After reading the fairly heavy Diary I thought it would be a good time to check out Charlie. And after all, it’s been a while since I’ve read a book with illustrations. 
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While it’s admittedly a little cheesy to start off with (as expected) the insane pacing throws you right into Charlie Buckets worn-down shoes as the story rolls out. Twenty pages in, I realised it’s so much fun to read a Dahl book, nomatter what your age. |
After reading this you really can see why Dahl wasn’t happy with the original film, but it just wouldn’t make a strict adaptation without being lacklustre. Tim Burton’s version might be closer to the book, but it’s in no way verbatim.
There’s also moments in the original film not present in the book which I quite enjoy; fingerprints on the bubble-room fan, Slugworth (who only gets a casual mention in the book), and of course Gene Wilder himself. Most of all though, the final test for Charlie was something I really expected and hoped to be on the page; but alas Wonka wasn’t so tough to impress as his 1971 self.
Still, it was a refreshing read, and especially recommended if you’re a fan of the original film.
