George’s Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl Review

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, so they say. But a good balanced diet of fruit and vegetables with a twist of daily exercise is much better at keeping the doctor at bay. But there is also another way, laughter is apparently the best medicine. Now, I don’t know about it being the best medicine, but it is very good for you, releasing feel-good hormones (endorphins), which have lots of health benefits. Roald Dahl wasn’t a doctor, although he did have a significant interest in medicine and even helped develop a medical device, but he was extremely good at making people laugh, especially children. So you could say he might even have helped to keep the doctor away, alongside that apple and the rest of the fruit and vegetables. One of his characters even created his own medicine in George’s Marvellous Medicine!

Roald Dahl’s “George’s Marvellous Medicine” is a concoction of imagination, mischief, magic, fan and laughter, although it is to be said that any young readers (as well as adults) shouldn’t try their hand at making their own medicines or indeed administer them to anyone else.

George Kranky is a rather mischievous eight year old (aren’t all 8 year olds?) who has to look after his grizzly, grumpy and selfish grandmother, with pale brown teeth and a small puckered-up mouth like a dog’s bottom, while his mum is out shopping and his dad is out working. His grandmother takes medicine 4 times a day and while his parents are out it is his job to give her the medicine.

As soon as his mother leaves for the shops and George is left alone with his grandmother, she starts to annoy him and he wants payback. He decides to concoct his own elixir to give her a taste of her own medicine, so to speak, trying to make her less of a grouchy grump. With a wander around the house he starts to create his own special brew adding lots of unconventional ingredients ranging from Antifreeze to Waxwell Floor Polish, and topped off with brown gloss paint to give it its colour. He has no idea what impact it will have on his grandmother, but he soon finds out that it has some extraordinary effects.

Overall, George’s Marvellous Medicine is a fantastic fun story, you might say that it is as marvellous as George’s medicine. Dahl has concocted a wild tale of adventure, playfulness and creativity.

Dahl’s signature dark humour and theme of revenge and come-uppance is very prevalent through the story. George’s not-so-sweet grandmother certainly gets a taste of her own medicine.

The storytelling is whoopsy-good (yes, I made use of my Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary), to use Dahl’s Gobblefunk language. His use of language and imagination draws in the readers and enthrals them. The series of fantastical wonderous events will have readers laughing out loud, maybe even left flabbergasted.

George’s Marvellous Medicine is a short read at 116 pages, but it packs a punch with its fast-paced plot and larger-than-life characters. It’s a book that resonates with the mischievous side of its readers, while also subtly nudging them towards a love for science and experimentation. The book is suitable for children aged 7+, but its appeal is timeless, even adults will have fun reading this with their children (and even by themselves).

The story has been illustrated with some whimsical drawings by Dahl’s long-time illustrator, Quentin Blake, and they help to bring the story to life.

Roald Dahl is a master storyteller, and George’s Marvellous Medicine is a testament to his genius. A fun and imaginative story that combines humour, adventure and fantasy in a way that only Dahl can and captivates it readers.

But the book does come with a warning: WARNING: Do NOT try to make George’s Marvellous Medicine yourselves at home. It is likely to be extremely dangerous.

Rating: 5/5

RRP: £11.99 (Hardback) / £7.99 (Paperback) / £3.99 (Kindle)

For more information, visit www.roalddahl.com. Available to buy from Amazon here.

DISCLOSURE: All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review uses an affiliate link which I may receive a small commission from if you purchase through the Amazon link.

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