The Witches: A Set of Plays: A Set of Plays

by Roald Dahl

book data

12965 ratings, 4.15 average rating, 642 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		39%
4		39%
3		18%
2		2%
1		0%

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published

February 1st 2007 (first published 1983) by Puffin

binding

Paperback, 128 pages

literary awards

Whitbread Literary Award (1983)

isbn

0142407941 (isbn13: 9780142407943)

description

Roald Dahl fans will rejoice at the opportunity to bring their favorite books and characters to life. Five of Dahl's hugely popular, beloved books hav...more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 14210)

all | this edition

bp rated it:

(review of isbn 0590032496)

05/09/07

Read in January, 1985

recommends it for: 5th graders. And their parents.

The way my life is recently, I'd be lucky to be able to finish reading the headline of the Post before having to attend to something else.
So in the absense of any meaningful free time in my life, I will be reviewing books from years past, the glory days when I could actually curl up on the couch and fall into a story. Or in the case of Roald Dahl, through the scary trap-door into bizarro world of teacher-witches, crazy chocolate factory owners, and insects live and chat with youngsters inside...more

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

1 comment

Jessica rated it:

(review of isbn 0141301104)

05/08/07

Read in January, 1996

Warning: Extremely Long Review and Childhood Storytelling

When I was ten or eleven, I was sitting in the playground at summer camp, minding my own business and reading this book, when one of the playground supervisers came and asked me what I was reading. When I showed it to him, his eyes got wide and he took the book from me. Then he went to the trash can and started ripping it up, page by page. And he washed his hands afterwards, "to get rid of the filth." It was a library book....more

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

2 comments

sarafem rated it:

(review of isbn 0590032496)

03/08/08

bookshelves: juvenile-7-to-10, royally-sucked

I would love to know why I am the only person on the planet who did not like this book. I tried to find some bad reviews on GoodReads, but the only one and two star reviews said things like "Bad no like mousey! dlksk djglsk diewqls!" I'm assuming they were in a foreign language and not written by a kid who could not type, but I was too lazy to click on the profiles. Maybe I should learn the language and go live there, where we can all unite in our hatred of this book.

It seems to me...more

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

7 comments

Kathleen rated it:

(review of isbn 0590032496)

10/06/07

Read in October, 2007

When I picked this book up I didn't realize it was the book version of a movie I had seen a few times and enjoyed. I had no idea the movie was based on a book, let alone this one. It was a pleasant surprise. The book and movie are quite alike.

In the book, witches live all over the place and are disguised as regular women. They hold an annual meeting where the grand high witch gives all the witches of a country their orders for the next year. Witches are really another species, naturally bald...more

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Karen A. rated it:

(review of isbn 0590032496)

03/30/08

bookshelves: junior-fiction

Read in March, 2008

recommends it for: Children 6 and up

My kids and I listened to this one in the car. I initially thought that it was too scary. Some of the author's descriptions of witches are very scary. Add to that that they are snatching children out of plain daylight I figured my kids (8yrs and 5 yrs) would be having nightmares. However when I asked if they liked it I received a resounding 'YES'!!! And my daughter finally just told me to bring the tapes into the house so she could finish listening to the story. By then I was hooked as well...more

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

1 comment

Jesse rated it:

(review of isbn 0140340203)

11/24/08

Read in November, 2008

Was at a friend's last night, saw this on his bookshelf and couldn't resist borrowing it. Subsequently spent an enjoyable sit revisiting an old favorite. Because this is an old favorite--my favorite Roald Dahl book, to be exact, which means growing it was one of my VERY favorite books. Technically, it's probably a four star book--it takes a bit too long to get going and far too long to wrap up--but the nostalgia factor kicks it up to five star level. The central mock-RSPCC meeting, wi...more

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2 comments

Janeen-san rated it:

(review of isbn 0590032496)

11/28/08

This wonderful book is told through first-person, so I do not the narrator's name. I shall just call him narrator.
After some thought, I've decided that I will tell you what I liked about the book first, and then write my review. I liked how the book was written, not a soul could resist reading this great story. The illistations by Quentin Blake were awsome; squiggly, but still strait foward. I loved the characters' personalities.
Oaky, here is my summary of The Witches.

The ...more

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1 comment

Leaves rated it:

(review of isbn 0590032496)

06/09/08

Humor and solemnity occur in the same sentences in this book as Roald Dahl tells a story about the witches and their plans to rid the world of children.

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Rachelle rated it:

(review of isbn 0590032496)

09/16/08

I loved this book! It is so funny. The house witch creeps me out. Read this book if you like comedy and a bit of mystery.

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Sri rated it:

(review of isbn 0590032496)

11/06/08

bookshelves: children

Read in November, 2008

Anak-anak, hati-hati kalau bertemu ibu-ibu atau tante-tante yang ciri-cirinya begini:
- memakai sarung tangan
- selalu garuk-garuk kepala
- nampak tak nyaman dengan kakinya
- lubang hidungnya besar

Bisa jadi dia tante penyihir!

Jangan mau diajak pergi sama mereka atau menerima apapun dari mereka kalau kamu nggak mau jadi lukisan, patung, ayam, porpoise, hot dog, atau tikus!

The Witches ini lucu sekali. Mendeskripsikan penyihi...more

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3 comments

Reid rated it:

(review of isbn 0590032496)

11/21/08

A great deal of fun. Somewhat gives the impression of being dashed off, but in some ways that adds to the pleasure; there is a sort of improvisational flavor to it that is charming. Dahl was one of the few writers for children who understood that they don't care for the sickly sweet tale any more than adults do, and that they understand about the reality of death and evil. It is quite a wonderful talent to be able to combine a light touch with the macabre, and no one did it quite as well as Roal...more

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Swapanti rated it:

(review of isbn 0590032496)

10/02/08

Read in March, 2008

recommended to Swapanti by: teachers
recommends it for: everyone

Have you guys even read this book? Well I think you guys SHOULD.The thing I learned from this book is that You have to stay away from those dreadful witches. They could be anywhere with those huge runny noses, faces like ugly, disgusting cockroaches and feet without toenails. How does that sound to you? A little creepy, I guess. So, go ahead and read it.

If you've ever heard about the author,Roald Dahl, he is the author of this book.He also wrote many other great books but I think I love t...more

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Catherine rated it:

(review of isbn 0374384576)

10/25/08

Read in January, 2006

It is not that this book was badly written. In my opinion Roald Dahl is one of the most brilliant children's writer's of all time. And besides, I haven't read it for a while, so I can't fairly comment on style, character etc. I just remember not enjoying this book so much as a child. My younger self was a bit of a coward quite frankly (and let's face it, not much has changed). I remember being terrified of this book. Some parts I enjoyed, and of course I would never put it down without finishing...more

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Natalie rated it:

(review of isbn 0590032496)

07/18/08

Read in July, 2008

recommended to Natalie by: Swiped off of Frank's bookshelf

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Wow. This book took me all of two subway trips and a little bit of pre-bedtime reading to finish. I mean, no surprise because it's a kid's book and the type is huge. But, it was also due to the fact that this book was awesome and I couldn't help but take it in so quick!

As a kid, I was a huge Chocolate Factory / Great Glass Elevator junkie. I remember playing Vermicious Knids on the playground at recess. So I find it weird that I never got around to reading much of Dahl's other ...more Wow. This book took me all of two subway trips and a little bit of pre-bedtime reading to finish. I mean, no surprise because it's a kid's book and the type is huge. But, it was also due to the fact that this book was awesome and I couldn't help but take it in so quick!

As a kid, I was a huge Chocolate Factory / Great Glass Elevator junkie. I remember playing Vermicious Knids on the playground at recess. So I find it weird that I never got around to reading much of Dahl's other children's books when I was actually a kid. I did, however, discover his adult literature as I got older and am a huge fan. It seemed natural to want to pick up what I missed out on now. Yesterday seemed the perfect opportunity since I was looking for a quick read to tide me over until the weekend (I want to hit the library tomorrow) and it was nice to read something sweet and innocent after finishing J.G. Ballard's Crash.

Anyways, The Witches was great. At first I was worried it was all going to be cliche with the typical "parents killed / orphan child" beginning. Pleasantly, the book was anything but. The grandmother character was just a cool old broad with her black cigars and knowledge of witches. The boy was cute and sweet and smart. I was actually quite surprised when he was turned into a mouse. As the hero of the book, I expected him to escape that fate. I also liked that the witches were very different from the standard fairy tale witches and that they were organized like business women and holding a conference.

The ending of the tale was very bittersweet. It was very touching that the boy would continue to live as a mouse and his lifespan would be about the same as his grandmother's remaining years. That really choked me up. But, it was very cute that they were going to spend the remainder of their years fighting the rest of the witches of the world. I felt like this was setting up for a sequel. I would love to read more adventures of these two.

But the bittersweetness and even the fact that the boy couldn't change back into a boy...these are both aspects as to what I really like about Dahl's writing. It's fantasy, but not always all happy happy shiny endings.

My only disappointment? I expected the boy, as a mouse, to somehow run into the two white mice who had been his pets after he turned into a mouse himself. I thought their tight rope training would come back into play. I just think that would've been neat to tie back in....less

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2 comments

Andrea rated it:

(review of isbn 0590032496)

06/19/08

Read in June, 2008

I just read this book with Alexis. We are currently looking for the movie!! I saw this movie as a child. I must say that I actually like the movie better, but I loved this story. I had never read it before. I love the way Dahl writes. He is such a great descriptor. I think this book might have been terrifying to me as a kid. Lexi is more level headed. I just got so enveloped in a story that I felt it was real for a time. Lexi being intrigued by the witches and how they look and how the...more

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1 comment

A.L. rated it:

(review of isbn 0590032496)

06/11/08

bookshelves: fiction, recommended-reading

Read in June, 2008

recommends it for: 7 to 10 year olds

This book was really fun! My goal lately has been to read some of the "classics" that I missed out on growing up. From Hemingway to Dahl. Big kid books and grown up books.
The Witches was fun. I loved Dahl's version of them - totally evil and bent on the impossible destruction of children everywhere! Their claws and toeless feet shoved into pointy little shoes are a riot! And I thought it was a great twist that there actually is no cure for what happens to the main character, a...more

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Thylacoleo_carnifex rated it:

(review of isbn 8420466832)

05/12/08

Read in May, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Y con éste acabo mi trilogía particular sobre el señor Dahl. Y acabo, con el que es el mejor a mi gusto. Libro lleno de crueldad, miedo-que-te-cagas, ternura, humor y sobre todo incorrección política. Porque si te pones a decirle a los niños ahora que lo mejor para que no te huela una bruja es no bañarse, y que encima te lo diga una anciana fumando un puraco apestoso, pues poco más que te crucifican. Pero es que el libro no es una postura controvertida para llamar la atención, no. Es un...more

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Jessica rated it:

(review of isbn 0374384576)

11/09/07

bookshelves: favorites, leetle-boys, people-turn-to-creatures-, wee-ones-and-bored-teenagers

Read in January, 1986

recommends it for: kids

This was the first really spectacular novel I ever read, and it started me on a childhood of dorkliness and a life containing far more amusement and pleasure that I ever would've had if I hadn't been a bookworm as a kid. I remember walking to school while reading The Witches. Fortunately, we lived on the same block as the school, and there weren't any streets to cross on the way, so the only consequence was being teased mercilessly by my peers.

I don't know that I've reread this book since I ...more

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15 comments

dirt rated it:

(review of isbn 0590032496)

09/24/08

Read in September, 2008

recommends it for: Mice and Men

A clever adventure into the world of witches.

The love the between grandson and grandmother is absolutely wonderful and spills over into the theme of loving someone no matter what. When the grandmother asks if he minds being a mouse forever, the grandson replies: "It doesn't matter who you are or what you look like so long as somebody loves you."

Of course he doesn't mind being a mouse because "Little boys have to go to school. Mice don't. Mice don't have to w...more

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Cathy rated it:

(review of isbn 0590032496)

05/01/08

Read in April, 2008

My six-year-old is reading this and I loved Dahl as a kid, so I picked it up last night (it was published too late for me to read when I actually was a child). Holy cow! This must be the most terrifying children's book I've ever read, with the possible exceptions of "Coraline" and "Candle in Her Room." Dahl is always great and often dark, but rarely to this extent. Vile female witches with long claws and scabby bald heads scheme to kill or transform children in horrible ways,...more

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2 comments