Books

DAHL, Roald. Matilda. Illustrations by Quentin Blake. London: Jonathan Cape [1988]. 8vo, 240pp. Red cloth with spine stamped in gold foil. Half-tone illustrations throughout. Spine ends a tad rubbed, else a fine copy in original color pictorial dust jacket (slight crease and slightest soiling at flap folds). With bookplates signed by the author, Roald Dahl, and the artist, Quentin Blake, laid in. First edition. Dahl's beloved tale of Matilda Wormwood, the precocious and magical child who uses her powers to free herself from her distracted parents and the tyrannical Miss Trunchbull. The basis for the 1996 feature film starring Mara Wilson and Danny DeVito, as well as the 2010 West End and 2013 Broadway musicals, which was made into the 2022 film starring Emma Thompson.

Matilda is a children's novel by British writer Roald Dahl. It was first published in 1988 by Jonathan Cape in London, with 232 pages and illustrations by Quentin Blake. The story is about a young prodigy named Matilda Wormwood, who loves reading books and has the power of telekinesis. She faces challenges from her neglectful parents and the tyrannical headmistress Miss Trunchbull, and seeks solace in books and her kind-hearted teacher, Miss Honey.

To verify if a copy of 'Matilda' is a first edition, one should check the publication date, publisher (Jonathan Cape), and look for the presence of Quentin Blake's illustrations specific to the first edition. Additionally, later editions typically mention subsequent printings or editions.