The Witches

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“This is not a fairytale. This is about REAL WITCHES. Real witches dress in ordinary clothes and look very much like ordinary women. They live in ordinary houses and work in ordinary jobs. That is why they are so hard to catch.” The Witches by Roald is a scary good tale! The mix of humor and horror makes for a wonderful tale. You will be on the edge of your seat and will laugh out loud. Dahl has a real way with words and a wonderful imagination that makes for a memorable story, that you are sure not to forget.

Dahl uses precise language to create the magical feel of the story. The Grand High Witch uses rhyming language to show not only her powerful magic, but also to whom the magic is directed towards. For example, “A stupid vitch who answers back must burn until her bones are black!” “A foolish vitch without a brain must sizzle in a fiery flame!” “An idiotic vitch like you must rrrroast upon the barbecue!” “A vitch who dares to say I’m wrrrrong vil not be vith us very long!” The Grand High Witch then sent sparks from her eyes to frizzle the witch like a fritter! Dahl has a way with words and uses it to create a powerful language experience that displays the witch’s joy for evil. Within Dahl’s use of language precision he also creates words to coincide the with the feel of the magical langauge. For example within the witch’s recipe she calls for the “yolk of a gruntle’s egg, the claw of a crabcruncher, the beak of a blabbersnitch, the snout of a grobblesqvirt, and the tongue of a catspringer.” While these words are made up, they are precise enough to feel magical and believable.

The characters that Dahl has created are so imaginative, yet believable. The witch who speaks with an accent and who didn’t look anything like a witch. Then, “very slowly, the young lady on the platform raised her hands to her face. I saw her gloved fingers unhooking something behind her ears, and then… then she caught hold of her cheeks and lifted her face clean away! The whole of that pretty face came away in her hands! It was a mask! That face of hers was the most frightful thing I have ever seen. It was so crumpled and wizened, so shrunken and shriveled, it look ats though it had been pickled with vinegar. It was a fearsome and ghastly sight.” While this description of the witch is fantastical, the way Dahl describes and justifies his descriptions the more believable they become. The way he described the characteristics of witches such as they wear gloves because they have claws, and they wear wigs because they are bald, and how they wear pointy shoes to hide their square, toeless feet.

While this story is magical and horrific, it does entail some unexpected insights. The amount of love throughout all the horror is something that plays a big role in the young boys life with his Grandmother. After experiencing the horror of the witches and being turned into a mouse, he says, “It doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like so long as somebody loves you.” This love brings him courage in the face of his fears, it brings his grandmother strength, and it shows the reader that love really can conquer all.

Dahl has created a fantasy that ensures that love can conquer evil and I completely agree with that. The world needs more love and the fact that the love between him and his grandmother, help them work well together and support one another to defeat the witches. The determination and courage of the young boy also connected with me, when my father used to tell me that as long as you are determined and work hard, nothing will defeat your courage. The same applied to the boy as he turned into a mouse. He was met with all sorts of obstacles, but never once gave up. I think this book has great role models for readers and it’s lessons were hidden within the fantasy horror, which means each reader can have different reading experiences and lessons that connect to them. I think it was a wonderfully entertaining story that everyone can enjoy. For me, it was the just right horror book; not too scary, with a bit of humor. I give this five out of five stars!

Dahl is a masterful storyteller, and it really shows in The Witches. The way he incorporates a vast array of precise language, unexpected insights and such memorable characters makes for an amazing story experience for the reader. This is the perfect horror story for Halloween, or any other time, as witches are around all the time! Watch out for the signs and hopefully, you will never cross a witch in your lifetime!  

Dahl, R. (1983). The Witches. New York: Farrar, Straus, Girroux.