Lloyd Jones

'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.

Mister Pip

Lloyd Jones' new novel is set mainly in a small village on Bougainville, a country torn apart by civil war. Matilda attends the school set up by Mr Watts, the only white man on the island. By his own admission he's not much of a teacher and proceeds to educate the children by reading them Great Expectations. Matilda falls in love with the novel, strongly identifying with Pip. The promise of the next chapter is what keeps her going; Pip's story protects her from the horror of what is happening around her - helicopters menacing the skies above the village and rebel raids on the ground. When the rebels visit the village searching for any remaining men to join their cause, they discover the name Pip written in the sand and instigate a search for him. When Pip can't be found the soldiers destroy the book. Mr Watts then encourages the children to retell the story from their memories. Then when the rebels invade the village, the teacher tells them a story which lasts seven nights, about a boy named Pip, and a convict . . .

Moira

Trevor Berrett

I had a hard time deciding whether to give this three or four stars. I decided four because ultimately the book had my complete attention for its 250 pages. That doesn't happen as often as I'd like. I also think the writing is well above average. Jones's writing has some great lines and overall it flows very well. I also really liked the play with Great Expectations. The story itself is touching and shed some light on Bougainville's atrocious early 1990s. It's a great look at barbarism that feels more like it belongs in the preindustrial era but that actually took place right under our noses.
 However, though the book had my attention and my heart at times, I don't think it said as much as it seemed to say. All the play with story telling and the power of the imagination and the talk about identity don't really amount to much in the end, even though it is fun and interesting to read. I think Jones overused his literary device. There were so many connections being drawn between characters' true histories, their stories, and Great Expectations that it began to feel contrived. In the end, I had to conclude that it was. 
 Fortunately, that doesn't bring the book down too much. It's still a touching, well written, and even important story.

adria

What do you do when a book bursts into your life at precisely the right moment; when it comes to save you from yourself? What do you say when you find characters who shift your perspective on the world and teach you who you are? How do you cope with the tought of never again finding a story quite like this? I reckon, all you can do to show your gratitude, despite knowing it'll never be heard by the ones it's intended towards, is murmur a heartfelt 'thank you', and hope it will suffice

Mister Pip

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