Mister Pip (Audio Download): Amazon.co.uk: Lloyd Jones, Finty Williams: Books

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Audio Download
Listening Length: 2 hours and 9 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Abridged
Publisher: John Murray
Audible Release Date: 4 Dec 2007
Language: English
ASIN: B002SQB0XU

Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (109 customer reviews)

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Product Description

Shortlisted for the British Book Awards, Richard and Judy Best Read of the Year, 2008.
Winner of the Commonwealth Writers Award, 2007.
Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, 2007.
A Richard and Judy Book Club selection.

"A book can change your life forever.

"You cannot pretend to read a book. Your eyes will give you away. So will your breathing. A person entranced by a book simply forgets to breathe. The house can catch alight and a reader deep in a book will not look up until the wallpaper is in flames."

Bougainville. 1991. A small village on a lush tropical island in the South Pacific. Eighty-six days have passed since Matilda's last day of school as, quietly, war is encroaching from the other end of the island.

When the villagers' safe, predictable lives come to a halt, Bougainville's children are surprised to find the island's only white man, a recluse, re-opening the school. Pop Eye, aka Mr Watts, explains he will introduce the children to Mr Dickens. Matilda and the others think a foreigner is coming to the island and prepare a list of much needed items. They are shocked to discover their acquaintance with Mr Dickens will be through Mr Watts' inspiring reading of Great Expectations.

But on an island at war, the power of fiction has dangerous consequences. Imagination and beliefs are challenged by guns. Mister Pip is an unforgettable tale of survival by story; a dazzling piece of writing that will live long in the mind.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 44 people found the following review helpful

An interesting read that doesn't quite get where it's going 26 Feb 2008

By Gordon Eldridge

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.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Unusual but over-rated 4 May 2008

By Mr. K. R. Smith

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!

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Wonderful, excellent, etc! A favourite... 18 May 2008

By stevieby

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!

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3.8 out of 5 stars

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› See all 109 customer reviews on Amazon.co.uk

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

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

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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Mister Pip [Audio Download]

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