Roald Dahl may have summed up the power of books to transport readers best in Matilda, where he wrote, “The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives. She went on olden-day sailing ships with Joseph Conrad. She went to Africa with Ernest Hemingway and to India with Rudyard Kipling. She travelled all over the world while sitting in her little room in an English village.” Every Tuesday, bloggers on the Matilda 25th Anniversary tour will write about how they use books as an escape from real life. Add how books help you escape in the comments!
Matilda definitely uses books as an escape from her horrible parents and Miss Trunchbull. When she reads books, she doesn’t have to think about anything bad in her life. How have books been an escape for you, like they are for Matilda?
Books are one of my ultimate comforts. Whenever I need to rewind or just take a break from all the stress in my life, I grab a book off my ever growing To-Be-Read pile and escape into another person’s adventure, drama, etc. While they are in those moments “an escape” from my reality and any problems that are trailing me or I may be avoiding, I find what makes books so magical is how using stories to escape my issues actually ends up helping me resolve them, directly and even indirectly.
Through reading, I can absorb a character’s bravery and find the will to confront an issue. Or I can absorb their cunning and find out how to solve a tricky problem. Or I can absorb a moment of revelation and realize that maybe one of my worries isn’t much of a worry at all. I often find that when I believe in a character, I also believe in a part of myself.
These “escapes” that books provide have been invaluable throughout the years. Just like Matilda, I live for them and use them to become a well-rounded and cultured individual, not letting the negativity of the world turn me into someone I’m not meant to be. Although these escapes from real life are fantastical, fictional and don’t physically happen, they are still very real.
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Did you know Matilda is now a Tony Award-nominated Broadway Musical? The show opened in April and has already been nominated for 12 Tony Awards, including Best Musical! Since not everyone can go to New York City to see the show in person, Penguin Teen is bringing the show to you with a Matilda the Musical prize pack giveaway! Enter to win a copy of the Matilda the Musical soundtrack, a Matilda the Musical poster, and a paperback copy of Matilda by Roald Dahl! (Open to US residents only.) You can buy tickets, see pictures, and listen to music from Matilda the Musical on their website: http://us.matildathemusical.com/
Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was born in Llandaff, South Wales, and went to Repton School in England. His parents were Norwegian, so holidays were spent in Norway. As he explains in Boy, he turned down the idea of university in favor of a job that would take him to “a wonderful faraway place.” In 1933 he joined the Shell Company, which sent him to Mombasa in East Africa. When World War II began in 1939 he became a fighter pilot and in 1942 was made assistant air attaché in Washington, where he started to write short stories. His first major success as a writer for children was in 1964. Thereafter his children’s books brought him increasing popularity, and when he died children mourned the world over. Matilda was published just two years before he died. Quentin Blake, the first Children’s Laureate of the United Kingdom, has illustrated most of Roald Dahl’s children’s books.
Matilda synopsis: Matilda is a genius. Unfortunately, her family treats her like a dolt. Her crooked car-salesman father and loud, bingo-obsessed mother think Matilda’s only talent is as a scapegoat for everything that goes wrong in their miserable lives. But it’s not long before the sweet and sensitive child decides to fight back. Faced with practical jokes of sheer brilliance, her parents don’t stand a chance.
Matilda applies her untapped mental powers to rid the school of the evil, child-hating headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and restore her nice teacher, Miss Honey, to financial security.
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Be sure to visit the Official Matilda Facebook page to keep up with all things Matilda!
To find out more about Matilda the Musical on Broadway, visit their Facebook page!
For the next stop on the Matilda 25th Anniversary blog tour, head to Novel Novice tomorrow!
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