Why we love Roald Dahl's Matilda
We’re so excited that Dennis Kelly’s musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Matilda has arrived in Melbourne. A tearaway success on Broadway and in the West End, Matilda: The Musical has won five Tony Awards, and the music and lyrics are from Australia’s very own Tim Minchin.
Here, readers reflect on what makes Matilda such a timeless heroine.
“I absolutely adored Matilda as a child. I loved how smart she was. I loved how she went from being a pawn in an adult’s world to becoming powerful in her own right. I loved the clever ways she used this power which appealed directly to my imagination. And what’s more, I loved how she was allowed to be angry and vengeful.” – Bronte Coates, digital content coordinator
“Like a lot of little bookworms growing up, Matilda was my hero – to find yourself saddled with such an awful home life and still find the strength to do what you love really is the essence of bravery. Seeing her stand up to a bully so much larger than her always gave me hope as a kid that using your smarts is the best way to solve a problem. ” – Holly Harper, children’s bookseller at Carlton
“Many times I felt that I WAS Matilda at primary school. Especially when the school librarian refused to let me borrow anything other than picture books, as she didn’t believe that a six-year-old could read full novels. What a Miss Trunchbull she was! Luckily I had a Prep teacher as delightful and kind as Miss Honey, who believed in my abilities and snuck me books she’d borrowed herself. Matilda was a thoroughly relatable heroine for me (it’s only a pity I didn’t develop her powers of telekinesis).” – Leanne Hall, children’s bookseller at Hawthorn
“Matilda is a delightful and inspiring character who never allows the unfortunate circumstances of her family upbringing to stop her from becoming the genius she is clearly destined to be. Matilda is not only intelligent, she also has a wicked sense of humour and a wonderful ability to demand justice. I somehow missed reading Matilda as a kid, but I’m so glad I caught up with her as an adult. She is a brilliant role model for young and old.” – Angela Crocombe, children’s buyer at Carlton
“Matilda is one of my favourite young heroes – alongside Pippi Longstocking and daughter.The name Matilda comes from the Germanic name Mahthildis, which means "strength in battle”, and Matilda certainly is fiery and determined in her battles. I’m glad that by the novel’s end, someone loves her for exactly who she is.“ – Chris Gordon, event manager
"I am not ashamed to admit that I was an awkward child – I blame my parents for depriving me of both siblings and television. Happy in my own company, I spent most of my time either talking to imaginary friends (or trees, a la Anne of Green Gables) or with my face buried in a book. So of course I adored the precocious Matilda who once famously declared: ‘I’m wondering what to read next… I’ve finished all the children’s books.’
I was easily frightened by scary stories, and so steered clear of Dahl’s darker tales such as The Twits or The Witches, but I returned to Matilda over and over again thanks to Matilda’s love of reading and her magic telekinesis skills. Admittedly, I was completely terrified by Miss Trunchbull. I’ve never looked the same way at chocolate cake since – still haunted by what happens to Bruce Bogtrotter.” – Stella Charls, marketing and events coordinator
From Verity Blyth: devoted Matilda fan, aged 7
“Roald Dahl is known for creating some of the best, worst, most extraordinarily repugnant baddies in children’s literature, but surely one of his most enduring characters would have to be the wickedly clever, book-loving Matilda. As a young reader who was so square that she didn’t even know it was an insult ("like, as opposed to a triangle?”), Matilda was my literary superhero. She was smart and empathetic, not afraid to stick up for the little guy, inventive in her pursuit for revenge, and – to top it off – she could perform telekinesis.
According to his daughter Lucy, Matilda was one of the most difficult books for Roald Dahl to write – perhaps it was the first time that it occurred to him how powerful a good book could be for a young reader. Matilda herself is undoubtedly shaped by the books that she reads; her ‘strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea’. It must be daunting to feel like your words are responsible for creating either a generation of future Trunchbulls or future Honeys. Luckily, I think Roald Dahl was up to the task.“ – Lian Hingee, digital marketing manager
