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Awful Auntie
Tiddlywinks-obsessed Awful Aunt Alberta and her pet owl, Wagner, are on a mission to cheat the young Lady Stella Saxby out of her inheritance – Saxby Hall. But with mischievous and irrepressible Soot, the cockney ghost of a chimney sweep, alongside her, Stella is determined to fight back ... and sometimes a special friend, however different, is all you need to win through.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published November 27, 2012
About the author
David Walliams
180 books3,086 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
David Walliams is an actor and writer best known for his work with Matt Lucas in the multi-award-winning sketch show Little Britain. His debut children's novel, The Boy in the Dress, was published in 2008 to unanimous critical acclaim and he has since developed a reputation as a natural successor to Roald Dahl.
David Walliams is an actor and writer best known for his work with Matt Lucas in the multi-award-winning sketch show Little Britain. His debut children's novel, The Boy in the Dress, was published in 2008 to unanimous critical acclaim and he has since developed a reputation as a natural successor to Roald Dahl.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 776 reviews
April 25, 2023
I will admit that I have been biased against David Walliams purely because he (appeared) to get a free pass into writing books by virtue of being a famous TV personality.
However.
This book was a step up from Mr Stink and I can't deny that it's very good. I read it to Celyn and she asked that I give it 5*. Personally I would deduct 1* and here's why:
Someone bought Celyn this book in hardcover. It looks to be if not a fat book then at least not slender. Inside along with a font large enough to be seen from space, and frequent illustrations (no bad thing, though Celyn can't see them) there is one tactic used over and over to pad the thing out.
Walliams makes lists:
i) these lists are only mildy amusing
ii) and they get old fast
iii) each item is accompanied by an illustration
iv) and it soon becomes clear they their only real purpose is to swallow up pages.
Apart from that I have no complaints. It's quite a brutal book in the Roald Dahl vein with multiple murders, some quite grisly. It is genuinely funny, genuinely interesting, and at the last, genuinely touching.
The plot is quite twisty, the setting fun, the three or four characters entertaining. I have to concede that whilst Walliams's fame is undoubtedly an asset he writes a fine children's book and could very likely have got on the shelves without help. Plus, let's be real here, the 'help' he got is also dependent on his talents, just other talents. The over-talented bastard!
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.
However.
This book was a step up from Mr Stink and I can't deny that it's very good. I read it to Celyn and she asked that I give it 5*. Personally I would deduct 1* and here's why:
Someone bought Celyn this book in hardcover. It looks to be if not a fat book then at least not slender. Inside along with a font large enough to be seen from space, and frequent illustrations (no bad thing, though Celyn can't see them) there is one tactic used over and over to pad the thing out.
Walliams makes lists:
i) these lists are only mildy amusing
ii) and they get old fast
iii) each item is accompanied by an illustration
iv) and it soon becomes clear they their only real purpose is to swallow up pages.
Apart from that I have no complaints. It's quite a brutal book in the Roald Dahl vein with multiple murders, some quite grisly. It is genuinely funny, genuinely interesting, and at the last, genuinely touching.
The plot is quite twisty, the setting fun, the three or four characters entertaining. I have to concede that whilst Walliams's fame is undoubtedly an asset he writes a fine children's book and could very likely have got on the shelves without help. Plus, let's be real here, the 'help' he got is also dependent on his talents, just other talents. The over-talented bastard!
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Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
.
July 18, 2018
It's not difficult to discern why Walliams is being compared to Roald Dahl. Awful Auntie is a humorous combination of flights of fancy and macabre backstory, exaggerated villains, and an ill-treated child protagonist. On top of which, Tony Ross' illustrations are so like Quentin Blake's, it's uncanny.
This particular book was not a huge hit for me - perhaps because of the inevitable comparison to Roald Dahl, who simply cannot be bested - but this will definitely appeal to young readers, and Awful Auntie won't be the last Walliams book I explore.
This particular book was not a huge hit for me - perhaps because of the inevitable comparison to Roald Dahl, who simply cannot be bested - but this will definitely appeal to young readers, and Awful Auntie won't be the last Walliams book I explore.
May 19, 2017
Another fantastic, wonderful Walliams book! This time Stella, Lady Saxby although she is but 12 befriends Soot, a ghost in Saxby Hall and they team up to defeat the truly despicable Awful Auntie Alberta. Add in a wonderful huge owl named Wagner and you have another classic and hilarious children's tale. Oh, and Raj is not in this book and wrote a letter of complaint included in the final pages. Another must from Walliams!!
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July 6, 2020This was excruciating. Five endless hours on audiobook in the car. It actually hurt.
I have no issue with celeb writers if they do a good job. But we have a problem when an author gets too big to edit, and it's really clear that for whatever reason no half way decent editor went anywhere near this.
The repetitions are agonising, with the plot summarised for us again and again and again; the repeated use of "the girl" and "the woman" instead of names stick out like rusty nails in the audio version, as does the gross overuse of speech tags. It's full of glaring mistakes that just show how little anyone bothered--one minute a key has been lost for decades, the next it's in the door; it's specifically dated to the 1930s, with a child murdered at the age of ten some thirty years earlier, but that child was a chimney sweep and child sweeps were banned in 1875; the narration appears to think that "Lady Saxby" and "Lady Stella" are interchangeable names; the ghost's powers are bewilderingly inconsistent to serve the plot needs; the crashed car in which Stella's parents died has been returned to the family home in a wrecked state but with, we must assume, the blood cleaned up so the heroine can drive it...and on and on. None of it makes any sense, and not in a surrealist amusing way, just in a "nobody bothered to make this hold water" way.
Don't tell me that stuff is okay because it's a kid's book or a funny book. It's not okay to present children with sloppy crap and bad writing. And to call the plot rambling and tissue-thin is to overpraise wildly. If you removed the blether, repetition and scenes that have no impact on the plot, it would be maybe 40pp long.
I also found the whole premise gratingly nasty in a way that reminded me of Roald Dahl at his most misanthropic, and it was packed with the endless lists that Walliams relies on for his word count, but the kids seemed alright with those so whatever.
It's sold a truckload of copies so clearly the publisher is correct in their belief that anything he does will sell and they needn't bother. But what a shame to do such a poor job for child readers when the author is so capable of excelling.
I have no issue with celeb writers if they do a good job. But we have a problem when an author gets too big to edit, and it's really clear that for whatever reason no half way decent editor went anywhere near this.
The repetitions are agonising, with the plot summarised for us again and again and again; the repeated use of "the girl" and "the woman" instead of names stick out like rusty nails in the audio version, as does the gross overuse of speech tags. It's full of glaring mistakes that just show how little anyone bothered--one minute a key has been lost for decades, the next it's in the door; it's specifically dated to the 1930s, with a child murdered at the age of ten some thirty years earlier, but that child was a chimney sweep and child sweeps were banned in 1875; the narration appears to think that "Lady Saxby" and "Lady Stella" are interchangeable names; the ghost's powers are bewilderingly inconsistent to serve the plot needs; the crashed car in which Stella's parents died has been returned to the family home in a wrecked state but with, we must assume, the blood cleaned up so the heroine can drive it...and on and on. None of it makes any sense, and not in a surrealist amusing way, just in a "nobody bothered to make this hold water" way.
Don't tell me that stuff is okay because it's a kid's book or a funny book. It's not okay to present children with sloppy crap and bad writing. And to call the plot rambling and tissue-thin is to overpraise wildly. If you removed the blether, repetition and scenes that have no impact on the plot, it would be maybe 40pp long.
I also found the whole premise gratingly nasty in a way that reminded me of Roald Dahl at his most misanthropic, and it was packed with the endless lists that Walliams relies on for his word count, but the kids seemed alright with those so whatever.
It's sold a truckload of copies so clearly the publisher is correct in their belief that anything he does will sell and they needn't bother. But what a shame to do such a poor job for child readers when the author is so capable of excelling.
March 19, 2019
This may be a huge hit with the under-ten set, but I was massively disappointed. I do feel terribly sorry for the author, who clearly suffers from Trying-Too-Hard-To-Be-Like-Roald-Dahl Syndrome. (It's a real thing; I didn't just make that up. Did you catch last year's telethon? The Oompa Loompas did a smashing acapella version of Don't Worry Be Happy.)
Walliams starts out well by placing his luckless heroine in a Dahl-like setting: a world where grownups are either incompetent, dead, or a greedy, evil villain, but . . . his character, Stella, never really develops a personality - she just jumps through hoops, and climbs chimneys in an effort to stay one step ahead of her really awful aunt.
And, there are also lists, pages and pages of lists: ways Aunt Alberta was mean to Stella's father, things Great Bavarian Mountain Owls can do, different types of owls, different types of pranks, etc. At least I was inspired to create my own list of reasons not to read this book: tedious, unfunny, predictable.
If you are a child, give this a go, and see how you like it.
Then go reread Matilda.
Walliams starts out well by placing his luckless heroine in a Dahl-like setting: a world where grownups are either incompetent, dead, or a greedy, evil villain, but . . . his character, Stella, never really develops a personality - she just jumps through hoops, and climbs chimneys in an effort to stay one step ahead of her really awful aunt.
And, there are also lists, pages and pages of lists: ways Aunt Alberta was mean to Stella's father, things Great Bavarian Mountain Owls can do, different types of owls, different types of pranks, etc. At least I was inspired to create my own list of reasons not to read this book: tedious, unfunny, predictable.
If you are a child, give this a go, and see how you like it.
Then go reread Matilda.
January 25, 2016
ADORABLE AND HILARIOUS! I can definitely see why David Walliams is being called the next generation's Roald Dahl!
October 6, 2014
I'm glad that children love these books. David Walliams is helping keep libraries and bookshops busy with children requesting his titles, just as J. K. Rowling has done, this generation are enjoying their books and hopefully spring-boarding to other authors and titles that will fire their imaginations.
But I'm not going to give any author unconditional praise if it's not due. But I was disappointed by lots of things in this latest Walliams offering.
The good?
A wonderfully wordy opening scene (expect KS2 teachers to use this in Literacy lessons on descriptive language), setting the snowy scene in Saxby Hall.
A bright and brave female heroine in Stella, young heiress of a large country house, orphaned but determined not to let her evil aunt Alberta steal her house from her.
A very amusing butler in the ancient Gibbon, muddling up everything nicely. Even though he is underused.
A family tree, very nice to see in a children's book.
Tony Ross's fantastically sharp and complementary illustrations.
Quite liked the Owl (Wagner), Alberta's sidekick, but again, underused.
More 'Dahl-like' moments - a Mr-Twit beard moment in describing Aunt Alberta, a feel of James and the Giant Peach in some of the sad Saxby family history, some Miss-Trunchbull-like pranks)
The mystery element (though it does seem out of place in a children's book) is good - wills, deeds, blackened greenhouses, shifty policemen, secret chimney passages. Some good twists.
Aunt Alberta - at times she's funny (her retellings of Fairy Tales for her niece), but she's also like the villains of Demon Dentist and Ratburger in that she's more stereotype than real, though she's better characterised than either of them. She seems to be based on Miss Trunchbull, even in the drawings, and does get some juicy moments.
The 'Raj' epilogue is wonderful. From the moment I realised the time period I knew we wouldn't be seeing Raj. And he's my favourite (recurring) character.
Alright. The not-so-good?
Well... I'm sorry to say it, but I didn't often find it very funny. There is more humour in the first few chapters, then it quickly becomes exposition, story and action and barely a funny line or thing happens (exceptions for Gibbons every appearance and Stella's pranks on her aunt). It's the first Walliams book that doesn't feel like he's tried to make children laugh. The word play is gone, revolting foods (apart from the owl's), authorial interjections and footnotes, it actually had me puzzled.
Soot. Yes, it's a name. A chimney sweep that Stella meets when imprisoned in her house by Aunt Alberta, he is Stella's sidekick and helper, but the Cockney rhyming slang and accent are a bit tiresome (that may be just me though!).
The time period. For the first time, Walliams has set his book in the past. 1933. Though you'd barely know it from the book. I only realised from looking at the family tree dates, the book itself hardly mentions anything that sets it in a period. The old car and telephone are the only clues.
Death! Torture! I was pretty surprised at the amount of this in the book. This book is intended for 7 year olds, and there's a car crash, poison, murder (death by fire), and a torture wrack. If I was reading this to my child, I'd be worried at their reaction as it's very sad and upsetting more than once.
It's more contained than other Walliams books. By this I mean, his usual zany humour just doesn't make as many appearances as it has in the past. There's a lot of exposition to get through, and it does make the book more serious as a result. There are also fewer settings and characters (it all takes place, like a stage play) in Saxby Hall and the grounds, with very few characters (which I felt it missed - other children, other adults). It's almost a two-hander - little girl versus evil aunt.
While it's definitely an improvement on Demon Dentist (which for me just went off the rails), and contained more emotion, it's simply not as laugh-out-loud funny as Gangsta Granny or as heartfelt as my favourites - Billionaire Boy and The Boy in the Dress. The dark aspects I'll be interested to ask our young library customers about. It may wash over them. But if your child was upset by the ending of Gangsta Granny, you might want to read this yourself first.
This is the opinion of a mum, a library assistant and a keen reader. I am sure almost every child out there will disagree with me. And you know what? I'll still be happy to order it for customers because I know they'll be back for more.
But I'm not going to give any author unconditional praise if it's not due. But I was disappointed by lots of things in this latest Walliams offering.
The good?
A wonderfully wordy opening scene (expect KS2 teachers to use this in Literacy lessons on descriptive language), setting the snowy scene in Saxby Hall.
A bright and brave female heroine in Stella, young heiress of a large country house, orphaned but determined not to let her evil aunt Alberta steal her house from her.
A very amusing butler in the ancient Gibbon, muddling up everything nicely. Even though he is underused.
A family tree, very nice to see in a children's book.
Tony Ross's fantastically sharp and complementary illustrations.
Quite liked the Owl (Wagner), Alberta's sidekick, but again, underused.
More 'Dahl-like' moments - a Mr-Twit beard moment in describing Aunt Alberta, a feel of James and the Giant Peach in some of the sad Saxby family history, some Miss-Trunchbull-like pranks)
The mystery element (though it does seem out of place in a children's book) is good - wills, deeds, blackened greenhouses, shifty policemen, secret chimney passages. Some good twists.
Aunt Alberta - at times she's funny (her retellings of Fairy Tales for her niece), but she's also like the villains of Demon Dentist and Ratburger in that she's more stereotype than real, though she's better characterised than either of them. She seems to be based on Miss Trunchbull, even in the drawings, and does get some juicy moments.
The 'Raj' epilogue is wonderful. From the moment I realised the time period I knew we wouldn't be seeing Raj. And he's my favourite (recurring) character.
Alright. The not-so-good?
Well... I'm sorry to say it, but I didn't often find it very funny. There is more humour in the first few chapters, then it quickly becomes exposition, story and action and barely a funny line or thing happens (exceptions for Gibbons every appearance and Stella's pranks on her aunt). It's the first Walliams book that doesn't feel like he's tried to make children laugh. The word play is gone, revolting foods (apart from the owl's), authorial interjections and footnotes, it actually had me puzzled.
Soot. Yes, it's a name. A chimney sweep that Stella meets when imprisoned in her house by Aunt Alberta, he is Stella's sidekick and helper, but the Cockney rhyming slang and accent are a bit tiresome (that may be just me though!).
The time period. For the first time, Walliams has set his book in the past. 1933. Though you'd barely know it from the book. I only realised from looking at the family tree dates, the book itself hardly mentions anything that sets it in a period. The old car and telephone are the only clues.
Death! Torture! I was pretty surprised at the amount of this in the book. This book is intended for 7 year olds, and there's a car crash, poison, murder (death by fire), and a torture wrack. If I was reading this to my child, I'd be worried at their reaction as it's very sad and upsetting more than once.
It's more contained than other Walliams books. By this I mean, his usual zany humour just doesn't make as many appearances as it has in the past. There's a lot of exposition to get through, and it does make the book more serious as a result. There are also fewer settings and characters (it all takes place, like a stage play) in Saxby Hall and the grounds, with very few characters (which I felt it missed - other children, other adults). It's almost a two-hander - little girl versus evil aunt.
While it's definitely an improvement on Demon Dentist (which for me just went off the rails), and contained more emotion, it's simply not as laugh-out-loud funny as Gangsta Granny or as heartfelt as my favourites - Billionaire Boy and The Boy in the Dress. The dark aspects I'll be interested to ask our young library customers about. It may wash over them. But if your child was upset by the ending of Gangsta Granny, you might want to read this yourself first.
This is the opinion of a mum, a library assistant and a keen reader. I am sure almost every child out there will disagree with me. And you know what? I'll still be happy to order it for customers because I know they'll be back for more.
April 25, 2021
Awful Auntie... awful book. I liked the epilogue, in fact I loved it, hence three stars.
June 1, 2019
While we have enjoyed other David Walliams books such as Gangsta Granny, Mr Stink and The Midnight Gang we found that Awful Auntie along with Demon Dentist are our favourites. It is packed with great descriptions like Stella's scream in terror when Stella met Soot. David Walliam's character descriptions are awesome and we really like Soot and all of the other characters. In this book Stella had to solve the mystery of her parents' death as well escaping from Awful Auntie. Tony Ross pictures' looked old fashioned and added to the story. We love the way that David Walliams added Gibbon to the story to make it funnier. Saxby Hall was a great setting for the story because it's a mansion with lots of rooms and grounds. This book is suitable for boys and girls aged 8 and upwards. Younger children might get scared or not understand.
February 13, 2021
This book was a wonderful mixture of Tom & Jerry + Home Alone.
This was a lovely children's book which I enjoyed a lot. If I read this when I was a child, I'd have loved it so much more I am sure.
This is the story of Stella Saxby who is the rightful heir of the Saxby Hall but her awful auntie (or, more like her sinister evil auntie) want the manor for herself. Her auntie is evil and there is no stopping her. There is a constant cat-and-mouse chase between her and the auntie.
This book was accompanied by cute illustrations which made the story even more delightful. Also this book is funny. I was laughing at so many instances! My favorite character is, hands down, Gibbon The Ancient Butler. I also loved the giant owl!
This book made me happy and was a lot of fun and joy. If you have children or know any children, then give this book as a gift. Or read it yourself. Highly recommend!
This was a lovely children's book which I enjoyed a lot. If I read this when I was a child, I'd have loved it so much more I am sure.
This is the story of Stella Saxby who is the rightful heir of the Saxby Hall but her awful auntie (or, more like her sinister evil auntie) want the manor for herself. Her auntie is evil and there is no stopping her. There is a constant cat-and-mouse chase between her and the auntie.
This book was accompanied by cute illustrations which made the story even more delightful. Also this book is funny. I was laughing at so many instances! My favorite character is, hands down, Gibbon The Ancient Butler. I also loved the giant owl!
This book made me happy and was a lot of fun and joy. If you have children or know any children, then give this book as a gift. Or read it yourself. Highly recommend!
October 2, 2019
Finally I understand why my kids are so obsessed with David walliams and is books.
I really enjoyed this, despite being quite sad and chilling in places it was hilarious.
Very well written and really enjoyable. Its nice to have a substantial childrens book .
I really enjoyed this, despite being quite sad and chilling in places it was hilarious.
Very well written and really enjoyable. Its nice to have a substantial childrens book .
December 14, 2017
I can't get enough of David's books! 💖
August 18, 2015
Awful auntie, or awful story? An over long, trying to be funny story about a little girl, whose parents have been murdered by her owl obsessed eponymous awful auntie, now imprisoned in her parents’ large country house while her aunt tries to ascertain the whereabouts of the deeds to the house before she kills her! This book tries to be as clever and witty as a Roald Dahl but fails. The characters? A one dimensional, violent, evil aunt who overuses baby language in an attempt to portray patronizing malevolence (aunty-waunty, deedsy-weedsies, belly-welly), has a gambling addiction and a large savage owl; a bumbling old butler with memory loss who does a few vaguely funny things; a ghost who rather irritatingly speaks in cockney rhyming slang and vernacular, is tangible and can be hurt (surely that is a ghost no no); the previously mentioned savage owl and Stella the heroine of the story attempting to escape the abuse of her aunt.
The story, which takes place over a couple of days, is set in the 1930’s but could have been set in any time as the era hardly enters into the plot. There is an attempt to insert jokes into the plot through the use of illustration of evil antics / owl descriptions (the best thing about the book is the illustrations by Tony Ross) but for me this was a disappointing read. I am not sure that abuse, torture, murder and bland sterotypes are the stuff of a good Key Stage 2 read especially when it’s not even well written! Nonetheless my 8 and 9 year old children think it’s great, funny, creepy and cool, and let’s face it, it wasn’t written for me was it!
The story, which takes place over a couple of days, is set in the 1930’s but could have been set in any time as the era hardly enters into the plot. There is an attempt to insert jokes into the plot through the use of illustration of evil antics / owl descriptions (the best thing about the book is the illustrations by Tony Ross) but for me this was a disappointing read. I am not sure that abuse, torture, murder and bland sterotypes are the stuff of a good Key Stage 2 read especially when it’s not even well written! Nonetheless my 8 and 9 year old children think it’s great, funny, creepy and cool, and let’s face it, it wasn’t written for me was it!
November 23, 2020
This was highly entertaining, and even though it's a short book it took me awhile to finish it. But I had a great time. I really disliked the aunt and loved the end. This is my first adventure with David Walliams but definitely not my last.
July 4, 2017
A charming book yet I didn't feel enthuastic about it as with the children books of Roald Dahl. The story was a bit too repetitive for my taste and I wasn't a big fan of the illustrations. But I'm certain that I'll give another book of David Walliams a try in the near future!
February 5, 2021
Știu atât de exact ce nu-mi place, încât pot scrie îndelung despre o carte pe care o detest. Tocmai invers stau cu cărțile preferate: rod două creioane până la gumă și abia de scot o frază șubredă care să-mi motiveze extazul. Oare pot scrie despre o carte nici bună, nici rea, care nici nu mă dă pe spate, dar nici nu pare că mi-a irosit timpul?
Măăătușica. Ce să spun despre cartea asta pe care pusesem de atâta amar de vreme ochii? Povestea e... bunuță, fără a te prinde cu adevărat. Nu prea are cu ce să te surprindă odată ce ai înțeles, din primele capitole, cum stă treaba. Putea să se termine mai repejor, căci partea finală (gen action movie) dă senzația că autorul e plătit la pagină. Ba câștigă o echipă, ba ceilalți ripostează. Și apoi, n-am apreciat deloc că, deși mătușica era săracă și visa să pună mâna pe căsoiul nepoatei, spune la final că vrea să dărâme tot și să reconstruiască masiv... Cu ce bani, mă întreb, că doar era săracă? A, iar frăzuța (tot din final) cu copiii și magia e cam cheesy.
În rest, cartea are ilustrații haioase: mătușa + bufnița stârnesc chicoteli imediat ce apar. Mi-au plăcut și listele amuzante, dialogurile, ca și spelling-ul făcut de mătușica cea îngrozitoare (blucluc, de exemplu). L-am apreciat mai ales pe majordomul cel țăcănit despre care un alt personaj spune: "Omul ăsta e un imbecil! Ar trebui scos afară și flagelat!". Mi-a plăcut majordomul pentru că, razna fiind, părea că joacă în alt film, săracu', și se tot intersecta în mod hilar cu preocupările celorlalți.
Cam atât despre o lectură de 3 stele.
Măăătușica. Ce să spun despre cartea asta pe care pusesem de atâta amar de vreme ochii? Povestea e... bunuță, fără a te prinde cu adevărat. Nu prea are cu ce să te surprindă odată ce ai înțeles, din primele capitole, cum stă treaba. Putea să se termine mai repejor, căci partea finală (gen action movie) dă senzația că autorul e plătit la pagină. Ba câștigă o echipă, ba ceilalți ripostează. Și apoi, n-am apreciat deloc că, deși mătușica era săracă și visa să pună mâna pe căsoiul nepoatei, spune la final că vrea să dărâme tot și să reconstruiască masiv... Cu ce bani, mă întreb, că doar era săracă? A, iar frăzuța (tot din final) cu copiii și magia e cam cheesy.
În rest, cartea are ilustrații haioase: mătușa + bufnița stârnesc chicoteli imediat ce apar. Mi-au plăcut și listele amuzante, dialogurile, ca și spelling-ul făcut de mătușica cea îngrozitoare (blucluc, de exemplu). L-am apreciat mai ales pe majordomul cel țăcănit despre care un alt personaj spune: "Omul ăsta e un imbecil! Ar trebui scos afară și flagelat!". Mi-a plăcut majordomul pentru că, razna fiind, părea că joacă în alt film, săracu', și se tot intersecta în mod hilar cu preocupările celorlalți.
Cam atât despre o lectură de 3 stele.
November 10, 2022
So far my favourite David Walliams book, I like how he has broken his own mould here and not included his repeating characters...although Raj's petition at the end of the book was a brilliant addition.
It took me a little while to get into the story, there are a lot of filler pages at the beginning containing lists, but once you get past that the plot starts to unfold and it is a very interesting one at that. It is a very dark story, lots of gruesome murders, and quite a few plot twists, to me they were pretty obvious but to see my daughter suddenly realise what was going on and be totally amazed makes me like this book a little bit more
Brilliant illustrations add to the story too.
It took me a little while to get into the story, there are a lot of filler pages at the beginning containing lists, but once you get past that the plot starts to unfold and it is a very interesting one at that. It is a very dark story, lots of gruesome murders, and quite a few plot twists, to me they were pretty obvious but to see my daughter suddenly realise what was going on and be totally amazed makes me like this book a little bit more
Brilliant illustrations add to the story too.
October 8, 2014
A real funny weird book and a real awful auntie
Read
May 15, 2022tetka probisvjetka rules.
April 27, 2023
I honestly have no idea who this book was written for
January 10, 2022
Pleasure to meet Miss Trunchbull 2. I envy the children who get to grow up with Walliams' books.
February 13, 2016
Even though generally David Walliams books are hit and miss, I just keep reading them, hoping to find another one that is good. Did I like this one? At times, yes, but mostly no.
Stella was a great character, it wasn't her fault. She was the reason why I gave the book 2 stars at all. Even though her life is turned upside down, even with the loss she has suffered, she keeps on fighting. But she also shows emotion, we can see that she is terribly sad, and afraid. Yet, with the help of Soot, she continues her fight against her auntie and her auntie's evil plan. Even though she grew up in this big house, she wasn't that spoiled. Maybe it had to do with the fact her parents were practically poor, thanks to the awful auntie. Still it was refreshing to see a girl in a big mansion not being a total princess about everything.
Soot was an interesting character, though I knew what he was, his role and everything else, from the start. It was just so obvious that it would be odd had it been something else entirely. He was a good friend to Stella, though I felt sorry for the idea that she would lose him so soon. His accent was a bit annoying and it took me some time to get through the parts that featured him talking.
Aunt, urgh, most horrendous character ever. Dear Lord, I do wonder why no one took action against her, why no one could see how she was, how no one had any idea. Her brother (Stella's dad) was just way to generous, he should have said no from the start, instead of letting it go on like this.
She is terribly evil, like a devil has possessed her. It was just creepy and disturbing, she was a horrendous character, not only in attitude but just generally as well. She had no value, but being a villain and a bad person. It would have been nice if there had been some growth, though I guess with the fact she was evil from the beginning, there is no helping her.
The Owl, Wagner, was an interesting addition to the story, though he was horrendous in the beginning, mean, bleh and all that (but I mostly blame Auntie for that), I liked how he was at the end.
The revenge plan? It was fun, but was that toilet part necessary? It felt silly, unnecessary and quite disgusting to read it. Pee and poo "humour" isn't something I want to see in books.
The story itself, it felt like it could have easily be done with 100 or so pages less, now it felt unnecessary and overkill. Which is a shame. And at times the story was just really disgusting (the whole feeding Stella food that was mix and pulverized by an owl? Ewwwwwww.
Because that is also what the problem is with the books, they are over-the-top, overkill and trying way too hard to be funny. Trying to be funny is one thing, when it works, but this just feels like someone is trying to hard to make sure people laugh, trying to insert any silly situation or puns.
The ending was just a bit too dramatic and too much for me. I had hoped for something else, but instead even the ending had to be silly and weird like the rest of the book. It was also a bit disgusting.
The illustrations are still fantastic and I still really like them, and they are still another big reason why I still read these books.
Would I recommend this book? If you don't mind an over-the-top, trying to hard to be funny plot and a terrible character, then sure, read this one.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Stella was a great character, it wasn't her fault. She was the reason why I gave the book 2 stars at all. Even though her life is turned upside down, even with the loss she has suffered, she keeps on fighting. But she also shows emotion, we can see that she is terribly sad, and afraid. Yet, with the help of Soot, she continues her fight against her auntie and her auntie's evil plan. Even though she grew up in this big house, she wasn't that spoiled. Maybe it had to do with the fact her parents were practically poor, thanks to the awful auntie. Still it was refreshing to see a girl in a big mansion not being a total princess about everything.
Soot was an interesting character, though I knew what he was, his role and everything else, from the start. It was just so obvious that it would be odd had it been something else entirely. He was a good friend to Stella, though I felt sorry for the idea that she would lose him so soon. His accent was a bit annoying and it took me some time to get through the parts that featured him talking.
Aunt, urgh, most horrendous character ever. Dear Lord, I do wonder why no one took action against her, why no one could see how she was, how no one had any idea. Her brother (Stella's dad) was just way to generous, he should have said no from the start, instead of letting it go on like this.
She is terribly evil, like a devil has possessed her. It was just creepy and disturbing, she was a horrendous character, not only in attitude but just generally as well. She had no value, but being a villain and a bad person. It would have been nice if there had been some growth, though I guess with the fact she was evil from the beginning, there is no helping her.
The Owl, Wagner, was an interesting addition to the story, though he was horrendous in the beginning, mean, bleh and all that (but I mostly blame Auntie for that), I liked how he was at the end.
The revenge plan? It was fun, but was that toilet part necessary? It felt silly, unnecessary and quite disgusting to read it. Pee and poo "humour" isn't something I want to see in books.
The story itself, it felt like it could have easily be done with 100 or so pages less, now it felt unnecessary and overkill. Which is a shame. And at times the story was just really disgusting (the whole feeding Stella food that was mix and pulverized by an owl? Ewwwwwww.
Because that is also what the problem is with the books, they are over-the-top, overkill and trying way too hard to be funny. Trying to be funny is one thing, when it works, but this just feels like someone is trying to hard to make sure people laugh, trying to insert any silly situation or puns.
The ending was just a bit too dramatic and too much for me. I had hoped for something else, but instead even the ending had to be silly and weird like the rest of the book. It was also a bit disgusting.
The illustrations are still fantastic and I still really like them, and they are still another big reason why I still read these books.
Would I recommend this book? If you don't mind an over-the-top, trying to hard to be funny plot and a terrible character, then sure, read this one.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
January 11, 2019
Awful Auntie by David Williams is a children fiction work.
About the story:
Aunt Alberta is in a mission of seeking an inheritance of the Great Saxby Hall, corners her cousin Stella and tortures her. Stella lost her parents in an accident, she was in a state of futile. “Soot” a Chimney ghost comes in, to aid her.
What happens next? Will Aunt Alberta succeed her mission of claiming the inheritance? Is Stella’s parent’s accident being really an accident? Will Stella be able to figure out the truth? Lies the suspense of the story.
About the book:
This is the first book I’ve read written by David Williams. The characters are bizarre and yet dark humour is found all over. This is an admirable story were all the characters has their own importance.
Awful Auntie is awful when it comes to Aunt Alberta, she is so creepy and dark in plotting awful ambushes. “Soot” the chimney ghost is an admirable character, and his appearance in this story gives real flavour to this story.
When I started reading this book I didn’t expect the plot was so apprehensive, and I sensed the comparison with Roald Dahl books.
We can see illustrations in this book that gives added essence to the story. I would like to recommend this book all, especially children.
My rating for this book is 4 stars.
About the story:
Aunt Alberta is in a mission of seeking an inheritance of the Great Saxby Hall, corners her cousin Stella and tortures her. Stella lost her parents in an accident, she was in a state of futile. “Soot” a Chimney ghost comes in, to aid her.
What happens next? Will Aunt Alberta succeed her mission of claiming the inheritance? Is Stella’s parent’s accident being really an accident? Will Stella be able to figure out the truth? Lies the suspense of the story.
About the book:
This is the first book I’ve read written by David Williams. The characters are bizarre and yet dark humour is found all over. This is an admirable story were all the characters has their own importance.
Awful Auntie is awful when it comes to Aunt Alberta, she is so creepy and dark in plotting awful ambushes. “Soot” the chimney ghost is an admirable character, and his appearance in this story gives real flavour to this story.
When I started reading this book I didn’t expect the plot was so apprehensive, and I sensed the comparison with Roald Dahl books.
We can see illustrations in this book that gives added essence to the story. I would like to recommend this book all, especially children.
My rating for this book is 4 stars.
March 23, 2021
Typical David Walliams this, containing everything a children's book shouldn't have: weird relatives, scary birds, murders, children being locked and threatened for their property, ghosts,... And yet, my daughter was laughing out loud and cheering for the protagonist at almost every scene! What am I missing? The mommy in me wants to give it 5 stars for bringing so much joy to my little one, but the adult in me is creeped out at what passes in the name of children's fiction nowadays. This won't be among my favourite Walliams works. I'd rather read The Midnight Gang again.
I want to give this book 2 stars. My daughter as always insists on doling out 5 stars. So here we go with a mathematical compromise: 3.5 stars which rounds up to 4. Sigh.
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I want to give this book 2 stars. My daughter as always insists on doling out 5 stars. So here we go with a mathematical compromise: 3.5 stars which rounds up to 4. Sigh.
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Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
Follow me on Instagram: RoshReviews
December 8, 2017
3.5 stars. An in-between read, with good action and danger but a thin storyline.
The book had a nice Dahl atmosphere with a very abusive and deathly adult and a poor child trying to survive. I liked the addition of an owl and a ghost, they make the full cast more interesting and leading to unusual interactions. The writing was pleasant, with enough humor (the spelling!), and plenty of stuff happened. The sense of danger was good and the threats felt real, so the read wasn't boring. However, the storyline was very thin, with a simple plot and a single place. Anyway, I totally liked the ending, it's always nice to finish on a good touch, and I found the illustrations pleasant and a nice complement to the text.
The book had a nice Dahl atmosphere with a very abusive and deathly adult and a poor child trying to survive. I liked the addition of an owl and a ghost, they make the full cast more interesting and leading to unusual interactions. The writing was pleasant, with enough humor (the spelling!), and plenty of stuff happened. The sense of danger was good and the threats felt real, so the read wasn't boring. However, the storyline was very thin, with a simple plot and a single place. Anyway, I totally liked the ending, it's always nice to finish on a good touch, and I found the illustrations pleasant and a nice complement to the text.
April 13, 2021
I am a teacher and read this book before adding it to my library. It will never be found in my classroom. This was one of the worst children’s books I have ever read. Full of senseless murder. A horror book for kids made to seem like a comedy. There were no good messages until the last three pages where a half hearted attempt was made to recover morality. I would never recommend this book for children.
May 13, 2020
მადლობა დედას, იმისთვის რომ ჩემთვის საბავშვო წიგნების ყიდვა არასდროს შეუწყვიტავს <3
February 7, 2017
Teta Alberta je zbilja grozna, i nema toga što bi tu njenu grozotu, zloću, gramzivost i sebeljublje umanjilo do kraja romana. Ona je grozna i točka. S njom tih 30-ih godina 20. st. živi mala Stella, koja će uskoro napuniti 13 godina i koja je nakon smrti svojih roditelja naslijedila imanje Saxby Hall. Alberta muči Stellu jer se želi dočepati bratove oporuke kako bi prisvojila Saxby Hall. I tu se zapravo odvija cijela radnja: Alberta muči Stellu, Stella želi pobjeći, pomaže joj duh Soot, pa jedni druge naganjaju i podvaljuju u čitavom romanu.
Ovo je zapravo i pomalo nadrealno i morbidno djelo, prepuno zloće, ubojstava i ptica koje se ponašaju kao ljudi. I nevjerojatnih smicalica. A budući da je ovo zapravo roman za djecu, vidim zašto bi se sve te peripetije (i silni, meni iritantni, popisi) mlađoj publici i dopadale. Meni je ovo bilo zanimljivo čitati, i jednostavno nisam mogla odoljeti, jer Walliamsa obožavam još od doba Little Britaina, na koje dijelovi romana uvelike podsjećaju, što mi je bilo fantastično! (Soot i cockney)
"Ya wanted nuffink more than to be older, but bein' a child is such a special fink. When yer a child, ya can see all the magic in the world."
Ovo je zapravo i pomalo nadrealno i morbidno djelo, prepuno zloće, ubojstava i ptica koje se ponašaju kao ljudi. I nevjerojatnih smicalica. A budući da je ovo zapravo roman za djecu, vidim zašto bi se sve te peripetije (i silni, meni iritantni, popisi) mlađoj publici i dopadale. Meni je ovo bilo zanimljivo čitati, i jednostavno nisam mogla odoljeti, jer Walliamsa obožavam još od doba Little Britaina, na koje dijelovi romana uvelike podsjećaju, što mi je bilo fantastično! (Soot i cockney)
"Ya wanted nuffink more than to be older, but bein' a child is such a special fink. When yer a child, ya can see all the magic in the world."
November 18, 2022
Den britiske komikeren David Walliams har de siste femten årene skrevet barnebøker og blitt veldig populær i sjangeren. Tante Grusom ble utgitt på norsk i 2016 og handler om lille Stella og hennes tante Alberta. Når Stellas foreldre dør på tragisk vis, arver Stella herregården Saxby. Tante Alberta, og hennes nærmeste fortrolige, uglen Wagner, vil ikke godta denne arverekken, og gjør alt de kan for å slå kloa i herregården. Stella må stå opp mot tanten, og får uventet hjelp fra slottets spøkelse. Dette er en humoristisk og absurd fortelling om en moden tolvåring og en barnslig tante, med innslag av alvorlige tema ispedd rare og morsomme detaljer.
De som har lest Roald Dahl kjenner igjen både tegningene (en skulle tro det var Quentin Blake, og ikke Tony Ross som har illustrert) og humor/satiren Walliams bruker. Det er lett å se hvem som har inspirert forfatteren, og Walliams er heller ikke redd for å være litt glad-voldelig. Boka har mange illustrasjoner og lister, samt mye luft. Dette gjør at sidetallet blir høyere men samtidig så flyger boka av sted, og jeg føler at illustrasjonene gjør historien bedre. Albertas ugle, Wagner, og herregårdens butler, Gibbon, komplementerte historien godt.
De som har lest Roald Dahl kjenner igjen både tegningene (en skulle tro det var Quentin Blake, og ikke Tony Ross som har illustrert) og humor/satiren Walliams bruker. Det er lett å se hvem som har inspirert forfatteren, og Walliams er heller ikke redd for å være litt glad-voldelig. Boka har mange illustrasjoner og lister, samt mye luft. Dette gjør at sidetallet blir høyere men samtidig så flyger boka av sted, og jeg føler at illustrasjonene gjør historien bedre. Albertas ugle, Wagner, og herregårdens butler, Gibbon, komplementerte historien godt.
August 5, 2023
Stella este o fetiță de 12 ani ce se trezește imobilizată la pat și captivă în propria casă de către mătușa ei, Alberta.
Alberta, o impătimită a jocului Tiddlywinks, dar și a bufnițelor, a reușit să-si piardă toată averea ei, precum și a fretelui, așa că are un plan de a intra în posesia conacului Saxby Hall, neștiind de testamentul făcut de fratele ei.
Dacă planul de a îi omorî pe fratele și soția acestuia i-a reușit, din accident a scăpat Stella. Așa că tot ce poate sa facă este să găsească testamentul ascuns și să o pună pe Stella sa semneze actul de renunțare la moștenire.
În ajutorul Stellei vine fantoma Funingine, o fantomă care se dovedește a fi mai mult decât un prieten de nădejde.
Totul e bine când se termină cu bine, mătușa Alberta este "pedepsită " chiar de bufnița ei, conacul Saxby Hall devine un orfelinat, iar Funingine are prieteni noi.
Alberta, o impătimită a jocului Tiddlywinks, dar și a bufnițelor, a reușit să-si piardă toată averea ei, precum și a fretelui, așa că are un plan de a intra în posesia conacului Saxby Hall, neștiind de testamentul făcut de fratele ei.
Dacă planul de a îi omorî pe fratele și soția acestuia i-a reușit, din accident a scăpat Stella. Așa că tot ce poate sa facă este să găsească testamentul ascuns și să o pună pe Stella sa semneze actul de renunțare la moștenire.
În ajutorul Stellei vine fantoma Funingine, o fantomă care se dovedește a fi mai mult decât un prieten de nădejde.
Totul e bine când se termină cu bine, mătușa Alberta este "pedepsită " chiar de bufnița ei, conacul Saxby Hall devine un orfelinat, iar Funingine are prieteni noi.
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