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THE PIGMAN

 

FIRST SENTENCE:
"Now, I don't like school, which you might say is one of the factors that got us involved with this old guy we nicknamed the Pigman."

To read the first few pages of this book click here.

REVIEW
For sophomores John and Lorraine, the world feels meaningless; nothing is important. They certainly can never please their parents, and school is a chore. To pass the time, they play pranks on unsuspecting people. It's during one of these pranks that they meet the "Pigman"--a fat, balding old man with a zany smile plastered on his face. In spite of themselves, John and Lorraine soon find that they're caught up in Mr. Pignati's zest for life. In fact, they become so involved that they begin to destroy the only corner of the world that's ever mattered to them. Originally published in 1968, this novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Paul Zindel still sings with sharp emotion as John and Lorraine come to realize that "Our life would be what we made of it--nothing more, nothing less."

"Headline news…remarkable…Zindel has written a story that will not be denied." - Review Publishers Weekly


KIDS REVIEW
S
The Best Book I Ever Read!
The Pigman is the best book I have ever read (along with The Pigman's Legacy and The Pigman And Me). John and Lorraine are best friends who are in highschool. John smokes and drinks, while Lorraine admits that she is a little paranoid. John and Lorraine switch back and forth from typing each chapter, and it really makes the reader get to, kind of know them.

While doing prank phone calling, Lorraine ends up calling Mr. Pignati. John and Lorraine first lie to him, saying that they are part of a charity company. At first, John just wants the Pigman's money, but after they get to know him, they start to really care about him.

The first few chapters are very funny, espcecially the ones that are told by John. The entire book is a great fiction story. I would suggest to anyone who reads The Pigman, and likes it, should read the sequal to it, The Pigman's Legacy. After that, I would also suggest to read The Pigman And Me. It's about Paul Zindel's teenage years, and what he based The Pigman on.

EXTRAS
Paul Zindel answers questions about "The Pigman." Click here.