Roald Dahl
Paperback | Pages: 176 pages Rating: 4.13 | 617026 Users | 11142 Reviews
Describe Books In Pursuance Of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket #1)
| Original Title: | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory |
| ISBN: | 0142403881 (ISBN13: 9780142403884) |
| Edition Language: | English URL https://www.roalddahl.com/roald-dahl/stories/a-e/charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory |
| Series: | Charlie Bucket #1 |
| Characters: | Charlie Bucket, Willy Wonka, Violet Beauregarde, Veruca Salt, Augustus Gloop, Mike Teavee, Grandpa Joe |
| Literary Awards: | Books I Loved Best Yearly (BILBY) Awards for Read Aloud (1992), North Dakota Children's Choice Award (1985) |
Commentary Toward Books Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket #1)
Tonight I just finished reading Charlie and the Chocolate factory with my son. This is the first chapter book I've read all the way through with him. And it was a ton of fun.First off, I'll admit that I love the movie. I grew up with it. (I'm talking about the Gene Wilder version, of course.)I'll even admit to liking the movie better than the book. Which is something that doesn't happen very often with me.
That said, the book is really, really good. It held my four-year old's attention. It's silly, and it's fun.
And it's DARK.
For those of you who haven't read the book, let me underline this fact for you. Dahl takes pains to really detail the fact that Charlie and his family aren't just hungry and poor. They're destitute. Charlie sleeps on a mattress on the floor. In the winter they are cold, and they're starving to death.
And if you think I'm exaggerating on that last point, I'm not. One of the chapters is titled: The Family Begins to Starve.
But you know what? I like this book better because of that. It's not sanitized pablum written by committee to be inoffensive. It's the story of a little boy who is in a fucking awful situation, but he is still good and kind and polite and then something really nice happens to him.
That's a trope I can get behind.
Its it a good book to read with your kids? Absolutely.
That said, allow me to tangent off and share my thoughts as a total bastard:
If Willie Wonka actually hired workers and paid them a living wage, maybe Charlie Bucket wouldn't be starving to death in the first place.
Follow me here. Wonka is effectively running a company where everyone is paid in scrip. The Oompa Loompas are paid, quite literally, in beans. Beans that I'm guessing he has the Oompa Loompas themselves growing in some huge underground cavern.
Let's not even get into the ethical tarpit of the fact that Wonka uproots an entire indigenous culture and enslaves them. Let's just look at this from a raw numbers point of view. Pure economics.
The Oompa Loompas work in the factory. They are not paid. They never leave the factory. That means they don't pay rent. They don't buy groceries. They don't go to the movies, or take taxis ,or buy clothes.
But *everyone* buys Wonka's chocolate.
That means that money goes into the factory, but it doesn't come back out into the town.
As a result, the local economy is crap. And it's because of this that Charlie's dad can't get a decent job. What's more, it's because of this that his dad *loses* his shitty job, and his family is starving to death.
Willie Wonka isn't a childlike magic maker. He's a billionaire corporate fuckwit. He's the candy equivalent of Monsanto. There's no government oversight there. Osha would never have approved that bullshit boiled sweet boat and chocolate river. No. Dude is untouchable.
And don't tell me he isn't. That shit that goes on with the other kids? Nobody even *thinks* of suing him. None of the parents even *hint* at it. He probably owns half the judges in the state, and a handful of senators, too.
He's a fucking supervillian. And I would paid serious money to see a story where Batman kicks his ass.
*End Rant*
In closing, let me share something that Oot said while I was reading him this book:
"Dad, Willie Wonka is just a regular human, but he *is* a little bit of a wizard like you."
Identify About Books Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket #1)
| Title | : | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket #1) |
| Author | : | Roald Dahl |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Movie Tie-In Edition (USA/CAN) |
| Pages | : | Pages: 176 pages |
| Published | : | June 2nd 2005 by Puffin Books (first published 1964) |
| Categories | : | Historical. Historical Fiction. Fiction. Magical Realism |
Rating About Books Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket #1)
Ratings: 4.13 From 617026 Users | 11142 ReviewsDiscuss About Books Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket #1)
A book that never gets old. I remember carrying this around with me as a child until it fell apart.Tonight I just finished reading Charlie and the Chocolate factory with my son. This is the first chapter book I've read all the way through with him. And it was a ton of fun. First off, I'll admit that I love the movie. I grew up with it. (I'm talking about the Gene Wilder version, of course.)I'll even admit to liking the movie better than the book. Which is something that doesn't happen very often with me. That said, the book is really, really good. It held my four-year old's attention. It's
Slightly odd story of virtuous poverty rewarded by the evil capitalist who caused the poverty by firing all his workers in favour of employing non-human immigrants.Unemployment from the chocolate factory, apparently the only consumer of labour in the otherwise stagnant economy of Charlie's home town, (proving I suppose that an excess of chocolate is really bad for you both economically and physically) requires that all of his grandparents have to live and sleep in one bed while the family slowly
Jess, my 7 year old little girl, gives it 5 stars.Comments while reading:How come someone is called Gloop? And Salt? Isnt that the thing that we use for cooking?What is spoiled? Oh, okay, Im NOT spoiled.Huh, Grandpa Joe is 96 years old?! How come that hes even older than my grandpa?How come Charlies dad cant work at the toothpaste factory anymore? What does bankrupt mean?Will Charlie ever get the golden ticket?Yes! Charlie found it!Mr. Wonka looks like a clown!How come Oompa-Loompas only eat
I'm sitting here on the couch watching Violet turn violet and fill up with juice before being sent off to the de-juicing room. The sun is going down, and it's almost bedtime out here, at least for the kids. My night is just beginning. I've been halfway following along with the movie and thinking about how awesome it was to be a kid- to dream of chocolate factories and eating a lifetime supply of chocolate with no fear of diabetes or a heart attack. This was the first book I read all the way
Tonight I just finished reading Charlie and the Chocolate factory with my son. This is the first chapter book I've read all the way through with him. And it was a ton of fun. First off, I'll admit that I love the movie. I grew up with it. (I'm talking about the Gene Wilder version, of course.)I'll even admit to liking the movie better than the book. Which is something that doesn't happen very often with me. That said, the book is really, really good. It held my four-year old's attention. It's
Since the Swiss make the best chocolate figures in the world, I thought I would pick up a few to take with me to England. I was originally only intending to buy a couple of chocolate rabbits, engagingly goofy-looking with big buck teeth and natty bow-ties, but the selection was so enticing that I eventually walked out with four rabbits, a chicken with a marzipan waistcoat and a chocolate chalet. I explained to the nice assistant that they would be accompanying me to London later that day, and
0 comments:
Post a Comment