I worked late today. This morning, at AEON I started another chapter of the novel "Matilda" by Roald Dahl bit by bit. Even though it is the end of September, it has still been a little bit warm and humid therefore, I thought I should have worn a half-sleeve shirt, but in the evening time, I felt a little bit chilly. Oh, the autumn has been coming.
I heard the novel "Matilda" is written for mainly kids, so the English in this novel seems plain and easy to understand. However, if I try to read this as carefully as I can, I find that every word in this novel is written very sensitively in its proper, right place. Today, all I could read was only 5 pages or so. Sometimes I have gotten confused by its very British expressions such as the word "Filth" (although I have learned this word as meaning "cops", today I found another "controversial" meaning), and so on.
The more I read this novel, the more I am attracted to the main character, the very smart girl Matilda, who seems nothing but a tiny girl but has a strong spirit. I remembered that (even though I have been only an autistic guy who doesn't have any gifted abilities) once I was a kid I also loved reading books like Matilda. Recently, I remember, my mother telling me that when I was a kid who attended kindergarten, I had been already famous as a bookworm who had been attracted to books in the teachers' room.
Even though I have not read this "Matilda" completely, I feel that Matilda must have difficulty because of her smartness, and her keen senses which can see through many adults' foolishness around her. How about my childhood? Of course, "Matilda" is just fiction, therefore I shouldn't read this as a true story, even though it can tell me a very realistic atmosphere. However, if possible, I want to read "Matilda" completely in Japanese or English.
"Matilda" also tells me that even though life can be too severe, I have toughness and smartness (I guess everyone also does have) which enable me to live in such a severe situation pleasantly, against the real world's absurd attacks.
