James and the Giant Peach

I re-read this via the read-a-long with Taika Waititi (and friends) on YouTube. It's not my favourite Roald Dahl book but the different actors reading it made it a lot more fun than I remember. It's still best as a stop-motion animated film though.

It was worth reading this book just to turn the page to Quentin Blake's hilarious illustration of the Empire State Building with the peach stuck to the very top. Perfect for my skyscraper & big city-obsessed kid.

How cute!

I realized earlier in the month that I had never read anything by Roald Dahl and so I decided to start with listening to this audiobook.

It was an adorable little adventure and I'll definitely check out more of his famous works.

I was stuck in a snowstorm, away from my house and my book, needing something to do. So I downloaded this ebook of James and the Giant Peach on Overdrive and read the whole thing. And this is what I have to say:

What a strange little book!

It was fun though, and I remember liking it as a kid, even though I didn't remember much of the story. It was a good way to pass some time!

Man, Centipede is a d-bag in the book.

Great to read with my son. Something boys probably love with giant bugs and grand adventures. Not my favorite read, but I like more girly things anyway.

A typically wonderful Roald Dahl book. I really enjoyed James' adventures with the giant peach and would recommend this to children and lovers of Roald Dahl books.

I never thought I could be just so bored by a children's book. I expected whimsiness and adventure, but really most of the book is just dialogue between a few characters who bicker and ultimately say the same thing.

It all just feels so contrived and written on the fly - even if it's a kid's book, I expected some logic to follow through. It just felt like a bunch of random events happening, stretching the already thin premise even thinner. None of the characters go through a significant change or really suffer any consequences, it's just a bunch of things happening. Even the titular character James, who is just alluded to have had a rough childhood, really just stays the same and there's no quirkiness to supplant it. I can't even recall a moral for the story - it really just feels like things just happen and the characters simply react instead of taking agency.

Not exactly a book I'm going to be rushing to show my children. I will say though, I always do get a laugh out of the bits of dark humor with killing off people in absurd ways. Unfortunately that doesn't stay consistent through the book.

4.5

2.5
I enjoyed this book quite a bit but it wasn't anything that really stood out for me.

Loved reading this to my kiddos. It was just as fun and whimsical as I remember from reading as a kid. Now I really want to go and watch the movie x.x. I don't know why i thought the authors name was Ronald Dahl and its really Roald Dahl but hey whatever works. Beautiful story telling definitely glad I have the scented peach edition for my shelf to reread in the future.

This was such a great children's book.

Roald Dahl is amazing, as a writer for adults or children.

Took my imagination places I'd never thought of. Loved this book.

this book ROCKS...down they go ice and snow freezes and sneezes and noses will blow!

This book was first read to me back in third grade. I read it myself ten years ago and then read it aloud to Luke over the past week and a half for a bedtime tale. I had forgotten all about the Cloud-Men but remembered the rest of it well enough. Luke loved it. This is the fourth chapter book I've read to him since the end of May and I'm pretty jazzed by how much he enjoys stories. After finishing this classic (with his ears glued to every word) he said to me, “I want another chapter book!” (I've got a few in mind for the next read-aloud. Some newer tales.)

This was my first re-read of James and the Giant Peach as an adult. It's still just as great. It's so quirky, and the end is so heartwarming! I can't wait to read it to my child one day.

Sidenote: I never realized how many times the word “ass” is in this book. Ha.

I really enjoyed this book. If you've seen the movie first like I have, you'll be in for a few surprises. For example, Aunt Spiker and Sponge are really cruel, but you can't help laughing at them. The insects are also very funny, especially the Earthworm. Reading the book also answers some questions from the movie, like the events surrounding the rhino or metal shark. It seemed to drag a bit towards the last part of the book; however, the ending made up for it. Give it a try.

I was surprised to find, while reading this to my daughter, that I had never read it before. I expected to pick up the thread of it after a dozen or so pages, but turns out, no.
I probably didn't enjoy it as much as other Roald Dahl children's books, but it is without doubt imaginative and clever, and my daughter liked it. I know a lot of people consider this their favourite, so not sure what didn't work for me.
Three stars.