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Matilda

Matilda

Fairy TalesChildren's Books
Pages
240
Published
1988
Language
English

Synopsis

Matilda Wormwood is a tiny girl with a colossal brain. By four she has taught herself to read, devoured the local library, and developed a keen sense of justice—none of which impresses her crooked, television-addled parents, who treat her as a nuisance. When Matilda is finally sent to school, she meets Miss Honey, a kind young teacher who recognizes her genius, and Miss Trunchbull, a monstrous headmistress who treats children as vermin to be flung, locked away, and terrorized.

Armed with her wits, a taste for mischief, and a strange new power she is only beginning to understand, Matilda decides to fight back—on her own behalf and on Miss Honey's. What follows is a gleeful campaign against grown-up cruelty, waged by a small girl who refuses to be underestimated.

One of Roald Dahl's best-loved novels, Matilda is a funny, big-hearted story about the power of books, cleverness, and standing up to bullies—no matter how enormous they are.

Prose complexity
1/10

Vibe

FunnyWhimsical

Genres

Fairy Tales Children's Books Middle Grade Juvenile Humor Fantasy

About the author

R
Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. Born in north Cardiff, Wales, to Norwegian parents, Dahl served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent. He rose to prominence in the 1940s with works for both children and adults, and became one of the world's bestselling authors. His short stories are known for their unexpected endings, and his children's books for their unsentimental, often very dark h...

Characters

Matilda WormwoodProtagonist

A brilliant young girl who develops a strange power to fight back against cruel adults.

Miss TrunchbullAntagonist

A monstrous headmistress who terrorizes the children in her school.

Miss HoneySupporting

Matilda's gentle teacher, who sees her gifts and befriends her.

Mr. and Mrs. WormwoodSupporting

Matilda's neglectful, dishonest parents.

All characters in Matilda

Frequently asked questions

  • Is there a movie or musical based on Matilda?

    Yes — a 1996 film directed by Danny DeVito, a stage musical (music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, book by Dennis Kelly) that opened in 2010–2011 and ran in the West End and on Broadway, and a 2022 film adaptation of that musical, Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical.

  • Who illustrated Matilda?

    Quentin Blake, Roald Dahl's longtime illustrator, provided the original artwork for Matilda, as he did for most of Dahl's other children's books.

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