When it comes to Roald Dahl I am pretty familiar with most of his titles including some of his rather surreal/odd adult short stories but I had never read Billy and the Minpins, despite it being recommended to me a couple of years ago.
When this one arrived in the post Bounce (8) grabbed it and read it for afternoon reading before I'd even had a chance to open in and then gave me a very accurate run down of the plot.
Aside from the rather weird start where Billy is told by the devil to go into the woods(??!) and his mother says, 'Beware! Beware! The Forest of Sin!None come out, but many go in!’ ... I found the narrative enjoyable. The initial part doesn't really seem to have any influence on the rest of the story and makes it a strange and off putting beginning for me.
The Minpins are adorable and I love the thought of looking into all those tiny windows to see their magical little worlds.
The rest of the story has Dahl's voice and obvious love of language and description - there is something distinctive about his tone as a writer and the sense of wonder he evokes. For this addition Quentin Blake has been commissioned to do the illustrations which makes it feel more Roald Dahl-ish.
They were certainly an iconic duo.
Details - Penguin Random House NZ, September 2017 RRP $30.00 HB
love you more than a swan large enough to fly a boy xxx
