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Johnny And The Dead: A Johnny Maxwell story
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Product Description
Book Description
The second hilarious fantasy novel about Johnny Maxwell from master storyteller Terry Pratchett.
Product Description
Sell the cemetery?
Over their dead bodies...
Not many people can see the dead (not many would want to). Twelve-year-old Johnny Maxwell can. And he's got bad news for them: the council want to sell the cemetery as a building site. But the dead have learnt a thing or two from Johnny. They're not going to take it lying down . . .especially since it's Halloween tomorrow.
Besides, they're beginning to find that life is a lot more fun than it was when they were...well...alive. Particularly if they break a few rules . . .
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Johnny and his band of quirky pals are back in "Johnny and the Dead," the second book of Terry Pratchett's "Johnny Maxwell" trilogy. Pratchett was surer this time around, endowing this hilarious sequel with quirkier dialogue and stories, and snappier writing.
Johnny Maxwell sees dead people. (Yes, like the little boy in "Sixth Sense.") For whatever reason, he sees the dead in their graveyard -- not really ghosts, but not alive either: a crabby former soldier, a distant relative of Einstein, a sprightly suffragette who died in a freak mishap, and a staunch Communist who STILL doesn't believe in life after death. All in all, they are a fairly harmless bunch.
But a massive, mercenary, progress-obsessed corporation has just bought the graveyard for fivepence, and it will soon be razed for new construction. The only people more dismayed than the living inhabitants of Blackbury are the dead ones. So as the dead break their bonds to "unlive," Johnny and his friends will try to save the graveyard from... a fate worse than death?
Yes, it's the sort of bizarre, slightly twisted plot that only Terry Pratchett could cook up, and then pull off. And yes, the same could be said of "Only You Can Save Mankind." But by the time he wrote this -- pre-Discworld -- Pratchett had obviously grown into his skills.
In particular, the Big Message in this book is more subtle -- that money and progress aren't worth anything if they destroy the past. Despite that heavy moral, the handling of it is light and entertatining, such as when the dead Communist calls up a radio talk show host and speaks frankly about being "vertically challenged."
Despite half a dozen amusing dead people, the star of the piece is Johnny himself -- smart, quiet unless he has a reason to speak out, and inexplicably able to see the dead. He also plays straight man to the quirkier pals, like peculiar Wobbler, intellectual Yo-less, and perpetually hungry Bigmac. Although you'll need to have read "Mankind" to know who they are.
"Johnny and the Dead" is not just a sequel that surpasses the first book of this trilogy, but probably the best pre-Discworld work that Pratchett did. Funny, twisted and very well-done.
Format:Paperback
Johnny is a normal boy in a normal school, until he takes a short cut across a graveyard and discovers his ability to see the dead. A deathly serious council plans to destroy the graveyard for their own gain, and Johnny and his friends must team up to stop this outrage from happening.
If you like Terry Pratchett's other books, you will love this as it is one of his best works. His humour influences the structure and plot of the story, making it even more of an enjoyable read than some of his other books.
I'd recommend this book for boys of around 12 years old who are strong readers, but the style of writing makes it interesting for adults and older children.
If you like Terry Pratchett's other books, you will love this as it is one of his best works. His humour influences the structure and plot of the story, making it even more of an enjoyable read than some of his other books.
I'd recommend this book for boys of around 12 years old who are strong readers, but the style of writing makes it interesting for adults and older children.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Book Review
Bought this book for my son to read as part of his homework for year 7, but I read it and really enjoyed it. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Jackie
johnny books from pratchett are a must
if you like pratchett you will like the johnny books, although written with children in mind, they still are a good read for adults as well. Read more
Published on 29 May 2009 by Hanna D. Stewart
Dead Good
Johnny is a down to earth young boy who likes hanging out with his friends after school. But his life takes a definite change in direction when he realises, to his horror, that he... Read more
Published on 16 Sep 2008 by G. Munday
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