book review on george's marvellous medicine

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George's Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl – review

I liked George's Marvellous Medicine because it was very, very funny. One of the bits l liked most was when George invented his marvellous medicine. He put very strange things inside it, like pig medicine, bath bubbles and other things from the house.

It was very funny when George's grandmother tried it, at first she said "Oweeeee!" then "Fire!" and then she asked George to call the firemen. Then she started growing and growing until she touched the roof of the room. Then she asked for more, and when George gave her some more, she grew and crashed through all the roofs of the house. Wow!

Then he tried it on the animals and it worked on all the animals in the field. But then he did one chicken but there was no more for the other chickens.

I enjoyed the book because it made me laugh. It also made me want to make my own medicine. So I made "My Marvellous Medicine Salad". When my mother, my father and I tried it, it was at first quite nice, but then it was really strong so we drank some water.

It cooled my parents down, but not me, so I had to drink some milk, and that worked.

My picture is of George and the gigantic chicken.

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Monday 10 February 2014

Review: george's marvellous medicine.

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Book Review: “George’s Marvellous Medicine” by Roald Dahl (1981)

Having finished a number of Roald Dahl ‘s longer works of fiction, the family and I are now getting into some if his shorter works. This small collection of 60-or-so-page books (like George’s Marvellous Medicine and The Magic Finger ) probably should be bundled together as an omnibus of short stories—-but of course that’s just the cheapskate in me talking!

[For a full list of all his short-story collections, actually, see this helpful page. ]

The book at hand here blindsided us. As I’ve noted before, I’d never read any of Dahl’s works before this year (and we’re enjoying our exploration of him as a family), so apart from having seen some of his movies, I hadn’t been aware of how dark he could be at times. This story about George Kranky is the darkest children-related story we’ve yet read—which is why I’ve adapted Quentin Blake’s iconic cover with a little twist of my own (see below). I needed a watercolor project one night, so…you’re welcome, world.

Grandma Kranky is a horrible woman, to be sure. But when George is left alone with her one day and he decides to change up her medicine with a concoction of his own, the story goes so completely off the rails that I just had to stop and explain it to my kids: “Don’t ever do this!”

Sure, there was disclaimer at the beginning of the book that said the exact same thing, but still. I had to reiterate it. Heck, I’ll do it again in case they ever read this book review: “Kids, don’t ever remake George’s marvelous medicine and kill your grandma, please! Either of them!”

It’s one of those stories that’s so horrible, you just can’t look away. It’s a mixture of abuse and innocence, practical joking and retribution. It’s humorous and terrible and clever and memorable. It’s 100% Roald Dahl.

Going back to my cheapskate idea of selling all these books as an omnibus of sorts, I think the main reason Puffin continues to sell them singly is due to the partnership that grew between Dahl’s imaginative text and Quentin Blake’s expressive illustrations. According to the interweb, the two first began working together in 1976 and maintained a strong friendship that lasted until Dahl died in 1990. Blake eventually went back and illustrated nearly all of Dahl’s youth stories, but in the 1980s, they were so partnered that the text and pictures were both essential to the story; so whether these shorter works feel like short stories or not, they really are books and they need to remain that way, singular and epic.

Incidentally, I had to change a word above as I was writing this. I had called these things “children’s stories,” but then I’m like, nah, not really that. Dahl’s stories might be childlike and youthful, but they’re about as “children’s story” as was Shel Silverstien’s Uncle Shelby’s A-B-Z Book . Both are awesome, and I’ll keep reading them to my kids, but…I might not ever leave them alone together in the same house. Not without a nanny-cam at least.

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Review: George’s Marvellous Medicine

• By Aditi Ahuja
• In 6-8 years , 8-10 years , Middle Readers , Reviews , Tween Books
• Posted on February 24, 2019 April 24, 2021
• Leave a Comment on Review: George’s Marvellous Medicine

Book: George’s Marvellous Medicine

Author: Roald Dahl

Ages: 7-10 years

I bought this bestseller by Roald Dahl for my daughter and it was she who recommended that even I read it.

I usually read my daughter’s books to once again get that childhood feel, but somehow was never eager to read this one as I thought that it’s apt for small kids only. But when my daughter insisted, I not only ended up reading it twice but also started admiring Roald Dahl as one of those authors who can look into a child’s heart and brain and bring out the deepest of the deep sensitivities a child has. It also brings out the fact that childhood is that time of life when our imagination works at its best and our ability of putting our thoughts and ideas into action is almost immediate. Probably because one is not as afraid of the result or of failure as as adult is.

George, the main protagonist in this book has a horrid grandma who is a miserable grouch and a lady with a witch-like character. He day in and day out suffers from her hands. Her tone is sharp and words are poisonous.

One day when George’s parents leave him in charge of giving his Grandma her medicine, George comes up with a plan of making a marvellous medicine which helps him get rid of her forever.

This book is apt for 7-10 year olds as at this age they can relate with George very well. They will also enjoy how George takes up things in his own hands, plots and plans so well that in the end everything ends well for everyone in the family.

Other popular books by Roald Dahl (Dahl Fiction) are The Magic Finger , Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , The BFG , The Witches , Danny the Champion of the World , Matilda and more!

If you like this review and would like to buy this book from Amazon (kbc affiliate link),

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DaneCobain.com | Reviews

Roald dahl – george’s marvellous medicine | review.

Title : George’s Marvellous Medicine

Author : Roald Dahl

Type : Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count : 104

Rating : 10/10

Roald Dahl – George’s Marvellous Medicine

George’s Marvellous Medicine could well be the greatest children’s novel ever written – it’s certainly one of my favourites, and I enjoy it even more than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , which sort of steals the limelight.

A word of warning, though – if you read this to your kids and they’re anything like I was as a child, they’ll try to make their own marvellous medicine. Don’t let them drink it – it’s really not good for them, I almost found out the hard way.

Click here to buy George’s Marvellous Medicine.

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George’s Marvelous Medicine

• September 29, 2023
• No Comments

I am sure Roald Dahl is the favourite author of all kids of my age group. I have almost read all of his books. During the summer vacations of 2023, I read “ George’s Marvellous Medicine .” This book is illustrated by “ Quentin Blake “. It was a very funny story from beginning to end. I could not stop imagining and laughing.

It is a story about a small family living in a farm consisting of George who was eight years old, his mother, father and grandma. There were farm animals such as hens, pigs, cows, sheep and goats.

His grandmother was a selfish old woman. She had pale brown teeth. One day his mother went to the village to go shopping. His grandmother told him to bring tea and not to put milk. When George gave her the cup she asked for a saucer. She was very annoying. When it was time to give grandma her medicine, he thought that he could make something that would make his grandmother fly out of the window. So he got everything from the kitchen, bathroom, medicine for animals, mixed it well in a cooker and also he added some brown paint into it so that it looked similar to grandma’s medicine. When George gave this medicine, she swallowed it and became taller and taller and taller until she broke through the roof of the house that they had to call for a crane to rescue grandma. Just imagine how grandma’s foot looked on the floor of the house and her head out of the roof of the second floor, isn’t it weird to imagine. When his parents came back George became nervous. What will they say? His father asked “What is this?”. George told them “I gave her some medicine.” His father exclaimed “What! This is an amazing discovery.” George gave medicine to all farm animals; they all became very big.

Next to more surprise now George and his father tried another dose of medicine to resize grandma and when they fed her she started shrinking to normal size. But this was not the end, grandma was becoming smaller and smaller and smaller as tiny as an ant.

The most interesting part is how Roald Dahl had put this imaginative story in a funny manner that even elders reading this will move back to their childhood. I love my grandmother very much. I don’t ever think about bringing such a discovery, but definitely try to make such medicine which will make her healthy and happy.

I suggest everyone to read George’s Marvelous Medicine and have a beautiful ride through the imaginative world of Roald Dahl. I would like to thank him for writing such beautiful stories for our kids.

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George's Marvellous Medicine Paperback – May 1, 2016

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Print length 128 pages
• Language English
• Dimensions 0.04 x 0.04 x 0.04 inches
• Publisher Puffin
• Publication date May 1, 2016
• ISBN-10 0141371404
• ISBN-13 978-0141371405
• See all details

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Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Puffin (May 1, 2016)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 128 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0141371404
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0141371405
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 6 - 10 years, from customers
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.1 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.04 x 0.04 x 0.04 inches
• #31,834 in Children's Classics
• #63,342 in Humorous Fiction
• #80,831 in Children's Fantasy & Magic Books

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.

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