In a previous article in this series I reviewed the hilarious short story The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl and figured the next logical review would be The Twits because the two are similar in appeal and contain some of the same characters. As an elementary teacher Roald Dahl has a special place in my heart, as I find him straight up funny without the fluff. Roald Dahl must have known children well, and his stories at least make it clear he knows what made them laugh.
The Twits is the story of two hideous people, a married couple whom he describes in vivid detail
as being nothing more than haggard, gross, decrepit, dirty, and beastly. Though they spend much of their days tormenting each other with mean rotten tricks, they have one thing in common that may well be what has kept them together through the years, and this is their contempt for the world outside their little home.
The real drama comes about in the story when the family of monkeys, kept in a locked cage outside where they await the next circus performance, decides to turn the tables on Mr. and Mrs. Twit with the help of the Roly Poly Bird. When Mr. and Mrs. Twit leave together one afternoon the monkeys escape and in the matter of hours literally turn the horrible Twits' lives upside-down. The result is a funny catastrophe of sorts that, in Roald Dahl fashion, has its villains meet a satisfying end.
The dialogue is funny, the plot moves quickly, and the characters, even Mr. and Mrs. Twit, are interesting. This story
is great for a read aloud at the intermediate level and those who read
The Enormous Crocodile previously will be excited to see Muggle Wump the monkey and the Roly Poly Bird make a second appearance.
Thumbs up for The Twits, and Roald Dahl, one of the best children's authors of all time.