Simple Straightforward, Clever
What’s the best way to narrate larger-than-life events and characters? Act like they’re nbd. The narration in this book is very simple, reading like, “Sophie was on the table-top. The enormous partly-eaten snozzcumber was lying near her. She ducked behind it.” (9.3)
This makes the story understandable to readers of all ages. No matter how much they get caught up in the fantasy, the narration doesn’t pull focus away from the characters or the wonders of their world.
But the dialogue is clever, especially when the BFG is talking. For every sentence the BFG speaks, the author invents or distorts words, making them rhyme or sound similar to what he means. If there weren’t at least that shred of resemblance, the BFG would not be understandable.
So, when the BFG says, “How absolutely squiffling! I is all of a stutter” (9.51). We know that he means: “How absolutely spiffing! I am all aflutter.” And even if we don’t know what those British phrases mean, exactly, it’s not too hard to figure out that he likes something, a lot. Plus, it’s funny and it’s great wordplay.