When Charlie Bucket finds himself the proud winner of a Golden Ticket in a chocolate bar, he knows he has the greatest treat in the world in store for him. Join Charlie on his fantastic world-famous adventures in Willy Wonka's miraculous chocolate factory, where he sees strawberry-juice water pistols, luminous lollipops, a chocolate river, and rainbow drops -- and has the time of his life.
Charlie Bucket's weird and wonderful adventures after finding a Golden Ticket in his Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgmallow Delight have entertained generations of children (and inspired two big screen adaptations). Eric Idle, of the Monty Python comedy troupe, fits like chocolate in a mold as he reads Roald Dahl's classic tale of a poor boy's visit to a fantastical candy factory. Idle becomes the munchie mogul Willy Wonka as he brings his nimble vocal talents to this novel. There are times when Idle is perhaps too nimble, particularly when he modulates his volume, rising from a quiet whisper to an ear-piercing yell. Haven't the directors heard of volume normalization or a stage whisper? The CD version is labeled as an enhanced CD, but the only enhancements are links to a Roald Dahl Web site and Harper Audio's own home page. Quibbles aside, listeners of all ages will find Charlie to be a delicious treat. S.E.S. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine
...
[Editor's Note: The following is a combined review with JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH.]--Keep these readings by Roald Dahl of these favorite tales alongside E.B. White's reading of CHARLOTTE'S WEB. This is not a performance but the author sharing his books with the listener. His distinctive voice, with a slight lisp, reflects his thorough understanding and delight in the characters. With the current film, James is now a movie star, but the incentive to read or listen to these stories is only increased by this attention. More of Dahl's stories, THE WITCHES, DANNY THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD and MATILDA are also available from Harper Children's--though we miss Dahl's narrative. R.F.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
