“An explosively funny, totally surreal Tall Story about two perfectly nice parents and their unbelievably monstrous daughter.”
NO MAJOR SPOILERS
Roald Dahl has a new incarnation. David Williams’ Fing is strongly reminscent of Dahl stories though here the parents are at the mercy of their monstrous offspring.
Myrtle always wants more and balloons out from babyhood trampling over everyone she meets in her monstrous selfishness.
Her parents the Meeks, meek by name and meek nature do their best to gratify her wishes until she demands a ‘Fing’Despite all logic to the contrary she insists that she has to have one and her librarian parents run down what looks like a sea urchin in a book of monsters hidden in the forbidden vaults of the library in which they work.Williams summons up a list of the most unimaginable monsters possible in a book which jumps, slaps and retaliates.
From which begins a rollercoaster ride for Mr Meek who goes in search of the Fing in the jungliest of jungles armed with custard creams to bait his trap – more madness that children will appreciate. Williams fills his pages with portmanteau coinages and sound bites which increase as the action hots up until the pages are almost overflowing with noises. Williams throws in quirky footnotes as his dialogue with his readers.
Child activists may protest but there are parents held ransom by children whose wants never end and children are bound to recognise themselves in this cautionary tale of wanting more and more and more, throwing in reluctant laughs and hopefully an unpspoken promise to behave. Myrtle is no Oliver Twist and definitely deserves the fate that meets her.
Reviewed by:
Anjana Basu
Added 9th May 2019
