The Reread Challenge: George’s Marvelous Medicine

This is the first book I’ve read as part of the Re-Read Challenge.

WHEN I First Read

I first read George’s  Marvelous Medicine when I was 11 years old, probably one of the last of his books I ever read. It was also one of the few that helped me get through my dad’s death. It was given to me as a gift from my cousin and a valuable one at that.

 

WHAT I Remember

From what I remember, 11 year old me found George to be a genius, with his catastrophic concoctions. As a kid, I would spend afternoons in my mom’s kitchen mixing all sorts of ingredients together under the misguided impression that I too was making something marvelous. In truth it must have been quite disgusting to taste but looked fantastic. That was why George’s Marvelous Medicine hit home with me and I found it such a wonderful read as a kid. The illustrations were chuckle-worthy along side the chapters as well.

 

WHY I Wanted to Re-Read

Roald Dahl is  one of my favourite authors and re reading his books is not only fun but a great way to revisit my childhood so it was quite an easy decision to re-read this one. The sentimental value this book holds is one that merits revisiting, in my opinion. Besides that, I have an upcoming presentation in french class where I’m supposed to discuss a book in french so I thought I’d talk about this one. In a way, it’s killing two birds with a single stone.

 

HOW I Felt After Re-Reading

Now, as a twenty year old re reading this book, I have a new found respect for Roald Dahl in the way he defied traditional conventions. He depicted George’s grandmother as a nasty old
lady when most children’s authors typically describe them as bundles of sunshine with candy in their purses. Thinking critically, this serves as a source of humour layered with subtle realism packaged for children.

The plot is delightfully twisted and there is something so entertaining about how George seeks to punish his hag of a grandmother. A recurring theme of Dahl’s work is the triumph over children against nasty adults and it’s nice to read about the power children weird in them. It makes me think of how valuable the mind of a child is and how we ought not to forget it.

It’s also lovely that the book can be read in a single sitting, considering how it can be quite difficult to find time to read this far into the semester. It’s like a refreshing break from reality, exploring George’s experiments.

Roald Dahl is a wonderful children’s author who seems to invest so much in his writing. I particularly love how it starts off with a warning:

Do not try to make George’s Marvelous Medicine yourselves at home. It could be dangerous.

You just know it’s going to be a good read when a book starts off like that.

WOULD I Re-Read Again

I am definitely going to re-read this book in the near-future. It’s also a great book to read to kids before their bed time!