Chapter Thirty-Three: Matilda

This Roald Dahl novel is another of my all-time favorites, and my old copy is totally falling apart in every way to prove it!  I don't know how many times I've read this book, but rereading it was definitely an excellent way to spend my Saturday night this week.  Make sure to get an edition with Quentin Blake's illustrations--he and Dahl worked together for years, and Blake's illustrations really seem to embody Dahl's text, at least to me.  (Also, their names are Roald and Quentin--what great names!)  But back to Matilda.  Why do I love this book so?  For one, Dahl is simply a great author.  His prose is masterful while also being funny and easy to read.  He also comes up with such zany ideas!  More specific to Matilda, I love a good book with a really brainy heroine, and Matilda herself is certainly that!  She uses her marvelous brain power to punish evildoers--what could be cooler?  (Probably there are things that could be cooler, but using one's brains to do good is pretty high on my list of cool.)  And this book is just so full of far-out stuff!  It's a classic for a reason.  (The 1996 film version starring Mara Wilson as Matilda and Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman as her parents is also pretty good, but of course it isn't nearly as good as the book, so read the book!)