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niclow_'s review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
jackdziatkowiec's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Fun ride. Reminds me of Lemony Snicket books.
mdevlin923's review against another edition
5.0
After inventing a marvelous new candy, the Pot family buys an old racing car that requires a lot of work to fix. Once renovated, they take their car-named Chitty Chitty Bang Bang-on holiday...and find out that Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is magical! What follows is an adventurous trip to France, where the Pot family and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang take on a gangster.
An absolutely delightful adventure story for the whole family. I listened to the audiobook (narrated by Andrew Sachs) and it definitely added to the story.
An absolutely delightful adventure story for the whole family. I listened to the audiobook (narrated by Andrew Sachs) and it definitely added to the story.
bhnmt61's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve seen the Dick Van Dyke movie version of this book more times than I can count, it is a family favorite. So I wasn’t sure I would enjoy the book, but it did not disappoint. The first half is fairly similar to the film, except there is no romance- Mr Potts is married from the start and the mom is involved in all the adventures. But there is no trip to a magical land where all the children are imprisoned— just a more pedestrian bunch of slapstick bad guys, who are defeated with the help of a certain magical car. If you’re trying to judge the level of violence for your kids, the “bad guys” are about the same level as the incompetent bumblers in the original 101 Dalmatians movie. The children are kidnapped at one point but they are never in any real danger. I thought it was fun and passed the tedium of a long drive by myself, but it’s not a very sophisticated plot- prob good for ages 6-9, maybe a little younger if they’re interested in cars, or a little older if they are patient with books aimed at their younger siblings. I listened to the audiobook, which I highly recommend- the narrator is excellent, very enthusiastic and does a great job with all the car noises. Fun book.
andotherworlds's review against another edition
3.0
3-3.5 // This was adorable and very entertaining. This would be such a cute book to read to little kids!! I honestly love juvenile adventure fiction it is such a wholesome and entertaining genre. Also, my copy came with the fugg recipe mentioned later in the book which I think I will try out for the lols.
nickabockaglory's review
5.0
I can't believe I'm giving this 5* but I thought it was truly scrumptious.
As a big fan of the film, I thought this may disappoint but it was great. It had such a lot of charm and whimsy while being jam-packed with action and plot. And the story was rather different from the film so it felt like I didn't quite know what was going to happen next.
David Tennant as the narrator was the icing of the cake because I love his "Doctor" voice, plus he speaks quickly enough that I barely needed to speed it up.
Listened on 1.10x speed on the Libby app through my local library.
As a big fan of the film, I thought this may disappoint but it was great. It had such a lot of charm and whimsy while being jam-packed with action and plot. And the story was rather different from the film so it felt like I didn't quite know what was going to happen next.
David Tennant as the narrator was the icing of the cake because I love his "Doctor" voice, plus he speaks quickly enough that I barely needed to speed it up.
Listened on 1.10x speed on the Libby app through my local library.
vortimer's review against another edition
3.0
The only Fleming I hadn't previously read, it transpires that rather like You Only Live Twice the film owes more to Dahl than Fleming.
Truley Scrumptious, which I always thought of as a typical name Fleming would invent, is not in the book, though her father and his sweet factory is. Instead Pott is married, though Mimsie is one of the thinest characters ever put to paper.
Pott's father isn't in the book either, rather Pott himself is a retired military man - a naval commander.
The book is set in the post war time period it was written in, rather than Edwardian times, and the Ruritanian adventure, with the child catcher, absent, instead a weak tale of a gang of gangster.
One of those rare instances of film being better than the book.
Truley Scrumptious, which I always thought of as a typical name Fleming would invent, is not in the book, though her father and his sweet factory is. Instead Pott is married, though Mimsie is one of the thinest characters ever put to paper.
Pott's father isn't in the book either, rather Pott himself is a retired military man - a naval commander.
The book is set in the post war time period it was written in, rather than Edwardian times, and the Ruritanian adventure, with the child catcher, absent, instead a weak tale of a gang of gangster.
One of those rare instances of film being better than the book.
hollyxbear's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very cute book by the author of the James Bond books. Its a shame that he passed away before the books were published because I feel like this rag tag group of adventurers (or the Potts Family as some would say) could go on a ton of adventures akin to the Boxcar Children. But I did indeed love this book and I cannot wait to read the next.
meestair_chrees's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
4.25