Categories: book-review
Tags: book review
Date: 15 December 2008 22:45:03
This book is my current book group book, and (amazingly for me) I have finished it in plenty of time before the group actually meets. It is told from the point of view of Matilda, a young girl (about 13 I guess) on an island off Papua New Guinea during the early 90s when the island is blockaded due to fighting amongst various rebel groups. The one white man who remains on the island, Mr Watts, takes it upon himself to ensure that the kids who remain on the island at least get some sort of continuous education, so becomes their teacher, although the only book available is "Great Expectations". Lessons consist of him reading a chapter, and the class discussing things they don't understand and lessons that can be drawn from the story. Matilda develops an affinity with the character of Pip, and uses his story to make sense of growing up, of living in difficult times. Her mother though disapproves and is openly disdainful of Mr Watts, whom she sees as godless. The story doesn't shirk from describing some pretty gruesome events, with both groups of rebels (known as the redskins and the rambos) wreaking a terrible fate on the villagers, and the ultimate fate of most of the villagers is really tragic. Normally I'd really struggle with this, being something of a wuss, but I thought this was a beautifully written book and couldn't put it down. I think it might have helped if I had read "Great Expectations" (I haven't) as I've read some reviews which say they found some clever parallels which just passed me by. But it's still perfectly accessible if like me you haven't read the original Dickens. Definitely recommended, by me at any rate (the person in our book group who suggested it was rather ambivalent about it the first time round, though she's said she's enjoying it more the second time round).
I think one thing I really enjoyed (this might sound a bit weird) was the swearing in this book. It's not swear-a-minute (far from it) and mostly it's light-hearted banter and the most used word is blimmin'. There was just something about the way words were used in the villagers' dialogue which felt so natural and really authentic, and it often made me smile.
Possibly not one if you're feeling down, but I do think it's really well-written and it kept me hooked right to the end.