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 si [...]

Jess, my 7 year old little girl, gives it 5 stars.Comments while reading:“How come someone is called ‘Gloop’? And ‘Salt’? Isn’t that the thing that we use for cooking?”“What is ‘spoiled’? Oh, okay, I’m NOT spoiled.”“Huh, Grandpa Joe is 96 years old?! How come that he’s even older than my grandpa?”“How come Charlie’s dad can’t work at the toothpaste factory anymore? What does ‘bankrupt’ mean?”“Will Charlie ever get the golden ticket?”“Yes! Charlie f [...]

Gene Wilder June 11, 1933 - August 29, 2016 - Goodbye Gene, you'll always be Willy Wonka to me.Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl first published in 1964 was an immediate children’s classic and has inspired two film versions.I was surprised to see that neither of the films came close to Dahl’s text. Dahl’s Willy Wonka is a dark creature who killed children, crushed their bones and baked them into the candy bars.Just kidding.This is of course a delightful children’s / young a [...]

I was planning on writing an extremely argumentative review explaining how sadistically vile Willie Wonka is, and how his god-like complex ruined the lives of four flawed children. But that seems insensitive at the moment. Instead I shall simply say that Gene Wilder dominated his performance as Willie Wonka. He carried all the outward charm, the charisma and the playfulness, but still managed to portray the suggestions of darkness that permeate this character’s heart. Wonka is far from a good [...]

Slightly odd story of virtuous poverty rewarded by 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 sta [...]

Everything in this room is edible. Even I'm edible. But, that would be called canibalism. It is looked down upon in most societies.Everyone knows this story. Little Charlie Bucket lives with his parents and both sets of grandparents. They all depend on his father for money and he just lost his job. They're running out of food, fuel and money when (just in time) Charlie find a golden ticket. This golden ticket allows him and two guardians into Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory for a tour. Charlie a [...]

One of the first books I ever read. I wanted to watch the movie, but wasn't allowed to until I read the book. And so I did. And now, every few years, I want to again. It's been a long time. But who doesn't love chocolate and dreams and wishes and gifts? I think I may read this series only looked at the first one.

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 thro [...]

I was ten years old and already the magic was gone from the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, leprechauns, Santa Claus and his buddy the Krampus. All was stripped of its power to enthrall. Heck, even sex had been demystified years prior. Then along came Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It gloried in candy, my number one passion of the day. But not only that, eating candy was the means to getting even MORE candy! Ah, the golden ticket. How, oh, how I longed for it to be a real thing! I would've tr [...]

The movie always fascinated me--both as a kid and adult--so I was really eager to jump into this and see if I could figure it out. But dude, i'm still stumped. I'm not sure if Willy Wonka is supposed to be mad, a genius, or a mad genius. There's just so many priceless lines of dialogue that the movies also captured so well, and this book is so whimsical and wholesome, yet dark with sort of a fable-esque message about greed and whatnot from the Oompa-Loompa's songs/poems. I took a star off becaus [...]

Before there were amorous zombies, sleuthing twelve year-olds, or even a teacher who traipsed around in his underwear, children turned to Roald Dahl for their literary entertainment. I thought it the perfect time to zip through time and relive one of my childhood favourites, in hopes that I might soon introduce my son to the wonders of Willy Wonka and his glorious factory. Dahl opens by presenting the reader with Charlie Bucket and his family, confined to a small cottage on the outskirts of town [...]

"And now," said Willy Wonka, "we're going to see something extra special my Metaphorical Candy Room!" He flung open the doors, and the five children peeked inside. Augustus Gloop beamed with delight."That's the BIGGEST BOWL OF SKITTLES I'VE EVER SEEN!" he yelled."Indeed it is, indeed it is," said Willy Wonka proudly. "Three point three million of them! One for every Muslim in the United States! But, before you eat any, I must warn you some of them are POISONED!""How many?" asked Violet Beauregar [...]

If you ever want to cheer yourself up, go back and read a book you loved and read over and over as a child. For me, this is one book that will always be better than any movie they make from it. Nothing Hollywood does with special effects will ever be as magical as what Roald Dahl did with just plain old words. It has been MANY long years since I last looked at this book, but it all came back to me as soon as I turned to the first page and saw the illustrations. I was immediately carried away by [...]

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 sh [...]

If you don't already know that Charlie inherits Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, then this review contains a spoiler."The meek shall inherit the earth". That biblical phrase certainly applies to this story. Charlie Bucket is the epitome of meek. But he is also serious, polite, kind, andwell, he is just the perfect kid. In this story he doesn't inherit the earth but he does inherit Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Ah! What a chocolate factory. The inside kind of reminded me of the Land of Oz. Bei [...]

Having just finished a book on Hieronymus Bosch, I couldn’t help thinking about the painter's hellish pictures when reading this children’s book. The tale starts with little Charlie, living in utter misery in something like a hermit’s hut, with four elderly people laying all day in the same bed… A blend of St. Anthony and Death and the Miser. This is quite dreadful in itself, but hold on, it’s just an aperitif.Next, little Charlie and a bunch of other children win a devilish marketing [...]

خلاقیت رولد دال توی این کتاب واقعا مثال‌زدنیه. به نظرم اگه کسی دور و برش بچه‌ای میشناسه که اندک علاقه‌ای به کتاب داره، حتما باید این کتاب رو براش بخره و بهش بده که مطالعه کنه. البته نسل اینجور بچه‌ها تقریبا منقرض شده و اکثر بچه‌ها یه جورایی تبدیل به "مایک تی‌وی" شدن. اینکه ای� [...]

THIS WAS GREAT! I've never read any Roald Dahl before, but of course I've heard of the legend and so when I was assigned to read this for my Children's Lit class I was super pumped. And best of all, I enjoyed it! There's always the fear that books won't live up to the hype, but I think this did.I loved Charlie and his Grandpa as the main protagonists: they were humble, and sweet, and smart. I loved Willy Wonka: he was energetic and excited and brilliant and sarcastic as all hell. And I loved how [...]

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl is an obvious classic in my book. Besides the fact its been around for awhile already, it definitely has that magic factor that pulls you in. Anyone with even a remnant left of their kid's heart in them, will love this book. I believe this story, not the book, but at least the story has a huge following, due in part to the movie starring Gene Wilder. I love Johnny Depp, but he lacks the whimsical weirdness of the previous Wonka and is just weird. H [...]

When I read this book as a child I was so immersed in the story my imagination was broadened. How exciting to find a golden ticket and gain access as a VIP in Willy Wanka's mysterious chocolate factory. Brilliant. The original film with Gene Wilder is a classic. In my opinion far better than the remake with Johnny Depp. I like Johnny Depp he is an amazing actor but Gene Wilder was Willy Wanka in my book. I often wonder about the names of these characters. Did Roald Dahl have a twinkle in his eye [...]

Demorei bastante pra pegar esse livro pra ler achando que, por já ter visto os filmes e o musical muitas vezes, eu não encontraria nada de novo nessa história. Mas como eu estava enganado!Nenhuma adaptação, por mais fiel que ela seja, poderia substituir a escrita gostosa e brilhante do Roald Dahl. Mesmo sabendo tudo que ia acontecer na história, cada capítulo era uma surpresa muito gostosa. O livro me deu uma visão muito diferente a respeito do Charlie e do Willy Wonka. Descobri um Charl [...]

Amore per il cioccolato Il permissivismo sempre più dilagante da parte dei genitori costruisce veri e propri mostri, difettati nella sensibilità e scarsi di comprendonio: l'umiltà e la generosità pagano sempre.L'idea della fabbrica è un pretesto, incredibilmente suggestivo, sulla quale l'autore costruisce la semplice e importante morale di fondo.

اولين بار فيلمش رو با بازى جانى دپ از تلويزيون ديدم. كوچيك بودم كه تماشاخانه شبكه ى پنج پخش مى كرد و من هر بار ميديدمش. عاشق اين فيلم بودم. عاشق ويلى ونكا و كارخونه ى جادويىِ شكلات سازيش بودم. عاشق اون قيافه و رفتاراى عجيب و غريبش بودم. گذشت و گذشت تا يك ماه پيش كه تو شهركتاب چشمم � [...]

This book was quite disturbing. I mean Augustus Gloop, who apparently had a nasty cold, completely contaminated the entire chocolate river, and then Wonka scoops out cup-fulls for Charlie and Grandpa Joe to drink, and they do. Nasty! You just know that Augustus peed himself from fear when he fell in, too! I really enjoyed this, with the exception of the insanely long Oompa-Loompa songs. I just don't like reading verse, no matter how clever it is, so I skimmed these sections. Sometimes pages of t [...]

Harry's tormentor? Or, Charlie's mother? Or, Marla Sanger?

The latest in my recent teaching of Dahl booksYes I get that it's a beloved children's novel, and the whole weird Roald Dahl thing. And much has already been said of the problematic Oompah-Loompah problematic African pygmies thing (really it's much more offensive in the books about them being shipped in crates from their land, unlike the film adaptations where they're just unexplained magical creatures). But what really bothered me is the lesson that the way to get out of poverty is to win the l [...]

تصالحت مع ابتسامتي عند اللحظة اﻷولى من قراءتها أليس هذا يكفي لكى أحبها جدا ♡عليك ألا تشعر بالخيبة فلا تدري ما الذي يخبئه لك القدر

I can't decide what to rate this!!! It seems odd rating it, because even though I didn't read it as a child I still know the story so well since the movies (well, the first one) is adapted so nicely. It's a great story. Really dark, actually, darker when you read it, but it still feels weird rating a story I already know so well. It didn't feel new, just nice and comforting because it was familiar. I had this as 3 stars when I was writing but now I'm changing to 4, I don't know why, they aren't [...]

This one has to be one of my favorite stories. Such a fun, quick and easy read. Roald Dahl's writing style is super entertaining. Can't wait to read more by him.

I am a grown up woman yet I prefer reading middle grade books. Why I am reading this kind of genre? Am I crazy? Am I not in the mood to read deeper books? My answer was NO. Simply because, reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory doesn’t give not only light read but it gives lessons that sometimes adult like us seems to forget.It was really fascinating and somehow hilarious that this kind of children books were the one gave me realizations that I admittedly forget of how important great value [...]