The Witches by Roald Dahl Summary

The Witches by Roald Dahl tells the story of a young orphaned boy who discovers that real witches exist and despise children with intense hatred. When he and his grandmother visit a hotel in Bournemouth, he accidentally witnesses a secret convention where the Grand High Witch unveils Formula 86—a potion designed to turn all children in England into mice. After being transformed into a mouse himself, the boy must use his wit and courage to stop the witches' diabolical plan and save children everywhere.

Roald Dahl is a renowned British children's author known for his darkly imaginative stories. In The Witches, Dahl employs a first-person child narrator with a conversational tone that directly addresses readers, creating intimacy and urgency. His writing features vivid, visceral imagery—particularly when describing the grotesque features of witches—and uses emphatic repetition to make scenes more memorable. Dahl's refreshing and irreverent style blends humor with genuinely frightening moments, making his stories beloved by children worldwide.

The Witches is ideal for children aged 8-12 who enjoy dark fantasy adventures with a touch of horror. Young readers who appreciate stories about ordinary kids confronting extraordinary evil will find the book captivating. The novel also appeals to adults seeking nostalgic reads or parents looking for engaging stories that don't shy away from darker themes. Anyone interested in classic children's literature with sophisticated storytelling, memorable characters, and thought-provoking themes about courage, love, and acceptance should consider reading this Roald Dahl masterpiece.

The Witches by Roald Dahl is absolutely worth reading for its masterful blend of dark fantasy, humor, and genuine emotional depth. The novel stands out for its unconventional ending—the protagonist remains a mouse—which departed from Dahl's usual "problem-solving finishes" and demonstrates his willingness to embrace bittersweet realism. The story delivers thrilling adventure while exploring profound themes like unconditional love transcending physical appearance. Dahl himself was "well satisfied" with this work, and its enduring popularity since 1983 confirms its status as a modern children's classic.

Formula 86 Delayed-Action Mouse-Maker is a magical potion created by the Grand High Witch to eliminate children by transforming them into mice. The witches' plan involves opening sweet shops with counterfeit money and giving away free candy laced with the formula during grand openings. The potion turns children into mice at a specified time—the next morning at school—so their panicked teachers will exterminate them with traps. This diabolical invention represents the witches' ultimate weapon in their mission to "wipe children off the face of the earth".

"A REAL WITCH hates children with a red-hot sizzling hatred that is more sizzling and red-hot than any hatred you could possibly imagine" immediately establishes the terrifying nature of the antagonists and their absolute malevolence.

"It doesn't matter who you are or what you look like so long as somebody loves you" encapsulates the story's profound theme of unconditional love and acceptance, providing emotional counterweight to the witches' hatred.

These quotes define the core conflict between evil and love that drives the entire narrative.

According to the grandmother in The Witches by Roald Dahl, real witches have several distinguishing physical characteristics despite appearing as ordinary women:

• They are completely bald and wear wigs that cause itchy scalps
• They have clawed hands hidden beneath gloves
• They lack toes in their feet

Witches also have slightly larger nose-holes, square feet, and blue spit. The boy learns to identify these subtle signs after his grandmother shares her extensive knowledge about witch customs across different countries. These details become crucial when he must avoid or confront witches throughout the story.

The Grand High Witch is the feared and diabolical leader of all the world's witches who travels annually to visit witch councils in every country. She possesses extraordinary power and cruelty, described with a voice that "rasped, grated, snarled, scraped, shrieked, and growled". At the English witches' convention, she removes her mask to reveal her grotesque true face and unveils Formula 86 as her masterpiece for eliminating children. The Grand High Witch represents absolute evil and serves as the story's primary antagonist, willing to incinerate any witch who questions her methods.

The Witches by Roald Dahl ends with the boy successfully turning all the witches at the convention into mice, leading to their deaths at the hands of hotel staff. He remains transformed as a mouse but retains his personality, voice, and intelligence. The boy and his grandmother return home and plan to eradicate all witches worldwide using the Grand High Witch's money-making machine and information about witch locations. In a bittersweet conclusion, the boy accepts he'll only live another nine years as a mouse, content because he won't outlive his beloved grandmother.

The Witches explores unconditional love and acceptance as its central theme, demonstrated through the grandmother's unwavering devotion to her grandson despite his transformation into a mouse. The novel examines courage in the face of overwhelming evil, as an ordinary child confronts the world's most powerful witches. Appearance versus reality is crucial—witches hide their true monstrous nature beneath human disguises, while the boy's mouse form doesn't diminish his humanity. Dahl also addresses mortality and making peace with life's limitations through the protagonist's acceptance of his shortened lifespan.

The Witches has faced criticism for potential misogyny, as all the villains are women and the story portrays witches with intensely negative female stereotypes. Critics argue that depicting all witches as women who hate children could reinforce harmful gender biases. Some readers find the ending too dark for young children, as the protagonist never regains his human form and faces a shortened lifespan. The book has also been analyzed through political lenses, with some recognizing the Grand High Witch as a representation of Margaret Thatcher. Despite these critiques, the novel remains widely celebrated for its storytelling and emotional depth.

The Witches by Roald Dahl stands out as notably darker than many of his other works, featuring genuine horror elements and a bittersweet ending where the protagonist remains transformed. Unlike Matilda or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which offer triumphant conclusions, The Witches embraces mortality and acceptance of life's limitations. The novel shares Dahl's signature irreverent humor and child-empowerment themes but pushes further into unsettling territory with its visceral descriptions of grotesque witches. This departure from his typical "problem-solving finish" demonstrates Dahl's range and willingness to challenge young readers with complex emotional truths.