Matilda

Matilda written by Roald Dahl and narrated by Kate Winslet was a 2014 Odyssey Honor book for the best audio book. It is 4 hours and 30 minutes long on 4 CD-roms. It was released in 2013 by Penguin Audio. I have never listened to an audio book before and I was afraid that I would not be a fan but I was pleasantly surprised! This rendition of Matilda is incredible.

Matilda is about a gifted five year old girl who lives with her nasty, crook parents who do not appreciate her and her extraordinary talents. She begins school where she is quickly identified as an exceptionally bright child by her sweet, young teacher Miss Honey. The head mistress of the school is the abusive, cruel woman Miss Trunchbull who makes every day absolutely miserable for Matilda, Miss Honey (her niece), and the students of the school. Matilda soon discovers she has magic powers and can make the evil Miss Trunchbull  and her parents pay for their unkindness. In the end, Miss Honey is able to adopt Matilda while Matilda's parents skip town as thieves and Miss Trunchbull disappears.

I have read the book Matilda and seen the movie before so while listening to this audio book I already knew what was going to happen in the story. However, listening to the story as an audio book was a completely new experience for me. The story really came alive! Oh, how I missed being read aloud to. Kate Winslet gives a groundbreaking performance narrating this text. She is able to portray every character int he story absolutely flawlessly. Her English accent is impeccable and made me see Matilda in a completely new light. I highly recommend this audio book for children and adults alike. I am a new huge fan of audio books and I am on my way to the library now to check out some more! Harry Potter audio book, anyone?

Check out this audio book at your local library!

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