Mr and Mrs Twit are horrible people who like to play mean practical jokes on each other and are cruel to the birds that visit their home and the monkey family they have imprisoned in their yard.

Another story with terrible people and the karma they contract. The book encourages teamwork, compassion and the benefits of learning the language when visiting another country.

The jokes the Twits played on each other were amusing. I enjoyed the glass eye in the cup (I told you I was watching you) and convincing Mrs Twits she has the "shrinks" (by progressively lengthening the walking stick and the chair) although I could've done without the worms in the spaghetti. And I liked how the animals get their revenge by using the Twits' own words and deeds against them. They use the glue Mr Twit puts on the tree to catch birds and glue everything to the ceiling of the house making the Twits think they're upside down which is how they make the monkeys stand. When Mr Twit suggests they stand on their heads to fix the subsequent dizziness they find themselves stuck. The animals managed to drop some glue on their hair. After awhile they find they have the shrinks and fold up into themselves until there's nothing left.

A ridiculous but funny tale. 3.5 stars for target audience, 3 stars for me. ( )

5/5 good.

I think I just may not be a Roald Dahl fan.

The Twits is a story about a husband and wife couple, The Twits.
They are mean and nasty to each other, the wife serving her husband a plate of spaghetti worms, the husband convince his wife she is shrinking, then "tries to solve the problem" by stretching her with balloons and then releases her. The couple also have four monkeys locked in a cage that the husband wants to train. The couple also like to catch birds for their weekly bird pie, and do this by using sticky glue. The monkey and birds wind up revolting against the Twits and plot against them. This results in the Twits being superglued by their head to the floor.

This is definitely a short story. But it almost feels like a compilation of short stories, all about the Twits. I think my dislike for the book may also come from the ridiculousness of the events in which the Twits find themselves. And in addition, the way Roald Dahl describes people and situations I would almost attribute to a mean girl. Ugly, disgusting, stupid. I wasn't impressed. ( )

I adore this book. Not only does it have a darkly creative wit to it, but the main characters, a couple by the name of Twits, are absolutely deplorable. But, as most Roald Dahl books, these Twits receive their just desserts in imaginative ways. Illustrated by Sir Quentin Blake, the light-hearted dark comedy shows readers that being a Twit can lead to your demise. ( )

Not as exciting as Fantastic Mr Fox, which my son and I read before it, but still good fun and suitably disgusting.
I think the issue is that the story takes a while to get moving, and when it does there's no real tension. Never is there any doubt that the Twits will get their comeuppance, so whilst it's entertaining to see them get it the story doesn't really grip the reader. ( )