Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and its sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, along with Roald Dahl's other tales for younger readers, make him a true star of children's literature. Dahl seems to know just how far to go with his oddball fantasies; in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, for example, nasty Violet Beauregarde blows up into a blueberry from sneaking forbidden chewing gum, and bratty Augustus Gloop is carried away on the river of chocolate he wouldn't resist. In fact, all manner of disasters can happen to the most obnoxiously deserving of children because Dahl portrays each incident with such resourcefulness and humor.Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a singular delight, crammed with mad fantasy, childhood justice and revenge, and as much candy as you can eat. The book is also available in Spanish (Charlie y la Fabrica de Chocolate). (The suggested age range for this book is 9-12, but nobody this reviewer has met can resist it, including New York City bellhops, flight attendants, and grumpy teenagers.) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Charlie Bucket's weird and wonderful adventures after finding a Golden Ticket in his Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgmallow Delight have entertained generations of children (and inspired two big screen adaptations). Eric Idle, of the Monty Python comedy troupe, fits like chocolate in a mold as he reads Roald Dahl's classic tale of a poor boy's visit to a fantastical candy factory. Idle becomes the munchie mogul Willy Wonka as he brings his nimble vocal talents to this novel. There are times when Idle is perhaps too nimble, particularly when he modulates his volume, rising from a quiet whisper to an ear-piercing yell. Haven't the directors heard of volume normalization or a stage whisper? The CD version is labeled as an enhanced CD, but the only enhancements are links to a Roald Dahl Web site and Harper Audio's own home page. Quibbles aside, listeners of all ages will find Charlie to be a delicious treat. S.E.S. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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