Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator - Roald Dahl

Published by Puffin Audiobooks. Date unknown. 
Narrated by James Bolam.
Preceded by 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.'

Wow. The contrast between this book and the previous book in the duology is incredible. Both focus on Charlie Bucket and Willy Wonka, but whereas the earlier book has the tight narrative structure of the competition and the factory tour to keep it bound, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator has no such limitations, and gives Dahl the free reign to go into out-of-this-world (literally, of a good chunk of the book) weirdness.

Picking up right where Chocolate Factory left off, Glass Elevator follows Charlie, Willy Wonka, Grandpa Joe, Charlie's parents and (in the greatest increase of relevance to the plot) his other three grandparents, who remain bed-ridden for almost the entire book. Of the protagonists of the first book, Grandpa Joe's role suffers the most, with the elderly man reduced to a supporting role, and being left out of one side-quest altogether.

And these adventures are bizarre, even by Roald Dahl standards. The book divides itself into two fairly distinct adventures, the first being an accidental voyage into space, followed by docking at a brand-new (mostly) deserted space hotel, before launching into a full-on alien invasion, with Charlie and Willy being called on to saved stranded American astronauts. This part of the book also includes an American president far ahead of his time in terms of buffoonery and childishness. My biggest frustration with the audiobook version Elise and I listened to is that it missed out my favourite ridiculous moment of presidential behaviour, when President Gilligrass creates his 'perfect' fly trap.

The second half of the book, taking place back in the chocolate factory, is kicked off when Willy Wonka tries to entice the three reluctant grandparents out of bed by giving them 'Wonkavite', a vitamin that literally de-ages them. Unfortunately, and somewhat predictably, the grandparents take too much, and Charlie and Wonka must hurry to undo the damage before it is too late!

After all of this, the book ends rather abruptly, as if Dahl simply ran out of ideas on how to end.

It's weird. Even for Dahl. And although it is funny in patches - and although the narrator is fairly good - it is all over the place in execution.

I think this one is less well known for a reason.

Completed, with Elise, 15 July 2024.



(Elise Books)

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