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| Puffin Books |
Roald Dahl
1961
The Summary
"A little magic can take you a long way...
"When James accidentally drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree, strange things start happening. The peach at the very tip of the tree starts growing, and growing, and growing...until it's as big as a house! When James crawls inside, he meets a houseful of oversized friends--Grasshopper, Centipede, Earthworm, and more. With a snip of the stem, the peach starts rolling away and the adventure begins!"
"A little magic can take you a long way...
"When James accidentally drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree, strange things start happening. The peach at the very tip of the tree starts growing, and growing, and growing...until it's as big as a house! When James crawls inside, he meets a houseful of oversized friends--Grasshopper, Centipede, Earthworm, and more. With a snip of the stem, the peach starts rolling away and the adventure begins!"
The Good
As a child, I somehow never read any books by Roald Dahl. I love the movies--Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory--but, for some reason, I never read any of the original books until recently when I first picked up Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach is about a boy faced with incredible hardship who sets off on the adventure of a lifetime. However, instead of meeting a Mad Hatter-esque chocolatier, James encounters a handful of gigantic insects and travels in a gigantic, magical peach.
Sounds like fun, no?
Honestly, I enjoyed reading James and the Giant Peach. It's a quick, rather sweet happily-ever-after, and I had fun watching James as he escaped his despicable aunts, made new (and rather extraordinary) friends, and takes an incredible adventure across the sea. More to the point, I liked that James was given the chance to thrive.
James is a clever, imaginative and sensitive little boy, and yet he's been under his aunts' thumbs for many months, subject to their tormenting and taunting and abject cruelty. When he gets the opportunity to escape, I felt like jumping for joy. I liked James, and I was so glad he was able break free of the aunts who didn't care for him and find a family, of his choosing, that would treat him well--and, more importantly, love him unconditionally.
I highly recommend it--and Roald Dahl in general--to young readers.
As a child, I somehow never read any books by Roald Dahl. I love the movies--Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory--but, for some reason, I never read any of the original books until recently when I first picked up Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach is about a boy faced with incredible hardship who sets off on the adventure of a lifetime. However, instead of meeting a Mad Hatter-esque chocolatier, James encounters a handful of gigantic insects and travels in a gigantic, magical peach.
Sounds like fun, no?
Honestly, I enjoyed reading James and the Giant Peach. It's a quick, rather sweet happily-ever-after, and I had fun watching James as he escaped his despicable aunts, made new (and rather extraordinary) friends, and takes an incredible adventure across the sea. More to the point, I liked that James was given the chance to thrive.
James is a clever, imaginative and sensitive little boy, and yet he's been under his aunts' thumbs for many months, subject to their tormenting and taunting and abject cruelty. When he gets the opportunity to escape, I felt like jumping for joy. I liked James, and I was so glad he was able break free of the aunts who didn't care for him and find a family, of his choosing, that would treat him well--and, more importantly, love him unconditionally.
I highly recommend it--and Roald Dahl in general--to young readers.
The Bad
When I first watched the James and the Giant Peach, I absolutely loved it. I recall the characters with great fondness and I remember thinking what a wild, zany and wonderful adventure it was. However, while I thought many of those same things about the book, I found I didn't enjoy the book as much as I enjoyed the movie.
Personally, I think part of it was Centipede and Miss Spider. Centipede was terribly annoying and, yes, while he's thoughtlessly selfish in both the movie in the book, he was more of a nuisance than I remembered in the movie. Plus, Miss Spider just wasn't as sassy and dramatic and lovely as she was in the movie. She was, sadly, a bit forgettable, which I found disappointing.
When I first watched the James and the Giant Peach, I absolutely loved it. I recall the characters with great fondness and I remember thinking what a wild, zany and wonderful adventure it was. However, while I thought many of those same things about the book, I found I didn't enjoy the book as much as I enjoyed the movie.
Personally, I think part of it was Centipede and Miss Spider. Centipede was terribly annoying and, yes, while he's thoughtlessly selfish in both the movie in the book, he was more of a nuisance than I remembered in the movie. Plus, Miss Spider just wasn't as sassy and dramatic and lovely as she was in the movie. She was, sadly, a bit forgettable, which I found disappointing.
The Ugly
Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge.
Ick.
Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge.
Ick.
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