15 of the Best Quotes from Matilda by Roald Dahl
Originally published in 1988, Matilda is a timeless story that has inspired generations of readers. It’s a tale for anyone who has ever felt different, like they don’t quite fit in, or would happily escape into the pages of a book.
Matilda has since been adapted into two films, once in 1996 and again in 2022, as well as a musical that has been running in London’s West End since 2011. Brought to life by Tim Minchin’s witty lyrics, the musical won seven Olivier Awards in its opening year and opened on Broadway in 2013.
Here are 15 of the best quotes from Roald Dahl’s Matilda.
Synopsis:
“Matilda is a brilliant child with a magical mind.
But her parents have decided she's just a nuisance who wastes too much time on reading and stories.
And her headmistress Miss Trunchbull is a terrible bully, who thinks children are rotten and awful and should be locked up.
Now it's time for Matilda to find the power to change her story, and show them just how extraordinary children can be.”
Reading
“These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone."
“All the reading she had done had given her a view of life that they had never seen”
“So Matilda's strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea."
“The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives."
“Her own small bedroom now became her reading-room and there she would sit and read most afternoons, often with a mug of hot chocolate beside her.”
“She traveled all over the world while sitting in her little room in an English village.”
“Don't worry about the bits you can't understand. Sit back and allow the words to wash around you, like music.”
“I'm wondering what to read next." Matilda said. "I've finished all the children's books”
Perseverance
“It's going to be tough, but I'm determined to do it.”
“Being very small and very young, the only power Matilda had over anyone in her family was brain-power."
“Never do things by halves. Go the whole hog”
“She felt fairly confident that with a great deal of practice and effort, she would succeed in the end”
“We may be small, but we’re quite tough”
“I've always said to myself that if a little pocket calculator can do it why shouldn't I?"
“All of a sudden she found that she was frightened by nobody in the world."
Do you have a favourite quote from Matilda? Leave a comment and let me know!
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