After reading a few pages I was tempted to put down this nasty, mean-spirited narrative, for good, but I kept slogging and it got a little better. The monkeys and birds don't make up for the Twits. ( )

Ó”

This was my first Roald Dahl juvenile read. Pretty funny and very irreverent. I'm sure I would have loved this as a child. ( )

Mr and Mrs Twit are horrible people who like to play mean practical jokes on each other and are cruel to the birds that visit their home and the monkey family they have imprisoned in their yard.

Another story with terrible people and the karma they contract. The book encourages teamwork, compassion and the benefits of learning the language when visiting another country.

The jokes the Twits played on each other were amusing. I enjoyed the glass eye in the cup (I told you I was watching you) and convincing Mrs Twits she has the "shrinks" (by progressively lengthening the walking stick and the chair) although I could've done without the worms in the spaghetti. And I liked how the animals get their revenge by using the Twits' own words and deeds against them. They use the glue Mr Twit puts on the tree to catch birds and glue everything to the ceiling of the house making the Twits think they're upside down which is how they make the monkeys stand. When Mr Twit suggests they stand on their heads to fix the subsequent dizziness they find themselves stuck. The animals managed to drop some glue on their hair. After awhile they find they have the shrinks and fold up into themselves until there's nothing left.

A ridiculous but funny tale. 3.5 stars for target audience, 3 stars for me. ( )

5/5 good.