4 stars
Such a fantastically entertaining story that is pure Dahl. In anticipation for the release of the newest movie adaptation (I remember being utterly terrified of the original), I thought I’d give this book a read. I’ve read bits and pieces of it as a child but I think this is my first time reading it all the way through.
Wonderfully weird, a splendid adventure with the perfect amount of Dahl-styles gruesomeness. Well-written, this is a great book for any Dahl fan. It’s got suspense, humor, and downright creepiness, all perfectly paired with Quentin Blake’s characteristic illustrations.
As this is a relatively old story, there are a few things that may be worth mentioning. There is a decent amount of cigar smoking (although the main character is pretty adamant that it’s gross when his grandmother does it).
Also, as with most of Dahl’s stories, this one is quite grisly with plans to squash children, drown mice, and other not-so-nice things. Certainly not a great fit for sensitive, easily-scared children. Also, let’s be honest, the witches are quite scary. They aren’t the fun spooky witches so common in many modern media forms. These a bloodthirsty murderous witches who absolutely hate children. Good for those who like their witches vile and nasty, full of dark intent.
Classic Dahl, this story is highly entertaining. I didn’t want to put it down. Some great suspenseful scenes and a rather unique ending. This book is easily entertaining for a variety of age groups.