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The Fire-eaters
 
 

The Fire-eaters (Hardcover)

by David Almond (Author) "It all starts on the day I met McNulty ..." (more)
3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
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Customers buy this book with A Practical Guide to Teaching Reading in the Early Years by Dr Ann C Browne

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Hodder Children's Books; First Edition edition (14 Aug 2003)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0340773820
  • ISBN-13: 978-0440420125
  • Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 14.2 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 315,522 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #21 in  Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators > A > Almond, David

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Continuing his tradition of strange and wild novels for young adults, David Almond, in The Fire Eaters, introduces a bizarre character making a sparse living as a self-mutilating, fire-swallowing street performer. McNulty's existence shakes young protagonist Bobby Burns to the core as he contemplates the end of the world (the year is 1962 and the US and Soviet Union seem to be heading toward nuclear war), power, pain, class and death, as well as friendship. The menace and sweetness in Bobby's life parallels the worlds, big and small, he inhabits. A loving family, seaside home and good friends form the foundation. But a crack in that wall is spreading: Bobby's father is ill, class differences are separating him from his best friend, and a ruthless schoolmaster is forcing Bobby to understand that everything has a price. McNulty's growled refrain--"Pay! You'll not see nowt till you pay!"--reiterates the lesson for the often bewildered, but ever stronger boy. Readers familiar with Almond's other haunting books, including the award-winning Skellig, will welcome this rich, challenging novel. As always, Almond refuses to shy away from the big topics, resulting in a novel dappled with light and dark, filled with wonder and mystery. --Emilie Coulter, Amazon.com --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

The Sunday Times
SKELLIG: 'Gripping, beautifully and brilliantly written. Everyone is raving about this unforgettable book.'

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It all starts on the day I met McNulty. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

10 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.6 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Agony of Waiting for WW3, 15 Mar 2004
The Fire Eaters by David Almond

This wonderful novel by David Almond, who is already well –known as the author of the ground breaking, Carnegie and Whitbread winning children’s novel “Skellig”, shows us the irrationality and unfairness of life in 1962 through the eyes of 11-year-old Bobby Burns as it takes us to Northern England to a world overshadowed by the Cuban Missile Crisis. What makes David Almond’s writing so special is his ability to view the world so clearly and dispassionately from a child’s point of view. He eschews any form of judgement keeping authorial comment completely absent as Bobby copes simultaneously with the cruelty of sadistic teachers and the possible death of his sick father but still has time to consider the plight of others as exemplified by the outsiders; Daniel the long haired intellectual’s son, McNulty the shell- shocked, hunchbacked fire eater and Ailsa the clever, motherless girl truanting to care for her father and brothers. Bobby is shown as a generous, credulous child who deals with all the inequalities of life calmly and objectively.
The cruelty and unfairness of the Catholic grammar school in the early sixties with the male leather strap wielding staff is shown with all the horror of a young child but what struck me most forcibly was young Bobby’s chosen willingness to be a martyr and fight the tyranny. There are echoes of Roald Dahl’s “Mathilda” in some of the scenes as the merciless black robed staff choose token victims at random to be publicly beaten.
An enjoyable, absorbing read from a multi award-winning author although “The Fire Eaters” is aimed at teenagers it is a book to be enjoyed by both teenagers and adults. It won the Nestles’ Smarties Gold Award and the Whitbread Children’s Book of the Year 2003 award.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars To the Edge of Doom:, 29 Jan 2004
By A.K.Farrar "AKF" (Timisoara, Romania) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   
A stunning book that touches on the territory of Lord of the Flies in its use of the apocalypse and exploration of the cruelty and exploitation common humanity is capable of.

The Rite of Passage we observe is that of all humanity as it totters on the brink - a multi-layered brink with elements of the political and the personal brilliantly exploited by Mr Almond to give a book not only accessible to young people but enjoyable to a more adult readership.

At the centre is the character of McNulty with his cry, "Pay!" He is the fire-eater and escapologist who illuminates, in a way worthy of Beckett, the condition of man at the end of a century of world conflict.

As a teacher of English I would recommend this to any of my students as a thought provoking text which will grip them from the first page. As a human being I am glad I read what is sure to become a classic.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Pay! You'll not see nowt till you pay!, 28 Jun 2004
This review is from: The Fire-eaters (Paperback)
This is a wonderful and moving book.
It really touched my heartstrings, and is the first Almond book I've read.

It's set in 1962 during the Cuban Missile and centers around the life of young Bobby Burns, an 11 year boy growing up on the East coast of England.
Bobby's life seems charmed - a perfect family, a loving mother and father and a community of friends who love and protect him - but things are changing.
Whilst the World teeters on the brink of Nuclear War Bobby's father has a mysterious illness, and life at his new Catholic school is cruel and viscious and unfair.
In the midst of all this is McNulty, the mysterious Fire breathing strongman who seems to be be fighting his own war against past demons.
Who is he, where does he come from and what does he want from Bobby?

Almond's writting is rich and multi-layered but with a lovely defness of touch.

He skillfully intermingles the personal battles of young Bobby and his family and friends with what happened during that tumultous year of 1962.
The end result never feals forced but instead is a convincing story that just oozes warmth and depth from page to page.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books I read in 2008
This was one of the best books I read last year. There are a couple of intertwined themes here all set in the background of a working class family in the Durham coalfields... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Sir Furboy

3.0 out of 5 stars The Fire Eaters
I think that this is quite an interesting book. I thought that how it was set about the war and about his Dad and McNulty. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Nick

5.0 out of 5 stars Rich and rewarding
I'd better confess now, I'm a fully grown adult but I loved this book.

The characters had such life and spirit and warmth and depth and each of them provoked a... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Amanda Meaden

1.0 out of 5 stars Definate No-Go!!!!
I heard about this book from a review and people really rated it, so i went out and bought it..... complete wast of money!! Read more
Published on 9 Oct 2005 by Gabi

1.0 out of 5 stars Definate No-Go!!!!
I heard about this book from a review and people really rated it, so i went out and bought it..... complete wast of money!! Read more
Published on 9 Oct 2005 by Gabi

4.0 out of 5 stars The fire eaters
It was a good book because the author can discribe very well what all the characters feel, what they think, whom they love or hate. Read more
Published on 26 Oct 2004 by Eilan

2.0 out of 5 stars david almond's fire eaters,
This book was rather interesting in the way that it was so boring. It takes to long to get in o the main depth of the story making you want to just put the book down and never eer... Read more
Published on 24 May 2004 by sambinnall

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