TITLE: The Twits
AUTHOR: Roald Dahl
PUBLISHED: 1980
Meet Mr and Mrs Twit, a truly gruesome couple! Just one of the horrible things about them is the fact that they keep monkeys locked up in their garden. These monkeys have rebellion in mind however. Will Mr and Mrs Twit finally get the comeuppance that they so deserve?
I wrote a post a really long time ago where I shared my three favourite Roald Dahl books, you can find it here if you haven’t read it and would like to. Well, my top three were Matilda, George’s Marvellous Medicine and The Twits. I’ve posted full reviews for Matilda and George’s Marvellous Medicine already so I figured it was about time that I did a full review for this one as well, so here it is.
This is one of the first Roald Dahl books that I remember reading as a child, it’s not just me being sentimental when I say that I love it however. It really is a great book!
It’s typical of Dahl’s writing, there’s fun and humour but with an underlying serious aspect designed to remind the reader of the importance of morality. The morality here is that Mr and Mrs Twit are awful and they deserve some comeuppance for their terrible actions. It’s a reminder that we shouldn’t behave badly or treat others poorly. Dahl is also presenting the opinion that bad behaviour shouldn’t go unpunished. Of course all of this is wrapped up in Dahl’s wonderful storytelling, so there is the fun and silliness that readers of his would expect.
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For me, when I think of this book the illustrations immediately come to mind. Quentin Blake’s illustrations are fantastic in all the Dahl books but for some reason it’s his work in The Twits that is most memorable for me. I enjoy the illustrations as much as the words which is not usually a judgment that I would make. I think it’s important to mention because the text and the images really do go hand in hand in this book.
Illustrations aside I love the aspect of good triumphing over bad and the message of hope that the book presents. The Twits is a short and fun read that can help remind us all of the importance of treating others correctly. I can’t imagine anyone reading it and not smiling.
You’ve probably guessed by now but just to clarify there is nothing about this book that I would change, I loved it as a child and I still love it now!
MY RATING: 5/5
Have you read The Twits? What did you think about it? If you haven’t read it do you think that you will? As always I would love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks for reading, I hope that you enjoyed!
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I used to listen to this on cassette! Probably one of the first Dahls I was aware of. It’s not one of my favourites though, I prefer George’s Marvellous Medicine and Matilda 🙂
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Wow cassettes, such a walk down memory lane 😂 you’ve picked my other two favourites as yours so great minds think alike 😉 thanks for commenting 😊
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I always used to listen to audiobooks on my cassette player to help me sleep 🙂
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I had a cassette player too, I loved it, I used mine for music though, I remember having the B*Witched album and playing it over and over 😂
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I never had B*Witched on cassette but I did have 5ive (remember them?)
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Oh yes I remember 5ive, I had posters of them on my bedroom wall 😂
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I always liked J the best (he was the most manly looking one and also he had an eyebrow ring) but my friends usually preferred Scott or Rich and not the other two (whose names escape me!) 😀
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Haha J was my favourite as well. The other two were Sean and Abs 😂
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Some people give away/throw out/recycle the books they loved as children.
Others, like me, keep almost everything.
Tattered state of The Twits and others proves love….
Are other people re-reading childhood favourites now ?
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I wish I had more of my books from childhood as well, I don’t know where a lot of them ended up…hopefully they are somewhere in my parents house because I would love to get my hands on them again! Childhood favourites are great to enjoy again as an adult aren’t they 😊 thank you for commenting 😊
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I love Ronald Dahl, he was my favourite author as a child. My favourites are ‘Danny Champion of the World’ and ‘Boy’
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He’s brilliant isn’t he 😊 he definitely bridges the gap between child and author, I think I enjoy his books as much now as I did when I was little 😊 I really need to read Boy, it’s one of the few that I haven’t got to yet. Thanks for commenting 😊
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It’s a semi-biographical story which I think is what appeals to me so much.
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That’s fab, I can see the appeal, it’s always fun to gain some insight into the person behind the writing 😁
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This is the first Roald Dahl book I ever read. It is a whimsical story that I always enjoyed. Lovely review, Jess, and I hope you and family are well. 🙂
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It’s brilliant isn’t it 😊 whimsical is the perfect description! Thanks! All well with the family yes, hope it is with you and yours as well 😊
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