Charlie and the chocolate factory
By Roald Dahl
What is it about?
The story is about a poor family (Charlie Bucket, a little boy, Grandpa Joe and Grandma Josephine, Grandpa George and Grandma Georgina and his mother and father). They live in a little house. His grandparents are elderly and stay in bed all day long. Charlie’s father works hard in a toothpaste factory but he never makes enough money to feed his family. They often eat cabbage and cabbage soup, and Charlie is always hungry.
Charlie loves chocolate and gets one chocolate bar for his birthday every year. The great Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory is close to where Charlie lives. Mr. Wonka closed the factory years before because his workers were selling his new ideas to rival companies but thin columns of white smoke were seen to be coming out of the tops of the tall chimneys of the factory and people didn't know who was working inside. Nobody's gone in, nobody ever comes out, either.
Mr. Wonka makes an announcement: He will open his factory to the five lucky people who find a golden ticket in his chocolate bars.
The lucky winners are Augustus Gloop (a greedy boy), Veruca Salt( a girl who is spoiled by her parents), Mike Teavee (a boy who does nothing but watch TV ) , Violet Beauregarde (a girl who chews gum all day long) and Charlie Bucket.
Mr Wonka’s Factory is full of exciting surprises. Charlie and the children see the Oompa Loompas and all the amazing things in the factory.
The greedy Augustus falls into a pool of chocolate and has to be extracted from the pool filter. Violet, is addicted to chewing gum and turns blue with Wonka's new chewing gum. Mike Teavee, a very rude TV addict, is shrunk to TV size, and Veruca Salt is thrown into the garbage chute to be incinerated.
Charlie, our hero, wins the prize. Mr Wonka wants him and his family to live with him in the factory and to take over the factory when he gets old.
Who is Roald Dahl?
Roald Dahl ( 13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short story writer, poet, figther pilot and screenwriter.
Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during World War II, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence officer, rising to the rank of wing commander. Dahl rose to prominence in the 1940s, with works for both children and adults, and became one of the world's best-selling authors. He has been referred to as "one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century". His short stories are known for their unexpected endings, and his children's books for their unsentimental, often very dark, humour.
Book Lyrics
The lyrics are very ironic and funny.
My favorite song is : GOOD -BYE VIOLET.
In chewing, chewing all day long
She chewed while bathing in the tub,
She chewed while dancing at her club,
She chewed in church and on the bus;
And when she couldn't find her gum,
She'd chew up the linoleum,
Or anything that happened near,
a pair of boots, the postman's ear,.........
Vocabulary book
draft: a current of air
nibble: to take small bites
nightcap: a cap worn at night
stammer: repeat the same sound without meaning
marvelous: causing wonder or amazement
greedily: selfishly
criticize: to comment on or point out the faults of people or things, to find something wrong
beckoned: to signal to somebody to approach with a movement of the hand or head
ravenously: extremely hungry
jostled: knocked or bumped against somebody;
frantically: excited, hurried, and confused; great haste and a lot of disorganized activity
pandemonium: wild uproar and chaos
hallelujah: used to express praise or thanks to God
bulged: to expand or swell
peculiar: unusual, strange, or unconventional
mystic: magical
clatter: to make a loud rattling noise, or cause something to make a rattling noise morsels: a small piece of something, especially food
abide: to find somebody of something acceptable or bearableanxious: feeling nervous, worried, or afraid, especially about something that is going to happen or might happen
glistened: shined brightly; reflected light from a wet surface
froth: a mass of bubbles in or on the surface of a liquid
perched: a temporary resting place for a person or thing
riverbank: a piece of sloping ground at the edge of a river
astonish: to amaze somebody to a great degree
scrambled: to climb or advance over something using both hands and feet
rumbling: a deep rolling sound
mist: something that makes it difficult to see or understand something 10. shriek: to make a loud high-pitched piercing sound
basin: an open metal, ceramic, or plastic container with sloping sides, typically used for holding water or washing
rubbish: trash, garbage, or other unwanted things
cross: to do something that goes against somebody’s wishes, or that annoys or frustrates somebody
precipice: a high, vertical, or very steep rock face
intently: with full attention or effort concentrated or focused on one thing
frump: a drap, dull, or old-fashioned person
staggered: shocked or astounded at something
tantrum: an outburst of anger, especially a childish display of rage or bad temper
petrified: to cause a person or animal to become immobile with terror
tremendous: extremely large, powerful, or great
incinerator: a furnace for destroying things by burning them, especially one used to burn waste
nudge: to push or poke somebody gently, usually with a motion of the elbow
hovering: to float in the air without moving very far from the same spot
and others like lucky, waterfall, cherry, greedy, throat, syrup, to stretch, gum, squirrel,nut, to slide, to smell, marshmallows (my favourite word), sugar balloons,
all day long( this appear a lot of times in the book)
And there are many more.......................
Book Review
I had fun reading the book, I love the descriptions about the flavors, the smells, the chocolate.I could imagine the Chocolate Factory and the Oompa Loompas.
My favorite character is Charlie because he is a good and honest child, and the author shows us that his good values, at the end are rewarded.
I think this book is didactic and also funny.