Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Mister Pip
Book Review: A man "whose survival weapon was story."
Summary: 5 Stars
I adored this book. Devoured it. Jones understands character like few other writers. MISTER PIP is narrated by Matilda, a young girl living on a copper-rich tropical island, torn apart by war. All the whites have fled, save for Mr. Watts, an odd old duck in a filthy linen suit who sometimes sports a red clown's nose. He is married to a mad local woman whom his pulls about in a wagon. With the sound of artillery in the distance, Mr. Watts cleans out the ruined schoolhouse and begins reading Dickens' classic GREAT EXPECTATIONS to his students (Matilda among them). Drunken militias lurk in the forests, wielding machetes, fire and horror, and yet Mr. Watts continues reading, continues building a wall of words against the impending terrors.
A war story, a coming of age story, a love story -- this is, above all, a novel ABOUT books, and the power of books to expand understanding, develop morality and transform lives. It is also a brilliant (and I don't use that word lightly) character piece about a man whose "survival weapon was story." MISTER PIP was shortlisted for the Man Book Prize, and won the commonwealth Writer's Prize. It deserves all the accolades its received. Highly recommended.
Book Review: Became A Chore to Read
Summary: 2 Stars
The coming of age novel of 13-year-old Matilda against the backdrop of a endless, bloody civil war in the early 1990s where Redskin soldiers terrorize the population and the rebels to re-establish New Guinea's sovereignty. The only white man left on the island, Mr. Watts, becomes the teacher for the island children, alternating his lessons between reading from Dickens "Great Expectations" and and short lectures by mothers about mundane, sometimes practical matters. Matilda is attracted to the alternative life and character of Pip, and uses the Dickens novel to distract her from the daily horrors and hopelessness of the island natives who seem to have been forgotten by the world.
From beginning to end, I found reading the book a chore because it lacked character development other than in superficial, black and white terms. In addition, for me, the books was simplistic and lacked depth in that the major idea explored was that of using literature to transcend earthly realities and circumstances. A secondary theme, the complicated development of the mother-daughter relationship, was relatively simplistic as well and not explored in any great depth.
Ordinarily, when reading a book that entirely captivates me, I dread reaching the end. With this book, I kept counting the number of pages to the end, and was usually disappointed that many pages still remained long after my interest had waned and become indifferent.
Book Review: Beyond My Expectations
Summary: 5 Stars
Mr Pip ,by LLoyd Jones, is an onion of a novel. By that I mean it is layered in an intricately woven manner to encompass a myriad of themes. At first it is a deceptively simple tale set on the lush tropical island of Bouganville where the native population,isolated and blockaded, are facing a civil war of deprivation and horror.Into the mix comes the only white inhabitant who remained after others fled,Mr Watts. He steps up to take over the abandoned schoolhouse and thus becomes the Pied Piper of Bouganville. Through his storytelling of Dicken's Great Expectations he provides a safe haven for the war stricken children . They immediately succomb to the power of the written word and are transported to Victorian England where they meet Pip who in some ways is like each one of them. Imagination takes them away from the immediate horror of civil war. Mr Pip becomes a savior of sorts especially to Matilda, the young Narrator. But Mr Watt's hold on the children causes issues with the parents who see his approach as a threat to religious beliefs and cultural allegiance. These differences of culture and dogmatic approach lead to a stand off between Mr Watts and Dolores, Matilda's mother. This clash will create unlikely heroes as the war encroaches and moral decisions must be made. There is great symbolism here for a world where races and cultures face major changes in an ever more global world. When the only copy of Great Expectations disappears and the soldiers demand to see a fictional Mr Pip,(who they believe to be a real spy) there are terrible reprecussions. Storytelling becomes the weapon of choice at first, as it soothes the savage rambos who are really just misguided school children at heart.The seven nights of Mr Watts' storytelling are a heroic vehicle to stall until an escape plan is put into effect. But storytelling has created a great dilemma too, as there is no real Mr. Pip to offer up to the demanding redskins who appear savagely and without warning. I will not divulge any more of the plot but suffice it to say that Great Expectations causes major life changing effects as Matilda moves into a future off the island. The novel is a homage to literature, to teachers who change destinies, to clashes of cultures and racial divides, to the horrors of war ,to the power of the written word , to the empowering value of imagination and to the religious and moral values that sometimes must collide and clash before there can be compromises. This small novel offers huge issues to ponder . Mr Jones has exceeded many expectations with this novel.Book Review: Brilliant gem
Summary: 5 Stars
This little book is brilliant. Mr. Jones transports you to a South Pacific island and drops you into the village as one more villager. You feel as if you are there on the island and one of the village instead of a reader. Upon reflection, there are so many choices made by the author that seem just perfect. He realistically takes you from quiet uneventful days to events of shocking brutallity. The weary, dispassionate nature of the murdering soldiers, the shy mothers taking turns as teachers, and the noble, selfless truth of Matilda's mother are absolutely real. Even little things, like the villagers' treatment of the pigs are just perfect.
The fact that all of this story is intertwined with Great Expectations is quirky, interesting, believable and engaging. I went back and reread Great Expectations. I would love to see this book read by students after they read Great Expectations. A great story is powerful.
As an aside, the island setting and the political conflict and war are real. Most of us probably have very little knowledge about the specific details, but outside knowledge is not necessary to the story.
This book was terrific for a book group discussion.
Book Review: Caught in a Moment
Summary: 4 Stars
"Mister Pip" is told by Matilda, who was born and raised on a tropical island not far from Australia. Although the story begins in the early 1990s, when Matilda was 13 years old, most people on the island knew little of the outside world - the islanders had only come into contact with the 'modern' world in her grandfather's time. When Matilda was 11, her father went off to an Australian town for work; she and her mother were on the verge of joining him when the book opens. Unfortunately, their plans are scuppered when war breaks out on the island. The 'rebels' declared war on the copper mine and the company - which, in turn, brought in its own soldiers. The company planned to choke the rebels into submission and started by setting up a sea blockade. Before long, the power supplies are gone, hospitals are being raided for medicines and 'company' people start leaving...
Mr Watts was the only white man in Matilda's village who stayed. For many years, he had been known as Popeye and was married to Grace, who'd been born and raised in Matilda's village. They'd always kept themselves slightly apart - they lived in the old minister's house, hiding behind its overgrown garden, and had no children. He also appeared a little eccentric : he wore a white suit every day, regularly wheeled Grace around on a trolley and occasionally wore a red clown's nose. However, after the war broke out, he became one or the most important people in Grace's life.
With no teachers left, Mr Watts stepped into the gap. With what's happening, though, the school isn't as well-resourced as it should be and a copy of Dickens' "Great Expectations" becomes the classroom's only textbook. Matilda is enthralled, even though she doesn't always understand Victorian England. (On top of that, she has no idea what marshes are, and the whole class find the idea of a frosty morning incredible). Unfortunately, Matilda's mother and Mr Watts don't quite see eye to eye - with the book and Mr Watts' lack of faith providing the two biggest points of friction. As the classroom's star pupil, Matilda finds herself in an awkward position.
An easily read book, though - while it's not a sad or depressing book - there are a couple of shocking and sad moments, thanks to the war.