Day 113: Matilda

So I'm writing a paper.

This paper has to do with catharsis in different mediums of storytelling, primarily film, stage, and novel.

This means that I have been a reading fiend the last couple of days, and today looks like it's going to be full of reading fiendness as well.

Tomorrow is a funeral.

Thursday was full of reading Matilda by Roald Dahl.

"You made the mistake of leaving the longest form for last," Kate warned me as I banged my head against the book. And it's true. I saw Matilda the musical in London a couple of months ago, and I watched the movie before that.

So the getting-going was tough. But as soon as I got to about the halfway mark and heard about how the Trunch dunked Jenny's head under the bathwater, I started to understand what makes the difference between a good book and an extraordinary book.

When you think of Matilda, my guess is you think of wee Mara Wilson making things fly around the room. But this book is so much more. This book talks about abuse, bullies, and how many children get caught between the cracks of a world that discredits them far too much. It has that heart to it, a deeper view of the world than just a silly romp.

In other words, it was delightful.