73 pages • 2 hours read
The Witches
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
The Witches (1983) is a children’s novel by Roald Dahl. As with his other well-known stories for young readers—Matilda (1988), James and the Giant Peach (1961), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964), and The BFG (1982)—the book has elements of fantasy and addresses themes like identity, family, and good versus evil. There are film adaptations of several of Dahl’s books, and there are two movie versions of The Witches—one from 1990 and another from 2020. Aside from writing stories for young readers, Dahl wrote screenplays and for adults. He wrote the script for the 1967 James Bond film, You Only Live Twice. Dahl served as a spy for England and was in the Royal Air Force during World War II.
In February 2023, Dahl’s books were edited to reflect changing anti-bias standards, as some of his work was dated and potentially problematic. Jewish filmmaker Steven Spielberg, who directed the movie adaptation of The BFG, spoke about criticisms that Dahl was bigoted in an interview with Manohla Dargis. Spielberg claims there’s a “paradox” between Dahl’s incendiary views and his children’s stories. Spielberg says the latter center on “embracing the differences between races and cultures and sizes and language” (“ Unlock all 73 pages of this Study Guide Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
Related Titles
By Roald Dahl
