When you think of children’s authors, there are lots of names that immediately spring to mind, but one that stands out for many is Roald Dahl. From exploring chocolate factories to befriending giants and facing enormous crocodiles, his stories have captivated readers of all ages for decades. With Halloween on the horizon I picked up Dahl’s The Witches – an absolutely phizz-whizzing read, packed with Gobblefunk words that fizz and pop off the page, ensuring no reader ever gets bored.
The Witches is not your typical children’s story – it is a dark humorous tale combining fantasy with a dash of reality, all wrapped up with Dahl’s signature style of storytelling that’s as delightful as it is wicked.
Now we all know that there are no such things as witches, at least in the sense that we read about in books or watch on television, with their pointy hats and their black capes bellowing out behind them, flying around on their old-fashioned broomsticks, don’t we? Well, that’s what they want us to believe anyway. But one seven-year-old boy is about to find out the truth.
After an unfortunate accident claims both his parents, a seven-year-old boy (who is only every referred to as Grandson) is sent to live with his grandmother in Norway. She regales him with tales of real witches that hide in plain sight – ordinary women who conceal bald heads under itchy wigs, hide clawed hands beneath gloves and conceal toeless, square feet in high-heeled shoes. And they have a deep-seated hatred for children as apparently they all stink of dog poo (well the clean ones anyway). Although he takes her stories with scepticism, that doubt evaporates the moment he encounters the first of these secret witches.
After moving back to England, while on holiday in Bournemouth the witches are having their annual convention which reveals their secret plan – they are plotting to rid the world of children by transforming them into mice. The boy is caught, shrunk to the size of a small brown mouse and barely escapes with his life. Together with his grandmother, he hatches a daring scheme to turn the tables on the witches and foil their fiendish plot.
Squish them and squiggle them
and make them disappear
Roald Dahl / The Witches
Overall, I thought The Witches was darkly humorous and delightfully wicked, a book that straddles fantasy adventure and children’s horror. It features themes of death, disappearance, violent behaviour (the witches want to squelch children) and even talks about smoking cigarettes, with moments that might unnerve sensitive readers. I’d recommend giving it a read yourself before passing it on – especially for younger children who scare easily.
Dahl’s storytelling genius shines through in every twist, from his clever Gobblefunk phrases to wickedly inventive villains. The Witches delivers fantasy, fun and just the right amount of fear, all wrapped in Dahl’s unmistakable style.
While the story can be a little bit on the scary side for young page turners, it is a lot of fun to read. It has adventure, fun and scares as well as themes of love and compassion, doing right and wrong.
And when you have finished reading, make sure that you keep an eye out for glove-wearing women who scratch their heads – you never know when you might spot a witch in disguise.
The Witches is an excellent story, I loved the fun and darkness of the tale and it would make an excellent story for Halloween reading.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £9.99 (Hardback) / £7.99 (Paperback) / £4.99 (Kindle)
For more information, visit www.roalddahl.com. Available to buy from Amazon here.
