This wonderful tale of the Big Friendly Giant has
lessons about toleration of different people, the battle of good and evil, friendship,
and how humans are worse than human-eating giants. But probably most readers will like it most for the pleasure of
the BFG’s words: snozcumbers, swallomp, troggle-humping, squiffle-rotters. Am I right or am I left? The BFG is such an appealing character
because he has such a good heart. He
even taught himself to read, by hard work going through a novel by “Darles
Chickens.” He may not be very smart,
but his language is terrific.

The BFG takes young orphan Sophie from her home
because she saw him. They go back to
his cave, and he tells her all about his life, and how he refuses to eat
humans, even though all the other giants go out every night all over the world
and feed themselves by snatching people from their homes. The BFG (who is in fact not all big compared
to other giants, quite the opposite, since they are all much bigger than him)
collects dreams – literally, keeping them in jars in his cave. He goes from house to house and puts good
dreams into children’s heads while they sleep.

Together, Sophie and the BFG come up with a plan to
stop the other giants. The story is
enthralling as well as being very funny. This unabridged audiobook is
read by Natasha Richardson who does a great job. Fantastic!

Link: Publisher
web page with Real Audio excerpt.

© 2002 Christian Perring. First Serial Rights.

Christian Perring, Ph.D., is
Chair of the Philosophy Department at Dowling College, Long Island. He is
editor of Metapsychology Online Review. His main research is on
philosophical issues in psychiatry. He is especially interested in exploring
how philosophers can play a greater role in public life, and he is keen to help
foster communication between philosophers, mental health professionals, and the
general public.

Categories: Children