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Overview
A ghost story with a twist-a suspenseful and poignantly funny update of Hamlet
A triumph of originality and humor, this clever novel by British author Matt Haig gives us Hamlet redux with an unforgettable voice all his own. When eleven-year-old Philip Noble is confronted by the ghost of his recently deceased father and asked to avenge his death, the boy finds himself in a thorny dilemma. Revenge, after all, is a tricky business-especially when Philip is already distracted by his girlfriend, school bullies, self-doubt, and all the other challenges of adolescence. Viewing the adult world through the eyes of a young boy, The Dead Fathers Club is a brilliant, quirky take on a classic tale.
Synopsis
A ghost story with a twist-a suspenseful and poignantly funny update of Hamlet
A triumph of originality and humor, this clever novel by British author Matt Haig gives us Hamlet redux with an unforgettable voice all his own. When eleven-year-old Philip Noble is confronted by the ghost of his recently deceased father and asked to avenge his death, the boy finds himself in a thorny dilemma. Revenge, after all, is a tricky business-especially when Philip is already distracted by his girlfriend, school bullies, self-doubt, and all the other challenges of adolescence. Viewing the adult world through the eyes of a young boy, The Dead Fathers Club is a brilliant, quirky take on a classic tale.
Publishers Weekly
Haig (The Last Family in England) creatively reanimates themes from Hamlet with an 11-year-old British protagonist who is commissioned to avenge his father's murder. After Philip Noble passes his hand through his father's flickering spirit at the funeral, Dad reveals the truth: it was conniving auto mechanic Uncle Alan who orchestrated the automobile "accident" that claimed his life, and Philip must kill Uncle Alan by dead Dad's next birthday-barely 11 weeks away-or he'll be consumed forever by the Terrors. Time is fleeting, however, as repugnant Uncle Alan has already begun to put the moves on Philip's mother and has taken over the family pub's operations. In animated, adolescent prose, Philip, goaded on by his father's ghost, plots his uncle's murder. Besides the time-sensitive obligation, Philip must also contend with the slings and arrows of adolescent life: friends, girls, meddling schoolteachers, bullies and peer pressure. The plucky hero impressively navigates the gloomy, pungent waters of retribution, death and guilt, and Haig does an enviable job of leavening a sad premise through the words and actions of a charming, resilient young man. (Feb.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble Discover Great New WritersPhilip Noble is 11. His dad has just perished in a car accident, and his uncle is acting a bit too friendly with Philip's newly widowed mom. To make matters worse, Philip's dad keeps making appearances (as a ghost), informing him of the truth about ghosts (they have all been murdered), and demanding that Philip avenge his death. However, the prescribed vengeance must be taken in "No Time," or his father's ghost will continue to suffer "the Terrors" and never find rest.
The Dead Fathers Club is a wholly unusual reworking of Shakespeare's Hamlet. But the Hamlet parallels -- complete with similar plot twists -- are worked in so deftly that the reader never quite anticipates where the book will go next. Readers see the world, surprising and strange, through Philip's eyes. It's a tangled web of murder and lies, with a boy caught in the middle, trying to make sense of it all. The result is a confused yet perceptive narrator whose responses to the world he inhabits are darkly humorous and sometimes tragic.
Haig's novel reads at a breathless pace (assisted by the absence of commas and apostrophes), his first-person narrative credibly that of a young British boy who takes things at face value. The result is a mysterious and engrossing book for both older children and adults -- neither of which will be able to put it down. (Spring 2007 Selection)
Publishers Weekly
Haig (The Last Family in England) creatively reanimates themes from Hamlet with an 11-year-old British protagonist who is commissioned to avenge his father's murder. After Philip Noble passes his hand through his father's flickering spirit at the funeral, Dad reveals the truth: it was conniving auto mechanic Uncle Alan who orchestrated the automobile "accident" that claimed his life, and Philip must kill Uncle Alan by dead Dad's next birthday-barely 11 weeks away-or he'll be consumed forever by the Terrors. Time is fleeting, however, as repugnant Uncle Alan has already begun to put the moves on Philip's mother and has taken over the family pub's operations. In animated, adolescent prose, Philip, goaded on by his father's ghost, plots his uncle's murder. Besides the time-sensitive obligation, Philip must also contend with the slings and arrows of adolescent life: friends, girls, meddling schoolteachers, bullies and peer pressure. The plucky hero impressively navigates the gloomy, pungent waters of retribution, death and guilt, and Haig does an enviable job of leavening a sad premise through the words and actions of a charming, resilient young man. (Feb.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.Publishers Weekly
Something of a Hamlet for the 21st century, this audiobook presents Philip Noble, an 11-year-old boy whose father recently died in a car accident. But when his father returns as a ghost demanding revenge for his death, Philip must decide whether or not his Uncle Allan murdered his father. While grappling with the idea of murder, Philip must contend with all the typical stresses of adolescence including romance and bullys. HighBridge Audio's decision to cast 11-year-old Andrew Dennis to read this novel pays off. His youthful voice adds authenticity and his narrative skills fully envelope the first-person perspective of Philip. He also ably distinguishes additional characters. His most impressive feat is the level of emotion and intensity he maintains through many of the scenes. Several times, Haig repeats a word or phrase more than five times. In the text, this works because readers can skim, but listeners must hear each one. However, Dennis infuses different emphasis for each repeated word, making it work. Simultaneous release with the Viking hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 13). (Feb.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information