CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY BY ROALD DAHL.
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Earthlings, Alternatives and Trollers. Put down that mouse and lend
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and wondrous. I'm Mama Ogre and I have no idea what I'm doing.
Book blog
day boo yah. As you should know Tuesdays is book blog day were we
talk anything and everything and pretty much run with it. Today's
blog is on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Eleven-year-old
Charlie Bucket lives in poverty in a small house with his parents and
four grandparents. One day, grandpa Joe tells him about the legendary
and eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka and all the wonderful sweets
and chocolates he made until the other chocolatiers sent in spies to
steal all his secret recipes, which led him to close his factory to
outsiders. The next day, the newspaper announces that Wonka is
re-opening the factory and has invited five lucky children to come on
a tour, if they find a Golden ticket inside a Wonka bar. The first
four golden tickets are found by the gluttonous Augustus gloop, the
spoiled and petulant Veruca Salt, the chewing gum-addicted Violet
Beauregarde and the television-obsessed Mike Teavee.
One
day, Charlie sees a 50 pence piece buried in the snow. He buys a
Wonka Bar and finds the fifth and final golden ticket. He gets offers
from many parents but he refused to give it to anybody. The ticket
says he can bring one or two family members with him and Charlie's
parents decide to allow Grandpa Joe to go with him.
Wonka
takes the kids and the parents inside where they meet the
Oompa-Loompas, a race of small people who help him operate the
factory. The other kids are ejected form the tour in comical,
mysterious and painful ways. During each elimination, the
Oompa-Loompas sing a morality song about them. With only Charlie
remaining in the end, Wonka congratulates him for “winning” the
factory and, after explaining his true age and reason behind his
Golden tickets, names Charlie Bucket as his successor. They ride the
great glass elevator to Charlie's house while the other four children
go home. Afterwards, Wonka invites Charlie's family to come live with
him in the factory.
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory wiki
I read
Charlie and the chocolate factory the summer between primary school
and secondary school although I did see the 1971 movie several times
before it. I did struggle to read the book however my tastes in
literature were changing at that time so it wasn't for lack of
trying. I believe the book shows that if you're a decent person and
hard working you can go far no matter where you're from and what your
circumstances were, I recommend the book to children between 6-12 and
I give the book a 7/10.
The 1971
movie came about after Mel Stuart's then ten year old daughter read
the book and pleaded for a movie to be made by her dad and Uncle
David (Producer David L. Wolper), its name was changed to Willy Wonka
and the chocolate factory mainly due to Producer David L. Wolper
deciding to change it. Dahl and Wolper agreed to make the movie a
children's musical and that Dahl himself would write the screenplay.
Dahl ultimately disowned the movie saying he was “Disappointed”
because “he thought there was too much emphasis placed on Wonka
rather than Charlie” and the
choosing of Gene Wilder rather than Spike Milligan. The changing of
Slugworth from a secondary character to a spy villain like character
also infuriated Dahl. Felicity Dahl, Dahl's second wife commented on
her husbands objections in 1996 that "they
always want to change a book's storyline. What makes Hollywood think
children want the endings changed for a film, when they accept it in
a book?"
Whilst I like the 1971 movie, I definitely feel that the changes made
and the focus shifting towards Wonka rather than Charlie gave it a
completely different feel and story to the book that inspired it.
Despite its poor reception at the box office the movie received a 91%
on Rotten Tomatoes, I give the movie an 5/10.
The 2005
version of Charlie and the Chocolate factory spent several years in
development hell. This is due to the protection of the source
material by Dahl's estate and Dahl's disapproval of the 1971 movie.
It took time to get people they appreciated and accepted into the
roles and positions. Gwyn Lurie was hired in 2002 to write a new
script after Scott Franks attempt back in 1999 failed. Tim Burton was
put in as Director which was approved due to his earlier work with
James and the Giant peach (blog released on) as producer. Actors
Johnny Depp, Helena Bohnan Carter and Freddie Highmore were placed
into the roles of Willy Wonka, Mrs Bucket and Charlie Bucket
respectively.
I whilst
the movie deviated from the book to a degree like all movies do the
movie kept closer to the book and had the focus kept mainly on
Charlie rather than Wonka (despite the Wonka B-plot with his Journey
to be the No1 chocolatier and his issues with his dad), I definitely
recommend the movie to everyone and those who love Dahl's books to
Movies and I give the movie a 8/10.
Charlie
and the Chocolate factory became a musical in May 20013 and ran for
three years at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the west end before
closing in January 2017, the musical has since gone around the world
and spent time on Broadway. I have yet to see the musical as of the
posting of this blog () and due to the discontinuation of the musical
in the west end I highly doubt I ever will. However I have heard the
music on Itunes and seen several clips of he music on YouTube. I hope
that one day it returns to the stage in the UK. Since I've not seen
the musical in full I cannot give it a personal rating.
Charlie
was followed by the great Glass Elevator which was published in 1972
and was meant to have another book follow that called Charlie in the
white house which was never finished. I have not read Charlie and the
Great Glass Elevator and as such I have no opinion on the book.
Website
Bibliography:
And
there you have it a decent book for those who So we'll be leaving
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