Matilda

... Show More
MATILDA IS A SWEET, 5-YEAR-OLD GENIUS with horrible, mean parents. Fortunately, she has a great time giving them what they deserve. But at school things are different. At school there's Miss Trunchbull: two hundred pounds of kid-hating headmistress. Giving Miss Trunchbull what she deserves will take more than a genius...it will take a superhuman genius!
--back cover

233 pages, Paperback

First published September 28,1988

About the author

... Show More
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer and screenwriter of Norwegian descent, who rose to prominence in the 1940's with works for both children and adults, and became one of the world's bestselling authors.

Dahl's first published work, inspired by a meeting with C. S. Forester, was Shot Down Over Libya. Today the story is published as A Piece of Cake. The story, about his wartime adventures, was bought by the Saturday Evening Post for $900, and propelled him into a career as a writer. Its title was inspired by a highly inaccurate and sensationalized article about the crash that blinded him, which claimed he had been shot down instead of simply having to land because of low fuel.

His first children's book was The Gremlins, about mischievous little creatures that were part of RAF folklore. The book was commissioned by Walt Disney for a film that was never made, and published in 1943. Dahl went on to create some of the best-loved children's stories of the 20th century, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and James and the Giant Peach.

He also had a successful parallel career as the writer of macabre adult short stories, usually with a dark sense of humour and a surprise ending. Many were originally written for American magazines such as Ladies Home Journal, Harper's, Playboy and The New Yorker, then subsequently collected by Dahl into anthologies, gaining world-wide acclaim. Dahl wrote more than 60 short stories and they have appeared in numerous collections, some only being published in book form after his death. His stories also brought him three Edgar Awards: in 1954, for the collection Someone Like You; in 1959, for the story "The Landlady"; and in 1980, for the episode of Tales of the Unexpected based on "Skin".

Community Reviews

Rating(4.1 / 5.0, 98 votes)
5 stars
34(35%)
4 stars
37(38%)
3 stars
27(28%)
2 stars
0(0%)
1 stars
0(0%)
98 reviews All reviews
April 17,2025
... Show More
3.5
Al fin, por muchos años quise leer este libro pero no lo conseguía hasta ahora.
Las expectativas eran muuy altas porque adoro la película y con todo y esta preocupación decidí leerlo.
Se lee muy rápido, y casi todo el contenido es igual o al menos similar a la adaptación.
Aunque a diferencia de esta lo sentí muy corto, le faltó contenido.
Algunos sucesos me gustaron más como se desarrollaron en la película y eso fue algo muy extraño, porque casi siempre los libros son mejores, aunque en este caso debo decir que me inclino más por la película.
Matilda en el libro no me cayó muy bien, se me hizo un poco presumida, y tampoco me gustó que viera a los demás niños como más salvajes, no sé bien como describir la sensación que me dejó, pero algo así como si se sintiera superior.
Lo de Trunchball fue demasiado escueto así como todo lo que pasaba con ella y los demás personajes, sobre todo al final.
Esa resolución fue demasiado disparatada, no funcionó.
o esperaba muy diferente, aunque no me desagradó, creo que el autor tiene mejores libros aunque me hubiera encantado que me hubiera gustado más.
April 17,2025
... Show More
Matilda is a childhood favourite of mine. When I saw it in my school library I couldn't resist rereading it!!

I was browsing through the relatively small section of English books, when my eyes landed on a certain row of books. Roald Dahl books. My eyes swept over the books, zeroing in on one particular book: Matilda.

For me, Matilda was a classroom filled with enthralled children, each one waiting to hear what was going to happen next. It was laughter and tears. It was the way my teacher lifted her glasses with the tip of her index finger and smiled at us before flipping to the next page.

It is the way my mom used to read to me. Every night she would tuck me in and lay down next to me. She'd open up a book and we'd go on an adventure together.

More often than not, I fell asleep after half an hour. I fell asleep dreaming of other worlds—of a world where a courageous, intelligent young girl such as Matilda outwitted tyrannical, oppressive figures like Trunchbull.

So when I was looking for a book to read, and my gaze landed on this one, I knew.

I knew I had to read it again. So I did.
April 17,2025
... Show More
میدونم که یکم دیر متوجه شدم باید بخونمش :))) ولی کی گفته که کتابهای کودک و انیمیشنها رو فقط باید بچه ها بخونن و ببینن!! :)
April 17,2025
... Show More
5 stars for another Roald Dahl masterpiece! He adds a way of life, in the form of magic, to his characters. Many have mentioned to me that they read several of his books when they were children. I guess I am just one of those people that missed out reading him when I was younger however, I am extremely happy to discover him now and know that my grandchildren are reading his books also.
This story was made into a movie also and I can't wait to see it. I highly recommend reading Roald Dahl if you haven't already experienced this author. Enjoy!
April 17,2025
... Show More
ظلت تقرأ وهذا آثار جنونه
لقد كانت تنال المتعة من شيء لا يفهمه
الا تكفين عن القراءة ابدا؟
حسنا !!كم مرة سمعنا هذه الجملة الحقودة الفارغة الغبية؟عشرات؟ مئات المرات؟

تكون محظوظا حقا لو لم تسمعها يوميا من ابويك ..
مثل ماتيلدا طفلة الخامسة
التي زارت أفريقيا مع همنجواي
ابحرت بسفن جوزيف كونراد الخشبية العتيقة
و أقلعت للهند مع روديارد كيبلنج
كل هذا و هي في غرفتها بتلك القرية البريطانية

تحيا في ظل أب نصاب يعتقد أنه هدية للبشرية
و ام تمتلك غباءا"كابوسيا
و تكتمل المأساة بمديرة مدرسة ذات نزعات إرهابية إجرامية واضحة لكل كفيف

اذا كنت عبقرى سيكون نصيبك من اي عذاب مضاعفا بل مكبرا بمجهر فاخر حقا ...و ماتيلدا كانت اذكى من اي شخص ستقابله ..نوع يظهر كل قرنين من الزمان..لذا فاحذر من انتقامها حتى لو كانت طفلة قصيرة بغرة على الجبين...
فالقاريء لا يهزم
April 17,2025
... Show More
The best!!! Thanks to Samra!!!! She brought back great memories....

This was a favorite of my daughters when she was around 8 or 9 years old.


Some books just make you smile --connect mothers and daughters reading together --
make us laugh - and remind us of simple pleasures.
This is 'that' type of book!

April 17,2025
... Show More
This Roald Dahl classic was first published in 1988 and holds a high ranking on the list of best children's literature. And the movie, directed and acted by Danny Devito, may even be better. These great characters that Dahl created, Matilda, her parents, Mr. & Mrs. Wormwood, Miss Trunchbull, Miss Honey, were all brought to life in what is one of my favorite children's movies.
April 17,2025
... Show More
Roald Dahl really has a special story here. Growing up in a similar environment, with overbearing and abusive parents in an unhealthy environment, this book really hit home with me. It is, I believe, every child's fantasy to be able to overcome their hardships with their own unique abilities, and Matilda did just that. Beyond the Trunchbull, the other Wormwoods, and with the help of Miss Honey, this is a truly heartwarming story for all ages.
Leave a Review
You must be logged in to rate and post a review. Register an account to get started.