Jayson’s Reviews > Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator > Status Update
Jayson
is 60% done
Notes:
(1) The only character that matters, so far at least, is Willy Wonka.
- The story is essentially him doing crazy things and everyone else just reacting to it all.
- Mr. and Mrs. Bucket are pretty much just NPCs at this point. Background figures (or more so scenery) trailing along, reminding us they're around by getting scared once in a while.
(Continued in comments)
— Jul 27, 2026 08:00PM
Notes:
(1) The only character that matters, so far at least, is Willy Wonka.
- The story is essentially him doing crazy things and everyone else just reacting to it all.
- Mr. and Mrs. Bucket are pretty much just NPCs at this point. Background figures (or more so scenery) trailing along, reminding us they're around by getting scared once in a while.
(Continued in comments)
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Jayson’s Previous Updates
Jayson
is 87% done
Notes:
(1) Charlie brings up Violet Beauregarde to Willy Wonka, which I believe is the only time—besides Charlie inheriting the chocolate factory—that something specific from the first book has been mentioned.
- To the extent that neither Wonka nor Charlie really resemble their original iterations, you'd be hard-pressed to call this a sequel at all.
(Continued in comments)
— Jul 29, 2026 12:05AM
Notes:
(1) Charlie brings up Violet Beauregarde to Willy Wonka, which I believe is the only time—besides Charlie inheriting the chocolate factory—that something specific from the first book has been mentioned.
- To the extent that neither Wonka nor Charlie really resemble their original iterations, you'd be hard-pressed to call this a sequel at all.
(Continued in comments)
Jayson
is 33% done
Notes:
(1) Willy Wonka is almost like a totally different person here, more chaotically wacky than devilishly eccentric.
- He's still a character regarded with caution and suspicion, not entirely to be trusted. Though, unlike the first book—where he comes off as a kind of mysterious trickster—here it's just because he's nutty and seemingly reckless.
(Continued in comments)
— Jul 25, 2026 09:15PM
Notes:
(1) Willy Wonka is almost like a totally different person here, more chaotically wacky than devilishly eccentric.
- He's still a character regarded with caution and suspicion, not entirely to be trusted. Though, unlike the first book—where he comes off as a kind of mysterious trickster—here it's just because he's nutty and seemingly reckless.
(Continued in comments)
Jayson
is starting
Notes:
(1) If I'm certain about one thing regarding "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator," it's that the optimal (if not vital) time to read it is right after reading "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
- See, I chose to read "Matilda" instead, fully intending to come back, but never did... until now.
- Frankly, reading about some glass elevator no longer held any appeal.
— Jul 03, 2026 08:00PM
Notes:
(1) If I'm certain about one thing regarding "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator," it's that the optimal (if not vital) time to read it is right after reading "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
- See, I chose to read "Matilda" instead, fully intending to come back, but never did... until now.
- Frankly, reading about some glass elevator no longer held any appeal.
- Charlie and Grandpa Joe mostly just operate buttons and levers at Wonka's direction.
(2) Willy Wonka recites a fairly lengthy rhyme making fun of an injured space alien.
- Wordplay like this is just more filler without any real purpose.
- Unlike me, Wonka isn't really known for spontaneous rhyming.
(3) "'Let's have a song first,' said the President. 'Please sing another one about me, Nanny.'"
- Here we get another, even longer rhyme, a song this time, sung by the nanny/Vice-President (Miss Tibbs) about the President.
- Again, purely page filler. Any interesting or worthwhile information conveyed could have been done in one or two sentences.
- Additionally, more than just padding the page count, these long rhymes and songs are just further instances of kiddifying the story.
(4) "'Chief Cook,' said the President. 'What do men from Mars eat for lunch?'
'Mars Bars,' said the Chief Cook."
- Again, more juvenile playground humor from President Joke Book.
- In this case, he delivers the setup for the Cook's punchline.
(5) "'Mr. President, sir, this is Walter Wall. What a sumptuous hotel this is! The decorations are superb!'
'Have you noticed that all the carpets are wall to wall, Mr. Walter Wall?' said the President.
'I have indeed, Mr. President.'
'All the wallpaper is wall to wall, too, Mr. Walter Wall.'"
- Now, if you think I'm overdoing it with the joke quotations, imagine how I feel reading it all?!
- This is merely a taste, a toothpick sampler, of what this book has been ad nauseam.
(6) Shuckworth: "We're most of us here, Mr. President, I'm glad to say ... I guess we lost maybe a couple of dozen people altogether, pastry chefs, hall porters, that sort of thing ... swallowed up just like you'd swallow a lump of ice cream, Mr. President!"
- I guess "a couple of dozen people" die, which could be pretty dark if it wasn't treated like nothing.
- "That sort of thing"... huh? Whatever, they're just redshirts seems to be the tone.
- The ice cream comparison makes it sound almost fun.
(7) "...the great slimy [Knid] coiled around the Elevator ... was trying frantically to uncoil itself and get away, but it was having trouble untying the knot, and in another ten seconds it began to sizzle. Inside the Elevator they could actually hear the sizzling. It made a noise like bacon frying."
- Again, we have death being compared to food. Dehumanizing, or in this case de-alienizing, living things as akin to inanimate objects, and inherently consumable objects at that.
- Presumably, to lessen/numb any horror or seriousness inherent in the situation.
- The Vermicious Knid may as well be a delicious knish.
(8) Around halfway into the book, and we're back at Charlie's chocolate factory, which had been the initial destination at the outset.
- Meaning, the whole glass elevator foray into space was a literal side quest.
- I mean, the novel could have just started here!
- Presuming that none of it is brought up again or called back to, the elevator portion was just a lot of noise and bustle—maybe a short story at a stretch, but nothing worth relating over half a novel.
(9) The natural comparison, at least to me, is Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, where you don't get to Hogwarts until the second half of the book.
- Though, in that case, the first half of the book was chock full of fun and informative scenes. Whereas here it's one-note and full of filler.
- One can only hope this ends a sliver as fruitful.