Right, so this week has been unbearably stressful, not only has university been difficult with deadlines being all due in at the same time, but also making time for all the other important matters at university has been a…. lets leave it as difficult! So today my review is a children’s book. To say I was a fan of Roald Dahl as a child is probably the understatement of the century. His books took me on whirlwind adventures far and wide and most probably were the main ‘series’ that created my love of reading.  So here it is, a quick review of George’s marvellous medicine.

George’s grandma is a grizzly, grumpy, selfish old woman with pale brown teeth and a small puckered-up mouth like a dog’s bottom. Four times a day she takes a large spoonful of thick brown medicine, but it doesn’t seem to do her any good. She’s always just as horrid after she’s taken it as she was before. So when George is left alone to look after her one morning, it’s just the chance he needs…I love, love, love, this book. The cheeky character of George in contrast with his glum and irritable Grandmother is hilariously contrasted and although it is a children’s book the dark humour and the tone of the book that I hadn’t seen as a child really connected with me as an adult reader. The writing is hilarious such as “‘ALL RIGHT?’ she yelled. ‘Who’s ALL RIGHT? There’s jacky-jumpers in my tummy! There’s squigglers in my belly! There’s bangers in my bottom!’ She began bouncing up and down in the chair. Quite obviously she was not very comfortable.”

The humour in the book is spectacular, and the hilarious concoction of the medicine made me giggle like a wayward schoolgirl, and I think this is really the crux of why Roald Dahl gets us as a society every time. Most of us have a experienced a mean, or nasty adult, relative or teacher. Not everyone uses his or her authority fairly or nicely, and Dahl knew that. He also knew that children also love justice. It’s not serious, it is easy to see that what happens to Grandma is clearly a fantasy, but it’s a good versus evil fairy tale. However the overall point is serious and one that children can grasp very quickly. Roald Dahl is a marvel and timelessly brilliant. When I was younger my dad read me ‘The Witches,’ and I was so scared I used to make him read it to me in the morning; even though it terrified me so much I couldn’t sleep, I desperately needed to know how the story finished and that is the brilliant captivating story telling of Roald Dahl. If you have a spare half an hour I would 100% recommend giving this a read. It won’t take you long, but it might just help you find your child at heart.