Books : Mister Pip

Rating: - Wonderful book
I bought this book by chance and what a delight it turned out to be. While, at times, disturbing, the book was a gread read and I'd strongly recommend it. I've now gone out and bought other books by the same author to see if they compare. I felt for all the characters, found the story to be sad and intriguing, while at the same time I enjoyed the whole approach. Read this book!

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Rating: - Great Expectations...
Although I enjoyed Mister Pip, for me the best thing about this book was that it spurred me on to read Great Expectations. Dickens was one of those authors that I could never really get to grips with... I just couldn't get past the first page on a lot of his books as I just found them too dismal, I think it's possibly having been forced to read his stuff at school. However having read Mister Pip which I thoroughly enjoyed (great yarn and interesting concept) I immediately ordered GE and managed to fly through it - now it's one of my favourite books!

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Rating: - A good read
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
Amazon synopsis:
'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 lives long in the mind after the last page is finished.

I found this to be an incredible book. I loved it from the first page. Jones touches on the issues of race and civil war. It was interesting watching the battle between Mr. Watts and his book Great Expectations and Matilda's mum and her Bible. Jones wrote this so well, expressing the naivety of the islanders in a sensitive manner.

There are some heart breaking moments throughout the book which actually added to the magic of the book as it drew you in more.

My favourite character was Mr. Watts, even after his ex-wife's story. He was sensitive and brave. He stood out for being the only white man in the village but that didn't seem to faze him at all. He stood up and was counted, and I liked that in him.

8/10 - a good read

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Rating: - bitter sweet
One of those books where it is totally acceptable to cry and laugh at the same time. It's a simple book that is fully able to convey the complicated lives of its characters. Having experienced a similar conflict mentioned in the book, the book, to me at least, sounded truthful and accurate - certainly from the emotional perspective of someone whose world is in war and pain, totally outside of their own control.

The reason for 4 stars only is the ending. An anti-climax in my opinion. But maybe thats just the way life is. Not all endings are made in Hollywood, and the book certainly portrays that.

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Rating: - Mister Pip
I know there's been a lot of rave reviews about this book, but I must admit I was a bit disappointed by it all. I should've really paid more attention to the cover. Why? Because it basically does exactly what it says on the box.... and if you're not a great Dickens fan and haven't read Great Expectations, then you're starting at a disadvantage! I liked the set up but just thought it failed to deliver (to 'expectations') with some of the plot tie ups seeming a bit contrived (that whle Mister Pip draggng his wife round on a trolley with a clown's-nose-on business...)