Thursday, January 14, 2010

Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl illustrated by Quentin Blake

“They all sat down, panting for breath. And Mrs Fox said to her children, ‘I should like you to know that if it wasn’t for your father we should all be dead by now. Your father is a fantastic fox.’ Mr Fox looked at his wife and smiled. He loved her more than ever when she said things like that.”

Before I see the movie I thought I should re-visit Fantastic Mr Fox. As I write this entry for my blog I haven’t seen the movie but I certainly enjoyed the book about Mr Fox all over again. I had forgotten the priceless scene at the end when the three farmers are left just sitting and waiting for Mr Fox while he and his friends continue to feast on the goodies from each farm.

Dahl has such an ear for language. His books are always a delight. “They were digging the new tunnel. They dug on in silence. Badger was a great digger and the tunnel went forward at a terrific pace now that he was lending a paw.” Paw is the perfect word here!

I have read lots of good things about the movie but as usual I would say take a few minutes to read or re-read this classic story before you see the film. The movie experience will be all the richer if you have recent knowledge of the original. The movie web site is sensational.

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