highest form, where she finds that because her mind is challenged with hard work, she has lost the ability of telekinesis. She discusses this with Miss Honey but decides she does not mind that it is gone.

When she returns home that day she sees her parents and brother in a frenzy, packing up to move to Spain because her father has finally been caught for being involved with criminals who sell stolen cars. Miss Honey offers to adopt Matilda so she can stay and live with her, and Matilda's parents, who never truly cared about her, agree to the plan.

Matilda Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Matilda is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Compare and contrast the characters of Matilda and Ms Honey.Under what circumstances do they grow up?How do they each respond to their circumstances? What is the significant of the two of them becoming a family at the end of the novel?Provide detaild from

This is only a short answer space. I can make a general comment.Miss Honey is Matilda’s school teacher and the first person to appreciate and foster Matilda’s extraordinary intelligence. She attempts to bring Matilda’s gift to the attention to...

who is matilda? describe her with 5 words

Matilda is the titular character and the protagonist of Roald Dahl’s Matilda. Unlike her other family members, who are selfish and dull, Matilda is a precocious child with a love of books and a high aptitude for mathematics.

-intelligent

What is the purpose of paragraphs 1-5

Can you quote the whole sentence that you mean?

Study Guide for Matilda

Matilda study guide contains a biography of Roald Dahl, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Matilda
• Character List

Essays for Matilda

Matilda essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Matilda by Roald Dahl.

• Language, Power, and Gender: The Power Dynamics of Language and Social Class in Three Children’s Books

Lesson Plan for Matilda

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Matilda
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Matilda Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for Matilda

• Introduction
• Writing the novel
• Dahl's inspiration

69 pages • 2 hours read

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-6

Chapters 7-14

Chapters 15-21

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Summary and Study Guide

Roald Dahl’s 1998 children’s fantasy Matilda tells the darkly humorous story of a brilliant and kindly little girl who reads grown-up books, plays pranks on her emotionally abusive parents, and uses her telekinetic ability in her battles with a tyrannical school principal.

Dahl is widely considered one the greatest children’s storytellers. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide; they include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, The BFG, and The Fantastic Mr. Fox. Many of Dahl’s tales, including Matilda, have been made into feature films. The 2007 Penguin edition includes illustrations by Quentin Blake; its ebook version forms the basis for this study guide.

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Plot Summary

Often left alone at home by her neglectful, self-involved parents, Matilda Wormwood teaches herself to read at age three; by age five, she’s read all the children’s books at the local library and more than a dozen adult classics like Great Expectations and The Grapes of Wrath. Matilda also has a knack for math and can do arithmetic in her head.

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Her parents have no interest in books and think Matilda’s wasting her time. Her father, Harry Wormwood, dresses garishly and sells run-down used cars faked-up as nearly new; he proudly teaches his young son, Michael, the fine points of cheating customers. Matilda’s mother spends afternoons playing Bingo and evenings watching TV. Both parents are self-important and small-minded; they regard their daughter as an annoyance, and they treat her rudely.

Matilda decides to get even with them. She puts superglue into her father’s porkpie hat, and it takes him a day to get it removed, along with a lot of his hair. She borrows a neighbor’s parrot and positions the caged bird in the chimney; when the parrot speaks during dinner, it terrifies her parents, who believe it’s a burglar or a ghost. She switches her mother’s platinum hair dye with her father’s hair lotion, causing him to convert his hair from black to ashy white.

Matilda enters Crunchem Hall Primary School , where her teacher is the kind and lovely Miss Honey , who quickly recognizes Matilda’s genius and gives her advanced schoolwork. She tries to convince Matilda’s parents to take seriously their child’s brilliance, but the Wormwoods dismiss the idea.

The headmistress, Miss Trunchbull is powerfully built and mean to the children, whom she despises. A former Olympic hammer thrower, Trunchbull has a knack for lifting up children who annoy her and throwing them through windows or over fences. One boy is caught stealing her lunchtime dessert; she calls an assembly, where she forces the boy to eat an entire giant chocolate cake. The boy succeeds, which frustrates Trunchbull.

The tyrannical woman hates Matilda on sight. When the girl’s pal, Lavender, sneaks a newt into Trunchbull’s water glass, the startled headmistress accuses Matilda of the deed. Furious, Matilda’s eyes somehow send energy toward the glass and tip it over, newt and all, onto Trunchbull.

Matilda confesses to Miss Honey that she made the glass fall; to prove it, she concentrates and makes the glass tip over again. Amazed, Miss Honey agrees to work secretly with Matilda to understand her new power.

They walk to the teacher’s tiny countryside cottage , which has no running water and no furniture. Miss Honey explains that when she was a little girl named Jenny, her mother died young, and her father, Magnus, brought in Jenny’s aunt Agatha to help raise the child at Jenny and Magnus’s beautiful house. The aunt, though, was cruel; she murdered Jenny’s father and framed it as suicide, then enslaved the girl for housework. Jenny later attended a nearby teacher’s college, and she got hired at Crunchem Hall, but the aunt still forced her to sign over her salary. Miss Honey escaped by moving to the cottage, which the owner rents to her for pennies a week. Her aunt Agatha is Headmistress Trunchbull, who still lives in Jenny’s old house as though it is rightfully hers; she forged the deed.

Matilda decides to help Miss Honey. Each day after school for a week, she practices making one of her father’s cigars levitate and move about. At school, when Trunchbull teaches Miss Honey’s Thursday class, Matilda telekinetically makes a piece of chalk write on the board, saying that it’s Magnus, who has come back to warn Agatha to give Jenny her house and salary and leave town—or he’ll get her like she got him. Trunchbull faints and must be carried to the sick-room.

The next day, Trunchbull’s assistant, Mr. Trilby, goes to Trunchbull’s house to find it unlocked. He enters to see that everything is in place except that it is vacant. Miss Honey then gets a letter from a law firm that says her father’s will has suddenly appeared. It gives the estate to her, including the family house where Trunchbull lived.

Miss Honey moves into her old house. Matilda visits her every afternoon. Miss Honey gets the girl transferred to the top grade, where she’s an excellent student.

Matilda’s father gets into trouble with the law for his crooked business operations, and the Wormwoods pack hurriedly to escape to Spain. Matilda doesn’t want to go; she hurries with Miss Honey to her house, where the teacher offers to care for the girl while the rest of the Wormwoods escape. Harry and his wife shrug and accept the deal. They pile into a car with their son and drive away. Matilda jumps into Miss Honey’s arms, and they hug. 

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Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Roald Dahl's Matilda . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Matilda: Introduction

Matilda: plot summary, matilda: detailed summary & analysis, matilda: themes, matilda: quotes, matilda: characters, matilda: symbols, matilda: theme wheel, brief biography of roald dahl.

Historical Context of Matilda

Other books related to matilda.

• Full Title: Matilda
• When Written: 1987
• Where Written: England
• When Published: 1988
• Literary Period: Postmodernism
• Genre: Children’s Novel; Fantasy
• Setting: An English village
• Climax: Matilda uses her secret power to make the Trunchbull believe that Miss Honey’s father’s ghost wants Mrs. Trunchbull to return the family home and fortune to Miss Honey.
• Antagonist: Mrs. Trunchbull and Matilda’s Parents
• Point of View: Third Person

Extra Credit for Matilda

Great Welshmen. Dahl and poet Dylan Thomas (whose poem “In Country Sleep” appears in Matilda ) are sometimes considered the best-known Welsh writers. Though the men never met, they were born only 40 miles and two years apart. Thomas died at age 39 (having already achieved fame and recognition for his poetry and radio work) not long after Dahl’s career took off, and Dahl developed a great love for Thomas’s poetry—one of Thomas’s poems was read at Dahl’s funeral.

Fixed It! Dahl wrote Matilda twice—and the first time, he wrote Matilda as the villain. He’s quoted in interviews as saying that he knew after finishing the first draft that he’d gotten Matilda wrong. The rewrite paid off: Matilda won the Federation of Children’s Book Group Award in 1988.

Matilda, by Roald Dahl | Book Review

Book Review of Matilda The Children’s Book Review

Written by Roald Dahl

Illustrated by Sarah Walsh

Ages 6-9 | 192 Pages

Publisher: ‎ Viking Books for Young Readers | ISBN-13: ‎ 9781984836106

Matilda  was the last long kids’ book that Roald Dahl wrote before he passed away in 1990. When Dahl first wrote the book, she was a wicked child and very different from how she is now known to readers worldwide.

Matilda is a very kind-hearted character—she’s a gifted, intelligent, book-loving five-year-old who taught herself to read. She has read every children’s book in the library and a few for adults. Matilda can even do advanced math in her head. Her father (a rotten car salesman) and her mother (obsessed with playing bingo) are completely clueless and treat her almost as terribly as the nasty Miss Trunchbull, the child-hating, ex-Olympic hammer-throwing headmistress at school.

When Matilda meets Miss Honey, a warm-hearted and sweet teacher, she finds her inner strength and uses her newly-discovered exceptional talent to fight back and set more than a few things right in her world. Matilda’s character is certainly one to get behind—she’s empowering, knowledgeable, and brave—and the entire story is freckled with funny bits and peppered with plenty of practical jokes.

This edition contains complete and unabridged text and includes brand-new color illustrations by Sarah Walsh. The artwork brings loads of energy and charisma to the carefully curated cast that Dahl created.

When you read Roald Dahl’s  Matilda,  you’ll be snickering from start to end.

Buy the Book

About the author.

Roald Dahl  (1916-1990) was born in Wales to Norwegian parents. He spent his childhood in England and, at age eighteen, went to work for the Shell Oil Company in Africa. When World War II broke out, he joined the Royal Air Force and became a fighter pilot. At the age of twenty-six, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he began to write. His first short story, which recounted his adventures in the war, was bought by The Saturday Evening Post, and so began a long and illustrious career.

After establishing himself as a writer for adults, Roald Dahl began writing children’s stories in 1960 while living in England with his family. His first stories were written as entertainment for his own children, to whom many of his books are dedicated.

Roald Dahl is now considered one of the most beloved storytellers of our time. Although he passed away in 1990, his popularity continues to increase as his fantastic novels, including James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, The BFG, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, delight an ever-growing legion of fans.

Learn more about Roald Dahl on the official Roald Dahl website:  www.roalddahl.com .

About the Illustrator

Sarah Walsh is an internationally published illustrator whose project range spans from picture books, apparel, home decor, and greeting cards, to name a few. Her work has also been featured on Creative Pep Talk, Buzzfeed, and The Jealous Curator. Sarah has been a working artist since 2001, starting as a designer/illustrator hybrid at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City. In 2013 she branched off solo style into the freelance world after connecting with an art agent named Lilla Rogers. Bright color, fashion, mid-century design, the ’80s, fantasy, hand lettering, world culture, and folk art are some of the elements that inform her work. Sarah’s been fortunate enough to collaborate with clients like Chronicle, Blue Q, Nosy Crow, The Guardian, & Frankie Magazine.

Writing and illustrating a children’s book or working with a fashion designer to create an haute couture clothing line are two of her dream projects! When Sarah isn’t busy doing client work, she fills her sketchbook with personal paintings or creates products such as art prints, enamel pins & pillows for Tigersheep Friends, with her husband Colin Walsh, a fellow illustrator.

You can find her work at Sarahwalshmakesthings.com .

Matilda , written by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Sarah Walsh, was reviewed by Bianca Schulze. Discover more books like  Wilderlore: The Accidental Apprentice by following our reviews and articles tagged with Classics , Illustrated Chapter Books , and Roald Dahl .

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Bianca Schulze is the founder of The Children’s Book Review. She is a reader, reviewer, mother and children’s book lover. She also has a decade’s worth of experience working with children in the great outdoors. Combined with her love of books and experience as a children’s specialist bookseller, the goal is to share her passion for children’s literature to grow readers. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, she now lives with her husband and three children near Boulder, Colorado.

I think this is a good report and would encourage me to read it because it tells me exactly what personality and characteristics each character has and made me want to find more events and information about them in the book .📚 📖 📕

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Review and Summary of Matilda by Roald Dahl

Introduction:.

“Matilda” is a classic children’s book written by Roald Dahl, one of the most celebrated and beloved children’s authors of all time. This review aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the book, its themes, and its literary devices, while also exploring its broader impact on readers. The suggested reading age for “Matilda” is 8 years and older.

Book Summary:

“Matilda” tells the story of a young girl named Matilda Wormwood, who is exceptionally intelligent and has a love for reading. Despite her extraordinary abilities, Matilda faces a challenging life, as her parents and the cruel headmistress of her school, Miss Trunchbull, fail to recognize her potential. The book follows Matilda’s journey as she uses her wit and newfound telekinetic powers to overcome adversity and protect her kind-hearted teacher, Miss Honey. Important themes in the book include the power of knowledge, courage, and justice.

The strengths of “Matilda” lie in its memorable characters, engaging plot, and the use of wit and humor throughout the story. Roald Dahl’s unique writing style keeps readers engaged, while his use of literary devices such as irony, imagery, and foreshadowing adds depth to the narrative. The book is also notable for its exploration of social issues such as child abuse and the importance of education.

One of the weaknesses of the book is its somewhat unrealistic portrayal of Matilda’s telekinetic powers, which may make it harder for some readers to fully relate to the protagonist. However, this element adds a magical touch to the story that can inspire imagination and creativity in young readers.

In relation to the author’s life, “Matilda” was published in 1988, towards the end of Dahl’s career. It is often considered one of his greatest works, as it showcases his ability to create compelling characters and narratives that resonate with readers of all ages.

Evaluation:

“Matilda” is a must-read for children and adults alike, as it offers valuable lessons on courage, resilience, and the importance of standing up for what is right. Fans of other Roald Dahl books, such as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “James and the Giant Peach,” will undoubtedly enjoy this heartwarming tale. In comparison to other works in the same genre, “Matilda” stands out due to its unique blend of humor, magic, and real-world issues.

Comprehension and Analysis Questions:

• While practicing her reading
• During a confrontation with Miss Trunchbull
• When she becomes angry at her father
• Miss Trunchbull
• Mrs. Phelps
• Mrs. Wormwood
• The power of knowledge
• The importance of friendship
• The consequences of greed
• The value of family

1. c, 2. a, 3. a

• Roald Dahl – Matilda
• Scholastic – Matilda by Roald Dahl

Awards and accolades:

“Matilda” has won numerous awards, including the Children’s Book Award in 1988. It has also become a best-selling book and has been adapted into a successful movie in 1996 and a popular Broadway musical in 2010.

Functional details about the book:

• ISBN: 978-0142410370
• Number of pages: 240
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• First publish date: October 1, 1988
• Adaptations: Movie (1996), Broadway musical (2010)
• Genre: Children’s fiction, fantasy
• BISAC Categories: Juvenile Fiction / Humorous Stories, Juvenile Fiction / Fantasy & Magic
• Suggested Reading Age: 8 years and older

Other Reviews:

• Common Sense Media – 5/5 stars
• Goodreads – 4.33/5 stars

Where to buy the book:

Purchase “Matilda” on Bookshop.org

Is this book part of a series?

No, “Matilda” is a standalone book.

About the author:

Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, and screenwriter, who is best known for his captivating children’s stories. Born in Wales in 1916, Dahl’s writing career began in the 1940s with works for adults. He gained widespread fame with his children’s books, which often feature dark humor, fantastical elements, and memorable characters. Some of his other best-selling books include “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “James and the Giant Peach,” and “The BFG.” Dahl has won numerous awards throughout his career and is often regarded as one of the greatest children’s authors of all time. He passed away in 1990.

Final Thoughts and Recommendation:

“Matilda” is a timeless story that will appeal to both children and adults due to its engaging characters, magical elements, and important messages about courage, resilience, and the power of knowledge. It is a must-read for fans of Roald Dahl and those who enjoy imaginative and heartwarming tales.

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Matilda by Roald Dahl - review

The exceptional Matilda is about a smart, easily infuriated little girl who is misunderstood by her parents and loathed by the school's headmistress. On the other hand her kind and generous teacher, Miss Honey, thinks she is a brilliant academic genius. Matilda has a number of excellent schemes in her head to teach her nasty parents and headmistress a lesson.

Whilst Matilda is the novel's central character many readers will be drawn to the larger-than-life, extrovert, humourous and strangely likeable headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. Her unique reprimands to the children, with phrases such as 'blithering idiot' and 'stagnant cesspool' will leave you in stitches.

The novel is littered with excellent examples of Dahl's use of creative imagination to keep the reader's attention alive such as when Matilda uses her magical eyes to write a truthful message to the headmistress on the blackboard.

On a disappointing note for me, Quentin Blake's doodle-like illustrations failed to match Dahl's impressive and brilliant character descriptions.

Despite this Matilda is a fantastic and entertaining novel and I recommend it to children aged 7 – 12 and a must read for lovers of Roald Dahl . Four out of five stars!

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Friday 19 March 2010

Review: matilda.

• Children's Book Reviews

Matilda by Roald Dahl – Book Review

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!

As a child, I was a massive Roald Dahl fan and spent hours with my nose in his books. At school, we had to read his older children’s work on his life, Boy and Going Solo. However, over the years I have noticed that I never actually read a few of his work, namely Danny the Champion of the World, The Witches, and Matilda.

This wasn’t something I really thought about recently until I saw it on Sarah Cox’s book show as one of the guests ‘Bring Your Own Book’ and she made it sound so appealing that I ordered it right away and then read it in a day. Why, oh why, did I ever leave it so long.

The book is for any bookworms no matter your age, it is a book about a bookish child. A child who loves all the classics. It is also a book about nasty people and how through being very clever from reading this little five-and-a-half-year-old Matilda gets her revenge.

The book is truly amazing. It was a beautiful, fun, energetic read and I fell in love with the little girl and want to spare her from these brutes that call themselves adults, including her parents who dislike their own child.

The copy I bought was the 30th-anniversary copy, mainly as I love a hardback book and partly because I loved the cover and the colour – yes I am that easily pleased.

Within the book is artwork by Quentin Blake who illustrated I think all of Roald Dahl’s work. He has a way with his artwork that not only brings the story to life but makes you laugh and connect with the characters too.

Part of me is glad that I never this book as a child as I got to appreciate it as an adult and part of me thinks I missed out on such a fabulous book that would have made me constantly giggle and frown.

Overall, this is a book that still after all these years works in today’s society. It was great fun to read and this edition would make a wonderful gift too.

Book Reviewer – Stacey

Purchase online from:, amazon.co.uk – amazon.com – amazon.in – apple books – blackwells – bookshop.org – waterstones, about the author.

The son of Norwegian parents, Roald Dahl was born in Wales in 1916 and educated at Repton. He was a fighter pilot for the RAF during World War Two, and it was while writing about his experiences during this time that he started his career as an author.

His fabulously popular children’s books are read by children all over the world. Some of his better-known works include James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox, Matilda, The Witches, and The BFG.

He died in November 1990.

What did you think of Matilda? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

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5 Responses

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I read this back when I was a kid. Great book.

Such a good book! I love the movie too.

I watched the movie, never read the book.

I love this curious child and this author – I love your thoughtful review

definitely one of my fav authors and books!!

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Historical Context

By roald dahl.

'Matilda' is one of Roald Dahl's most popular children's novels in the contemporary period. It was published in 1988 to great critical acclaim.

About the Book

Article written by Neesha Thunga K

B.A. in English Literature, and M.A. in English Language and Literature.

‘ Matilda ‘ has remained an evergreen phenomenon, with a film adaptation being released in 1996. ‘ Matilda ‘ has also been converted into an audiobook and a musical version by Netflix as well.

Publication History

‘ Matilda ‘ is Roald Dahl’s last long children’s book. According to Dahl’s daughter, Dahl wrote the book to preserve and promote the fascination for reading within children. This was when televisions were becoming popular in the United Kingdom, which is why Dahl wrote a book about a genius child, Matilda Wormwood, who loves reading. 

The story of ‘ Matilda ‘  was published on October 1, 1988, by Jonathan Cape in London. The novel is Roald Dahl’s 27th published book and originally had 232 pages and illustrations by Quentin Blake.

It rose to fame and broke sales records mere months after its publication . Within six months of its release, ‘ Matilda ‘ had sold more than half a million copies. 

After its publication, ‘ Matilda ‘ won the Children’s Book Award from the Federation of Children’s Book Groups in the United Kingdom. In 1998, ‘ Matilda ‘ was voted the “Nation’s Favourite Children’s Book” in a BBC Bookworm Poll. In 2012, ‘ Matilda ‘ made it to number 30 in a survey published by School Library Journal as an all-time children’s novel. Time Magazine also included ‘ Matilda ‘ in the 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time. Worldwide sales of the novel have reached almost 17 million and since 2016, ‘ Matilda ‘ has remained the best-selling novel by Roald Dahl.

The book has been released as an audiobook with the narration provided by the actress Kate Winslet and has been converted into a hugely successful film as well. The film, released in 1996, was directed by Danny DeVito and starred Mara Wilson. A musical version starring Alisha Weir as Matilda has been released in 2023.

Roald Dahl Personal Context

Roald Dahl wrote his first story for children, ‘ The Gremlins ,’ for Walt Disney In 1942. The story was not successful, so Dahl went back to writing mysterious and macabre stories for adults. However, Dahl revisited the world of children’s literature once again in 1961. Over his career, he wrote 19 children’s books , of which ‘ Matilda ‘ is the last long novel. 

The first children’s book he wrote was ‘ James and the Giant Peach ‘ which was published in 1961 to great acclaim. Dahl has commented that the origins of his children’s novels lie within the bedtime stories that he narrated to his children. Over the years, Dahl published several other children’s books including  ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ‘ in 1964, ‘ Fantastic Mr. Fox’  in 1970, and  ‘The BFG ‘ in 1982.

‘ Matilda ‘ was admittedly extremely difficult for Roald Dahl to write. The original version of the story featured a villainous Matilda who was wicked and used her powers for evil. However, Dahl decided that the story was not right, and he rewrote the entire novel . Dahl recounts this in a letter written to his daughter:

The reason I haven’t written you for a long time is that I have been giving every moment to getting a new children’s book finished. And now at last I have finished it, and I know jolly well that I am going to have to spend the next three months rewriting the second half. The first half is great, about a small girl who can move things with her eyes and about a terrible headmistress who lifts small children up by their hair and hangs them out of upstairs windows by one ear. But I’ve got now to think of a really decent second half. The present one will all be scrapped. Three months work gone out the window, but that’s the way it is.

Dahl died shortly after the publication of  ‘Matilda’  in 1990. 

Real-Life Inspirations

Matilda’s father, Mr. Wormwood, was inspired by a real-life character from the home village of Roald Dahl, which was an English village called Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire. The library that Matilda visits between the ages of 4 and 5 was also inspired by the library in Great Missenden in England.

It has been speculated that Roald Dahl’s grandchildren were the inspiration behind Matilda. However, this has not been confirmed by the author or his family.

Political and Cultural Influences

Although ‘ Matilda ‘ is a light-hearted children’s novel, its plot has been influenced by the general political and cultural climate of the 1980s. Television was an established form of entertainment by the time ‘ Matilda ‘ was published, although Roald Dahl depicts it as a form of evil in the novel.

It was during the 1980s that the second-wave feminist movement brought about several changes as well. This is reflected within the novel in several ways. For instance, the female protagonist is extremely independent and can take care of herself without the help of her parents, even at a young age. The feminist movement is also alluded to when Matilda and Miss Jennifer Honey discuss the fact that Miss Honey would be more independent if she was able to gain control over her income. 

Miss Trunchbull, the mean headmistress of Crunchem, speaks regretfully about the recent ban on corporal punishment for children. This reflects the ban on corporal punishment in English public schools in the United Kingdom that was effected in the year 1986. 

Dahl also refers to the ‘ Star Wars’  franchise by mentioning stormtroopers in the novel. 

Literary Context

Roald Dahl was greatly influenced by Lewis Carroll’s ‘ Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’  and ‘ Through the Looking Glass ‘. His children’s literature was also influenced by Norwegian folk and fairy tales, which he heard from his mother, who was a Norwegian immigrant.  ‘

‘ Matilda’  also alludes to several popular authors and their works, such as ‘ Great Expectations ‘ and  ‘Nicholas Nickleby’  by Charles Dickens, ‘ Tess of the d’Urbervilles ‘ by Thomas Hardy,  ‘The Old Man and the Sea’  by Ernest Hemingway,  ‘The Grapes of Wrath’  by John Steinbeck, ‘ The Sound and the Fury’  by William Faulkner,  ‘Animal Farm’  by George Orwell,  ‘Secret Garden’  by Frances Hodgson Burnett,  ‘The Good Companions ‘ by J.B Priestley, ‘ Mary Webb Kim’  by Rudyard Kipling and so on. These books transform the tiny girl, Matilda, into new worlds, all from a little room in the public library.

Is ‘ Matilda ‘ a real story?

No, ‘ Matilda ‘ is not a real story. It is a fictitious story written by Roald Dahl about a young, genius girl with magical powers.

Why is ‘ Matilda ‘ a banned book?

Some libraries and school administrators find that the contents of Matilda can be quite harmful to children. This is because they believe that the representation of Matilda’s neglectful and abusive parents, as well as the representation of the abusive Miss Trunchbull, the principal of the school, can be damaging.

What age is ‘ Matilda ‘ suitable for?

‘ Matilda ‘ by Roald Dahl is suitable for children ages 6 and up. Younger children might find it difficult to follow the events of the story. They may also get frightened by the mean and abusive adults in the story.

About Neesha Thunga K

Neesha, born to a family of avid readers, has devoted several years to teaching English and writing for various organizations, making an impact on the literary community.

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