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Review
'It's clear from the first page that this is prize-winning stuff... Being a truthful writer, Jones sees nothing neither his heroes nor his villains in black and white. His is a bold inquiry into the way that we construct and repair our communities, and ourselves, with stories old and new'
(The Times )'In this dazzling story-within-a-story, Jones has created a microcosm of post-colonial literature, hybridising the narratives of back and white races to create a new and resonant fable ... There is a fittingly dreamy lyrical quality to Jones's writing, along with an acute ear for the earthly harmonies of village speech ... Mister Pip is the first of Jones's six novels to have travelled from his native New Zealand to the UK. It is so hoped that it won't be the last'
(Observer )'Mister Pip is a poignant and impressive work which can take its place alongside the classical novels of adolescence'
(Times Literary Supplement )
'A major word-of-mouth bestseller'
(Sue Baker, Publishing News )
'Intriguing and memorable' (Glasgow Herald )
'Cleverly encapsulating what it is to be an orphan, an immigrant or a person dispossessed of a regular beat of life, this extraordinary story...'
(Good Housekeeping )
'Exotic locations add a dreamy quality to ... Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones ... Jones' lyrical novel centres around a group of children in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, during the civil war in the Nineties'
'Morally subtle, Mister Pip has none of arid cleverness that often mars novels about books, making it a worthy winner of this year's Commonwealth Writers' Prize'
(Daily Mail )
'Darker and more morally complex than it appears ... Lloyd Jones gives the tired post-colonial themes of self-reinvention and the reinterpretation of classic texts a fresh, ingenious twist but his real achievement is bringing life and depth to his characters'
(Sunday Telegraph )'A must-read tale of survival by storytelling'
(Image Magazine (Ireland) )'A novel that, with amplitude and ease, affirms the acts of reading and writing as precious pursuits, as acts of survival, escape, renewal'
(Scotsman )
'The value of moral fiction as a means of dealing with super-heated reality is the theme that gives this book exotic enchantment as a fable for our times'
(Saga Magazine )'(A) rather strange, quite wonderful book ... Singular in its vision and muscular in its prose, you won't forget this in a hurry'
(thelondonpaper )'An intelligent novel that says as much about the power of reading as it does about bloodshed and loss'
(New Statesman )'Mister Pip is a powerful and humane novel from one of New Zealand's top writers'
(Financial Times Magazine )'A captivating read' (Metro London )
'Judges described it as a "mesmerising story showing how books can change lives in utterly surprising ways" '
(Independent )
'Rarely ... can any novel have combined charm, horror and uplift in quite such superabundance'
(D. J. Taylor, Independent )
'Lloyd Jones brings to life the transformative power of fiction ... The experience of reading in this book is tangible ...This is a beautiful book. It is tender, multi-layered and redemptive'
(Sunday Times )'Magical and enchanting'
(Woman Magazine )'A dazzling piece of writing that lives long in the mind after the last page is finished'
(Whitefriars Magazine )'A mega-good read'
(Dovegreyreader Blog )'Moving' (Sunday Telegraph )
'Poignant, haunting and profoundly humane' (Sunday Times )
'Unforgettable' (Bookseller )
'It's a wonderfully refreshing book which gives you much to think about long after finishing'
Sunday Telegraph
`Darker and more morally complex than it appears . . . Lloyd Jones gives the tired post-colonial themes of self-reinvention and the reinterpretation of classic texts a fresh, ingenious twist but his real achievement is bringing life and depth to his characters'
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
41 of 44 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a very interesting book indeed. The central character is a young girl caught up in civil unrest on an island in New Guinea. When all those who are able to flee the island do so, the only remaining white man, a somewhat eccentric New Zealander, begins teaching the island's children. He is not a teacher by trade and the only text he has at his disposal is a well-worn copy of Great Expectations. The scene is set for the author to explore some very interesting themes - the clash of Western and tribal cultures, the role stories play in our lives (both our own and those from literature), the way grasping an opportunity can change our lives forever, the horrors of civil unrest.....Along the way we are treated to some truly insightful moments and some intriguing plot twists. Then somewhere near the end things go wrong. None of the ideas that have been taken up are brought to a satisfactory conclusion and the plot just seems to fade away into oblivion. I would still recommend reading the book. It is conceptually interesting and ambitious, but somehow doesn't quite get where it wants to go.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The story was quite different to anything I have read before and it started well. It has an unusual style and I consider it to be well written. I soon found myself growing fond of Matilda, the main character, as well as Mr. Pip.
The unlikely idea that Mr. Pip was absolutely devoted to a single Charles Dickens novel was just about tenable. I could not decide whether the reader would have been better off having read Great Expectations first or not.
The unbelievable part in the plot concerned Matilda's mother. I really cannot think that she would not have told the truth eventually.
It is obviously up to the author to decide how the story concludes but I found it somewhat disappointing. My interest finished several chapters before the end. I found the last few lacked the rich story line of the main part of the book. The story was saved a little by the very last paragraph!
It is certainly worth a read but I was expecting more from a book in the top ten best sellers!
The unlikely idea that Mr. Pip was absolutely devoted to a single Charles Dickens novel was just about tenable. I could not decide whether the reader would have been better off having read Great Expectations first or not.
The unbelievable part in the plot concerned Matilda's mother. I really cannot think that she would not have told the truth eventually.
It is obviously up to the author to decide how the story concludes but I found it somewhat disappointing. My interest finished several chapters before the end. I found the last few lacked the rich story line of the main part of the book. The story was saved a little by the very last paragraph!
It is certainly worth a read but I was expecting more from a book in the top ten best sellers!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
My admiration for the writing is endless - often I would be staggered at how well individual words fitted together to produce a clarity which is compelling.
The story itself is simple and beautiful - told from the viewpoint of a girl growing up on a Pacific Island, a harmonious paradise where the only outstanding feature is the one white man who seems to have been marooned there. So, on this tiny stage, we have a clash of civilizations, of cultures and morals. The white man volunteers to become the village teacher and through reading `Great Expectations' introduces not only Dickens's world but something of his own life...
There is a darker side too - local rebels are involved in what is termed 'ethnic conflict,' which looms closer and closer... eventually shattering the ideal existence and petty differences alike. The girl does not attempt to explain the politics behind the factions, but nonetheless she has to live with the consequences.
At one point I though this book deserves to be on all school syllabuses before immediately realizing what a mixed blessing such an honour is!
The only weakness worthy of mention is in the final few chapters - the girl now matured, her voice is less certain and with access to the world and all its information has less to tell us. But too late, by then the book had established itself as a favourite!
The story itself is simple and beautiful - told from the viewpoint of a girl growing up on a Pacific Island, a harmonious paradise where the only outstanding feature is the one white man who seems to have been marooned there. So, on this tiny stage, we have a clash of civilizations, of cultures and morals. The white man volunteers to become the village teacher and through reading `Great Expectations' introduces not only Dickens's world but something of his own life...
There is a darker side too - local rebels are involved in what is termed 'ethnic conflict,' which looms closer and closer... eventually shattering the ideal existence and petty differences alike. The girl does not attempt to explain the politics behind the factions, but nonetheless she has to live with the consequences.
At one point I though this book deserves to be on all school syllabuses before immediately realizing what a mixed blessing such an honour is!
The only weakness worthy of mention is in the final few chapters - the girl now matured, her voice is less certain and with access to the world and all its information has less to tell us. But too late, by then the book had established itself as a favourite!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
"Mister Pip Review"
Mister Pip is a book I would not normally have read, but as I have just entered into a book club, it was the book of choice to read. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Yvonne Lampard
'the one book that supplied me with another world at a time when it...
Set in civil war on the island of Bougainville (near Papua New Guinea), this book is narrated by 14 year old Matilda. Read more
Published 1 month ago by sally tarbox
Mr. PIP
If you have a slight knowledge of the area concerning this tale then it flows well with feeling and compassion.
Published 1 month ago by Mick1929
Will the real Mr Pip stand up?
Matilda lives on an unnamed Pacific island. Everyone there lives a simple life that should be idyllic but they are experiencing great problems which are only vaguely hinted at. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Wynne Kelly
Mister Pip
A well written book; the language conveys an different way of looking at things.
It is quite thought provoking and moves along at a good pace. Read more
It is quite thought provoking and moves along at a good pace. Read more
Published 2 months ago by WEN
Unexpected
To my mind, this is a book primarily about the power of story-telling and imagination. Many times during the course of the tale Matilda, the narrator, reflects on how stories can... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Scheherazade
Mister Pip
This arrived in the condition that was described and in the time stated. This was purchased for an examination piece of work for a family member.
Published 2 months ago by VG
Very good
This is a well-written and extremely enjoyable book set in Papua, New Guinea, where a New Zealander suddenly finds himself having to act as teacher to the island's children. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Literature Lady
Mr. Pip
An excellent book but unfortunately the number of downloads allowed on the kindle edition is not published and sharing is not enabled.
Published 8 months ago by Early Hominid
Strangely uplifting
Beautifully crafted gem of a novel about the transformative power of education set against the background of civil war. Read more
Published 10 months ago by amazonpat
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