mister pip

This short book review isn't going to be about "Great Expectations", a book which I haven't read myself, at least I can't seem to remember reading it, if I had surely I would have remembered? Seen a few movies based on the book though, of which neither made an impression. The story about Pip never captured me and be as that may with the book's supposedly greatness, somehow I don't think reading it would make any difference. For me.

But reading, hearing, learning about and believing in Pip made a lot of difference for both the main character in the book "Mister Pip" by New Zealand author Lloyd Jones, 13 year old Matilda, her friends, family and the villagers on a tropical island under siege and blockade during a civil war in the early 1990ies. Sadly good intentions, reading and learning lead to tragedy in the shadows of coconut trees, foliage and the singing of tropical birds.

It was a well written, easy and reasonably interesting read. But like the story of Pip and his great expectations has never captured me, apart from a few word-painting passages, unfortunately neither did "Mister Pip", awardwinning or not. In short, for me, my expectations were greater than than the actual reading of the story.