Awful Auntie

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It's more contained than other Walliams books. By this I mean, his usual zany humour just doesn't make as many appearances as it has in the past. There's a lot of exposition to get through, and it does make the book more serious as a result. There are also fewer settings and characters (it all takes place, like a stage play) in Saxby Hall and the grounds, with very few characters (which I felt it missed - other children, other adults). It's almost a two-hander - little girl versus evil aunt. On 30 March 2015, while announcing the Billionaire Boy movie, Walliams also announced a film of Awful Auntie to air during December 2016. [ citation needed] However, it did not air and Walliams instead announced it is being developed for a theatrical release. [8] Theatre adaptation [ edit ] I have no issue with celeb writers if they do a good job. But we have a problem when an author gets too big to edit, and it's really clear that for whatever reason no half way decent editor went anywhere near this.

This book was a step up from Mr Stink and I can't deny that it's very good. I read it to Celyn and she asked that I give it 5*. Personally I would deduct 1* and here's why: Because that is also what the problem is with the books, they are over-the-top, overkill and trying way too hard to be funny. Trying to be funny is one thing, when it works, but this just feels like someone is trying to hard to make sure people laugh, trying to insert any silly situation or puns.The revenge plan? It was fun, but was that toilet part necessary? It felt silly, unnecessary and quite disgusting to read it. Pee and poo "humour" isn't something I want to see in books. What happens next? Will Aunt Alberta succeed her mission of claiming the inheritance? Is Stella’s parent’s accident being really an accident? Will Stella be able to figure out the truth? Lies the suspense of the story. This may be a huge hit with the under-ten set, but I was massively disappointed. I do feel terribly sorry for the author, who clearly suffers from Trying-Too-Hard-To-Be-Like-Roald-Dahl Syndrome. (It's a real thing; I didn't just make that up. Did you catch last year's telethon? The Oompa Loompas did a smashing acapella version of Don't Worry Be Happy.) Don't tell me that stuff is okay because it's a kid's book or a funny book. It's not okay to present children with sloppy crap and bad writing. And to call the plot rambling and tissue-thin is to overpraise wildly. If you removed the blether, repetition and scenes that have no impact on the plot, it would be maybe 40pp long.

Teta Alberta je zbilja grozna, i nema toga što bi tu njenu grozotu, zloću, gramzivost i sebeljublje umanjilo do kraja romana. Ona je grozna i točka. S njom tih 30-ih godina 20. st. živi mala Stella, koja će uskoro napuniti 13 godina i koja je nakon smrti svojih roditelja naslijedila imanje Saxby Hall. Alberta muči Stellu jer se želi dočepati bratove oporuke kako bi prisvojila Saxby Hall. I tu se zapravo odvija cijela radnja: Alberta muči Stellu, Stella želi pobjeći, pomaže joj duh Soot, pa jedni druge naganjaju i podvaljuju u čitavom romanu. Awful Auntie is awful when it comes to Aunt Alberta, she is so creepy and dark in plotting awful ambushes. “Soot” the chimney ghost is an admirable character, and his appearance in this story gives real flavour to this story. Aunt Alberta - at times she's funny (her retellings of Fairy Tales for her niece), but she's also like the villains of Demon Dentist and Ratburger in that she's more stereotype than real, though she's better characterised than either of them. She seems to be based on Miss Trunchbull, even in the drawings, and does get some juicy moments. Would I recommend this book? If you don't mind an over-the-top, trying to hard to be funny plot and a terrible character, then sure, read this one.The book sold over 50,000 copies in a single week after its release, and has been met with high marks from reviewers. [4] In October 2014, four weeks after its publication, Awful Auntie had become the top-selling children's book of the year. [5] In January 2015, the book was confirmed as 2014's best-selling children's book. [6] The plot is quite twisty, the setting fun, the three or four characters entertaining. I have to concede that whilst Walliams's fame is undoubtedly an asset he writes a fine children's book and could very likely have got on the shelves without help. Plus, let's be real here, the 'help' he got is also dependent on his talents, just other talents. The over-talented bastard!

The Owl, Wagner, was an interesting addition to the story, though he was horrendous in the beginning, mean, bleh and all that (but I mostly blame Auntie for that), I liked how he was at the end. More 'Dahl-like' moments - a Mr-Twit beard moment in describing Aunt Alberta, a feel of James and the Giant Peach in some of the sad Saxby family history, some Miss-Trunchbull-like pranks) The time period. For the first time, Walliams has set his book in the past. 1933. Though you'd barely know it from the book. I only realised from looking at the family tree dates, the book itself hardly mentions anything that sets it in a period. The old car and telephone are the only clues. I will admit that I have been biased against David Walliams purely because he (appeared) to get a free pass into writing books by virtue of being a famous TV personality.A bright and brave female heroine in Stella, young heiress of a large country house, orphaned but determined not to let her evil aunt Alberta steal her house from her.

This book tells the story of Stella Saxby, the sole heir to Saxby Hall, who is plagued by her awful Aunt Alberta and her giant owl, who will stop at nothing to take her inheritance from her. [1] [2] Plot [ edit ] Stella was a great character, it wasn't her fault. She was the reason why I gave the book 2 stars at all. Even though her life is turned upside down, even with the loss she has suffered, she keeps on fighting. But she also shows emotion, we can see that she is terribly sad, and afraid. Yet, with the help of Soot, she continues her fight against her auntie and her auntie's evil plan. Even though she grew up in this big house, she wasn't that spoiled. Maybe it had to do with the fact her parents were practically poor, thanks to the awful auntie. Still it was refreshing to see a girl in a big mansion not being a total princess about everything.

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Even though generally David Walliams books are hit and miss, I just keep reading them, hoping to find another one that is good. Did I like this one? At times, yes, but mostly no. Soot was an interesting character, though I knew what he was, his role and everything else, from the start. It was just so obvious that it would be odd had it been something else entirely. He was a good friend to Stella, though I felt sorry for the idea that she would lose him so soon. His accent was a bit annoying and it took me some time to get through the parts that featured him talking. She is terribly evil, like a devil has possessed her. It was just creepy and disturbing, she was a horrendous character, not only in attitude but just generally as well. She had no value, but being a villain and a bad person. It would have been nice if there had been some growth, though I guess with the fact she was evil from the beginning, there is no helping her. When I started reading this book I didn’t expect the plot was so apprehensive, and I sensed the comparison with Roald Dahl books.