We’ve all heard the old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” While there’s certainly truth in the idea that a balanced diet and regular exercise are the best ways to stay healthy, there’s another remedy often overlooked – laughter. Scientists tell us that laughter releases endorphins, those delightful “feel-good” hormones that boost our mood and even bring health benefits. Roald Dahl may not have been a doctor, though he did have a keen interest in medicine and even contributed to the development of a medical device, but he certainly knew how to prescribe laughter. His stories have been making children giggle for generations, and in George’s Marvellous Medicine, he concocts one of his most mischievous and imaginative doses of fun.
George’s Marvellous Medicine is a short but punchy story, a bubbling cauldron of mischief, magic and mayhem. George is eight-year-old George Kranky, a boy with a streak of curiosity and just a dash of rebellion. George’s main challenge in life is his grandmother – a grumpy, selfish and thoroughly unpleasant woman with pale brown teeth and a mouth described as puckered like a dog’s bottom. While George’s mother is out shopping and his father is busy working, it falls to him to administer her medicine four times a day. But when she begins to irritate him beyond his endurance can tolerate, George decides it’s time for a little payback.
What follows is a joyful act of magical mischief. George sets about creating his own “marvellous medicine,” wandering through the house and gathering ingredients that range from the bizarre to the downright dangerous. Antifreeze, floor polish, shampoo and even brown gloss paint all find their way into his bubbling brew. George has no idea what effect his bizarre concoction will have, but that doesn’t stop him, he is determined to give his grandmother a taste of her own medicine – quite literally. The extraordinary results see readers swept along in a story with a whirlwind of fantastical transformations and laugh-out-loud surprises.
Overall, George’s Marvellous Medicine is a fantastically funny story that has Dahl’s trademark dark humour on full display – you might even say that it is as marvellous as George’s medicine. Dahl has concocted a wild tale of adventure, playfulness and creativity. With revenge and comeuppance the central themes, George’s grandmother certainly gets what she deserves. Beneath all the mischief lies Dahl’s genius for medicinal storytelling. His language sparkles with invention, his imagination runs riot and his playful use of words, sometimes even borrowing from his own Gobblefunk dictionary, keeping readers captivated. The story is fast-paced, the humour sharp and the events so outrageous that young readers will be left wide-eyed and giggling, while adults will find themselves chuckling too.
At just 116 pages, George’s Marvellous Medicine is a quick read, but it packs an enormous marvellous punch. The story resonates with the mischievous side of its young readers, encouraging creativity and curiosity while slyly nudging readers towards having an interest in science and experimentation. Of course, Dahl makes it clear that this is a story of imagination, not instruction, no one should ever attempt to recreate George’s recipe at home. The book even comes with its own tongue-in-cheek warning: Do NOT try to make George’s Marvellous Medicine yourselves. It is likely to be extremely dangerous.
George’s Marvellous Medicine is absolutely, well, marvellous. But no Dahl story is complete without illustrations by the wonderful Quentin Blake, they just add a visual charm to the story. The images do an excellent job of perfectly capturing the magic, chaos and humour of this mischievous tale. These wonderful line drawings bring George, his grumpy grandmother and the marvellous medicine to life, complementing Dahl’s storytelling with energy and charm.
To borrow a word from Dahl’s Gobblefunk language, the story is whoopsy-good. It is a testament to Dahl’s ability to blend humour, adventure and fantasy into a story that delights readers of all ages. It is mischievous, imaginative and utterly marvellous – it is certainly one book that proves laughter really just might be the best medicine after all.
And for any young readers that might be tempted to concoct their own marvellous medicine, remember Dahl’s warning: DO NOT TRY TO MAKE GEORGE’S MARVELLOUS MEDICINE YOURSELVES AT HOME. IT IS LIKELY TO BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £11.99 (Hardback) / £7.99 (Paperback) / £3.99 (Kindle)
For more information, visit www.roalddahl.com. Available to buy from Amazon here.
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