Mister Pip is the first of New Zealander Lloyd Jones' novels to be published in the UK. The book has been awarded the Commonwealth Writer's Prize Best Book Award and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2007. Mister Pip was also successful at the Richard and Judy British Book Awards ... Read review
Advantages: A Strange and wonderful book Disadvantages: some distressing scenes
Mister Pip is the first of New Zealander Lloyd Jones' novels to be published in the UK. The book has been awarded the Commonwealth Writer's Prize Best Book Award and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2007. Mister Pip was also successful at the Richard and Judy British Book Awards 2008.
Mister Pip is set in a village on the remote island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea during the 1990's. The book is set amidst a civil ... ...Great Expectations.
Mister Pip refers to the character Pip from Great Expectations, "My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip."
The book is narrated by Matilda, a thirteen year old girl, who was deserted by her father four years previously when he left to work in Townsville, Australia. Matilda is a ... more
Mister Pip is the first of New Zealander Lloyd Jones' novels to be published in the UK. The book has been awarded the Commonwealth Writer's Prize Best Book Award and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2007. Mister Pip was also successful at the Richard and Judy British Book Awards 2008.
Mister Pip is set in a village on the remote island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea during the 1990's. The book is set amidst a civil war (the Rambo's vs. the Redskins), and all but one white man have left the island; Mr Watts (or Pop Eye). Mr Watts believes in the power of literature, and as all the teachers have fled; he assumes the role of teacher, the only textbook is Dickens' Great Expectations.
Mister Pip refers to the character Pip from Great Expectations, "My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip."
The book is narrated by Matilda, a thirteen year old girl, who was deserted by her father four years previously when he left to work in Townsville, Australia. Matilda is a clever girl who is beginning to question everything she has been taught by her religious mother about morality.
Mister Pip highlights the escapist pleasures that reading brings to us all. The students are captivated by Mister Dickens world as it distracts them from their troubles. Mr Watts makes the story relevant to the natives, but not all are accepting of the novel; Matilda's mother is opposed to untrue stories, and has even more of a problem with the "godless" Mr Watts when she hears that he considers the devil symbolic.
Matilda develops a relationship with Pip as she discovers more about his life and draws parallels to her own; eventually she makes a shrine to him on the beach. When war reaches the island Matilda's shrine is found and there is a demand to know more about whom this Mr Pip is. The "Redskins" with their officers and helicopters fight with the "Rambo's" who are only a group of local lads, for control of the island. The upshot of the whole episode is the book is discovered to be missing; eventually Mr Watts and the students decide to re-create the novel, digging up memories that transport them to England with its previously unheard of 'frost' and 'pork pies'.
As the situation on the island escalates the story just gets more and more compelling. The book turns into a much darker and haunting tale than could be originally imagined. Having studied 'Great Expectations' at school I was very interested to read this book. There are a lot of references to Dickens' novel, but you do not need to have read 'Great Expectations' to enjoy this novel for what it is; a work that explores many different areas. Matilda's journey is very much comparable to Pip's journey.
The book deals with the way that stories are used within communities; to bring people together, to rebuild communities and as escapism; the novel also deals with the nature of storytelling and memory.
The story has a strong reality based aspect, and as such the characters are well rounded and not portrayed in black and white; it would be easy for Jones to fall into the trap of presenting Mr Watts as the wise Englishman, and Matilda's mother as the superstitious native.
The book completely surpassed my expectations; it is a read I definitely recommend. At only 223 pages long and thanks to the simplistic (and I mean that in a positive way, as it seems unpretentious) style of writing it makes for a quick read, but completely moving and enthralling. Jones has an amazing ability to combine scenes of heart-warming fantasy and escapism with scenes of untold horror and brutality.
This book is a beautiful story regardless of your view of Dickens' Great Expectations. Despite containing some distressing and potentially upsetting scenes, I would not hesitate to recommend this novel; if you get the opportunity give this book a chance!
The copy I am reviewing is a paperback (not the audio recording that Ciao would have you believe) with the same cover as the above image; I bought it for £7.99 from WHSmith although I have seen it available in many other retailers.
Advantages: well written; interesting characters and plot Disadvantages: unnecessary ending
This book opens with so much praise from critics that it's initially a challenge to find where the story begins. It is recommended by newspapers from Britain, Australia and New Zealand, magazies including 'Saga' and 'Good Housekeeping', and it was part of Richard and Judy's Book Club, and it was shortlisted for the 2007 Man Booker Prize. In some respects, that makes this a daunting read. Not because I think it will be too worthy or challenging, but ... ...book is so massively hyped up. How can it possible be as good as these thirty million people are suggesting? My inner sceptic folded its arms as I started to read.
'Everyone called him Pop Eye. Even in those days when I was a skinny thirteen-year-old I thought he probably knew about his nickname but didn't care. His eyes were too interested in what lay up ahead to notice us barefoot kids.'
The first paragraph immediately illuminates several key ...
brokenangelkisses 19.02.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mister Pip - Lloyd Jones
Advantages: Powerful setting and excellent narrative Disadvantages: May be advantage to read Great Expectations
Mister Pip is the Man Booker Prize winning novel from New Zealander John Lloyd, and set on Bougainville, a tiny island in the South Pacific, neighbouring the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Lloyd's novel is set during the early years of the civil war and recounts the influence on the community struggling to survive in their village, notably the women and children, of a book by Charles Dickens. Mr. Watts is an eccentric white man who lives with ... ...the school is forced to close, he volunteers to take on the role of teacher. The only teaching material to hand is a copy of Great Expectations. This he reads chapter by chapter to the children, providing an escape for them from the privations and horrors of the encroaching war. One child in particular, Matilda, is entranced by the story of orphaned Pip, despite it being set long ago in a country about which she knows very little. BACKGROUND
Bougainville ...
aspebbles 27.08.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mister Pip - Lloyd Jones
Advantages: It is a book people can read from the age of 10 Disadvantages: It is sad
Mister Pip is a book written by Loyed Jones. It is a book about a 13 year old girl and how a book changes her whole life, this book is Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. In the book the girl (Matilda) lives on a tropical islandwith her mother (Dolores) and some other people on the island, one of these people is a man named Mr Watts, the children call him Pop Eye and he is the only white person on the island. Mr Wattsis Matilda's teacher and he ... ...her life. Matilda soon becomes freinds with Pip a 13 year old boy in the book Great Expectations, Dolores doesnt like the idea of Matilda reading the book Great Expectations or becoming friends with the character Pip, therefore she causes some trouble. In Misater Pip Matilda losses everything important to her and the one thing that keeps her going is the book Great Expectations. ...
Ellebasi 11.01.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Mister Pip - Lloyd Jones
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Advantages: Evokes Argentina well, coming of age element well written Disadvantages: Fails to evoke the sensuality of tango, imbalance in story
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