Agawam Pageturners Book Club's Discussion of Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones

Most everybody in the group enjoyed reading Mister Pip. The book tells the story of Mr. Watts, the only white man left on an island in the South Pacific, and how he teaches the children about the book Great Expectations. It is set in the midst of a civil war. Most loved the style of writing. One woman commented on Jones' use of fragments, and the magical weaving of reality and fantasy. Another woman said the book had so many layers, and it was the best book she read in a long time. They found it interesting when Great Expectations was taken away how the children and Mr. Watts reconstructed it in fragments. One woman commented on how it showed the love of reading books can save your life. Another commented on why the book was stolen by Matilda's mother, Delores, and it was pointed out by the group that Mr. Watts was not teaching about God, like the mother wanted, but instead Great Expectations which does not mention God. People found it interesting that she hid the book from the soldiers, even when it meant all the village's posessions and then later all the village's houses were burned. However she stood up to bear witness to God, when Mr. Watts was killed by the soldiers. One woman had a problem with Delores coming forward because she believed she put her daughter Matilda at risk for rape (which Delores ended up saving Matilda from by giving up her own life), and putting Daniel and his grandmother into the hands of the soldiers. Another woman disagreed with her so it made for an interesting discussion. Other points brought out were that Matilda wrote the name of the Pip in the sand along with her ancestors because Pip was as real or more real to her than ancestors she never met. A couple of people identified with Matilda's feelings on this subject. Another point was Matilda saying that Great Expectations gave me permission to change my life. There was extensive discussion with personal examples on how reading can change one's life. In regards to violence in the book for one it was too much, but most agreed that in a civil war moral values change, and people are swept along with the group. Overall this is an excellent book for discussion.