More wonderful rhymes from one of the greats of children's literature.
Like the last book of poetry of his I read, Dirty Beasts, these poems are mostly re-imaginings of classic tales, but with a surprisingly adult twist. I love them for that. I don't think I've ever seen it done by another author. You get poems that can be enjoyed by adults, like Spike Milligan's, but they are very PG. Similarly, you get adult poems that are usually over-the-top explicit, like the fake nursery rhyme Go the F*** to Sleep. These are a great in-between. They are great retellings of old stories, but with just a little twist that means you definitely wouldn't want to read them to your niece or nephew.
The rhyme scheme in all of them is superb and rarely deviates from exact. On occasions where it does, it's often tongue in cheek, which only adds to the enjoyment. The cadence is also great, and I didn't notice a single stray from the rhythm when reading. Although admittedly, occasionally some words have to be spoken with different emphasis than they usually would be.
The twists to the tales often put them more in a modern age, as in Dirty Beasts. I found this really enjoyable and most on trend. Modern retellings of fairy tales seem to be very much en vogue at the moment, but this is nothing like them. To quote one poem: 'Mary, Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow? “I live with my brat in a high-rise flat, So how in the world would I know” '. It's a brilliant modern take, remarkable brevity, funny, and just great.
The illustrations of Blake are, like always, fantastic. It's interesting to see him draw things that are slightly more risqué than we're used to seeing, owing to the more adult themes in this. But they still fit perfectly to Dahl's writing and add a wonderful other dimension to the book that words alone could not replicate.
In terms of the adult content, I'm not sure that all of these would be allowed now. Perhaps I'm underestimating publishers, but I think because of the connotations of Dahl as a children's author, despite this one clearly saying it is for older readers, I think some of these may have been cut from the book. I don't think they're particularly outrageous, but I think some people would be shocked reading Dahl writing about a gym teacher in Physical Training: 'She held me here, she held me there, By gum, she held me everywhere'. But it is funny.
Yikes! This particular piece of work is far too bawdy for children. It seems to have not aged well at all. The content is filled with inappropriate and vulgar elements that are not suitable for the tender ears and minds of the young. What's more, the rhyme that it employs is rather tedious. It lacks the charm and liveliness that one would expect from a well-crafted piece. Instead of engaging the reader or listener, it has the opposite effect, causing boredom and a sense of unease. It's a prime example of how something that may have seemed acceptable or even entertaining in a different era can quickly become outdated and offensive.