James and the Giant Peach

I enjoyed the fantasy James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl. Roald Dahl brought in comedy with the fantasy elements, making the book enjoyable to read. It is a story that people should learn from, to always know there is hope. It brings the characters to many different settings, but they always find a way out, realistic or not.
The antagonist has a troubling young life, and in this case, James’. James was a sweet kid; that had the life anyone would want, living with his great parents in the South of England. This changed with the death of his parents, and all those great memories went down the drain. He then lives in misery with nasty distant relatives. He goes on a wild fantasy filled adventure showcasing the determination and grit inside the character James, and what he does to solve it.
Roald Dahl’s word choice is excellent; and how he describes events and settings creates an exciting fantasy. Characters singing funny rhymes about their enemies such as, “But who cares! Let us roll from this horrible hill! Let us roll! Let us bowl! Let us plunge! Let us go rolling and bowling and spinning until we’re away from old Spiker and Sponge!” and the like, make the book still enjoyable for the older generation. One thing that was disappointing, was the length. It seems to end very quickly, almost as if the story was not complete. If you want to read this book; the conclusion may seem a little bit condensed, as if Roald Dahl does not want to go any farther. I can see logic in that, because it is written for kids. On the other hand, why not have a more basic storyline, that he could add better details to? In the end it is still complete, but for me it does not fill the story’s true potential.
I would recommend this book to any young readers, 7-12. I am eleven, and am happy I picked this book off the shelf. It reminds me of my dreams when I was younger, going on nice successful adventures with lots of fun and all my friends. It will make you laugh. It will make you sad. If you get wrapped up enough, you may even cry! I am going to read more books by this author, and hopefully they bring these same emotions. After reading many books, this will still stay in my mind as a great, unique, book.