The Pigman's Legacy by Paul Zindel - Book Review

Welcome back, John and Lorraine, to a more mature adventure in search for identity under the auspices of total truth and unwavering honesty. Angelo Pignati did not die in vain. His resounding effect on John and Lorraine awakened in them deep feelings they ignored because of their youthful naivete. They may have had doubts about their role in the death of the Pigman because they could never be sure that their actions, if different, may have had a more positive result. Such hindsight is rarely beneficial unless one learns from his indiscretions.

Just as the concept of the Pigman may be said to reside in different people in variable circumstances, there could be no doubt that the spirit of Angelo Pignati reincarnated itself in the person of Colonel Glenville, whose apparent poverty was his only company in the face of imminent death. He identified himself as Gus, who was actually his canine companion faithful beyond the end, and probed the hearts and minds of both John and Lorraine (again, alternating as narrators) to elicit from them the essence of their respective IDS. Like Mr. Pignati, the Colonel effectively drove Lorraine and John to the ultimate of their pursuit of identity not only to quash the feelings of doubt about themselves but to form the foundation of their truthful exposition of themselves to each other as well as to their families and peers.

The Colonel's Game of Life had the same goal as Mr. Pignati's Assassin/Boatman challenge, the solidification of moral fiber, goals, and determination of values. It was complex and, understandably, more open-ended and subject to more liberal interpretation. The result was the same: greater insight into the essence of the self.

The unlikely scenario of the Studebaker ride, essential for the mobility required to transport the quartet of Dolly, the Colonel, John, and Lorraine to Atlantic City, smacked of the humor of Bernie [Weekend at Bernie's] as the lively cadaver without the morbidity. The revitalization of the life of the Colonel with Dolly paralleled the birth of the idyllic love of Lorraine for John. As the Colonel re-emerged from death, so also do John and Lorraine encapsulate themselves in love for each other. But, it takes a devastating, emotional tragedy for John to come to grips with his nearly fatal, tragic flaw, which awakens in him the fact that the weaknesses of the parents can materialize with similar vices in the progeny. Forgiveness of the self empowers forgiveness of others.

It would have been romantic for Lorraine to have been able to exert the necessary power over John to save him from himself; but, realistically, someone so entrenched in the mire of his own misconception of self would not allow himself to be so dissuaded. He had to fail in order to realize his own frailty and succeed in finding himself and his feelings for Lorraine, which he had for so long denied. The Colonel had to die poor to allow others to live, and love, from his richness. Somewhere, another Pigman lives, waiting to be discovered by those who are most in need of him and his legacy.

Evaluation: Once again, the alternating narrators style works to make the reading easier for both boys and girls. Both are able to relate more personally and identify with the real problems John and Lorraine feel. The consistency in the natures of both Angelo and the Colonel provides the unity of purpose Zindel expresses through his characters -- to address viable responses to psychological and social problems faced by young adults in a world that draws no clear lines of demarcation. Providing older problems that include travel, drinking, gambling, and personal responsibility expands the scope of the experiences with Angelo Pignati, the forerunner of all Pigmen to come.

Recommendation: This is an indispensable sequel to the first Pigman novel and would satisfy the hunger of an even wider range of students because of the more serious conflicts that are addressed. It can be read to those who are younger just for the sheer adventure without delving into the deeper meanings of the questions that are posed.

Teaching: Undoubtedly, I would teach both as if they were part one and part two of the same book. I would also incorpotrate variations of the items found on the Colonel's Road of Life exercise with creative input from students to provide their own individual roads and rationalizations. I would not hesitate to incorporate as a preview to the texts Zindel's biographical sketch, The Pigman and Me.

The Pigman's Legacy by Paul Zindel - Book Review

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Mockingjay

The Pigman and Me, by Paul Zindel - Biography

Paul Zindel must have felt compelled by an irresistible force to expound upon a childhood that in a biography reads as well as his novels. Paul and Betty could just as well have been John and Lorraine just as Nonno Frankie became Angelo Pignati. Staten Island becomes as familiar as home just as the streets and avenues score themselves into our memories as the carvings on the desks we saw 280 days of each year in our own schools.

The Pigman and Me, by Paul Zindel - Biography

The Pigman and Me, by Paul Zindel - Biography

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The Pigman and Me, by Paul Zindel - Biography

The Pigman and Me, by Paul Zindel - Biography

Zindel's family problems are reflected mirror-like in those of John and Lorraine, but other less personal problems, like racism and poverty (if they can be considered less personal than family) erupt with the clarity and lucidity of a sucker-punch. The combining of the two families under one roof is unusual but not unheard of just as the depiction of small town residents as zombies is obviously hyperbolic, yet, to some degree, credible.

Nonno Frankie's concern for the life of the apple tree symbolizes the deeper truths that form the foundation for moral behavior and stands majestically as a tribute to the lasting permanence of integrity that transcends the passing changes that overtake children in their pursuit of identity and the meaning of life. His incessant humor revives memories of undying, childish frivolousness so necessary for the bonding of friendships among children. Something has to offset the constant flood of disappointments and hurts that flow from the novelty of growing up in a strange and threatening environment. Nonno's pranks to wake up the zombies were analogous to the antics of John in the classroom, the mischievous behavior that should expected of normal, growing, young adults.

Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction. If I were to include more than twenty Lassies in a story, it would be regarded as beyond belief. But, I did have twenty borzois at one time; so, the prospect is not inconceivable. Paul Zindel's life as described supports the credo that one should write based on experience. But, that does not undermine the potential for exercising extensive creativity that stretches the imagination beyond the threshold of belief through the willing suspension of disbelief. Fiction knows no bounds.

Evaluation: This biography is not essential to understand the novels that grew from Paul Zindel's experiences, but it helps to understand the mind that created the Pigman which itself personifies a universal ideology. The reading level is lower than the novels and far easier to understand. Hence, I see this narrative as a good basis for teaching characterization, setting, and dialogue as well as the idea of biographical sketches. The tone is simple and reader-friendly with enough humor to make the reading a pleasure rather a chore.

Recommendation: For the slow reader, this would be a motivating text to offer tasty tid-bits of the humor, philosophy, adventure, and emotional involvement that are more extensively offered in the novels of Paul Zindel. I would use it even for non-readers as a tool to break the shell of apathy since it would work well as story-telling material. It is not so much an autobigraphy as it is a preparatory statement to give pertinent background to answer inevitable questions.

Teaching: For advanced readers, I would use this as supplemental background information that confirms the tenet that good writing comes from real experiences. For less motivated readers, this text and styles lends itself well to emulation so that minimal success will reap greater rewards.

The Pigman and Me, by Paul Zindel - Biography

Book Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

My mother, a literature teacher, often says that literature is a reflection of reality.

Book Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Book Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

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Book Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Book Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

So I think I get your drift, Suzanne Collins. You have made Katniss Everdeen an unlikeable character - selFish, undecided, stubborn, impulsive - as your heroine to drive a point that imperfection is real. And that in itself has made Katniss, and the enTire trilogy, one comMendable story - a reflection of the society we live in, flawed, but undoubtedly real.

Mockingjay is the last book in The Hunger Games Trilogy. In Catching Fire, I decided I don't like Katniss that much. And that opinion still holds true even after I finished Mockingjay. Katniss is the same selFish, undecided, stubborn, and impulsive 17-year old girl from District 12, but this time she is recuperating in District 13 after being rescued by the rebels from the arena during the Quarter Quell. Yet despite her imperfections, she is still perfect for her role as the lead character. Or rather, it is because of her imperfections that she is perfect for the role. Wouldn't it be boring to have a perfect proTAGonist? No thrill there.

Mockingjay speaks prominently about war. From the start of the story, there has been war, not just the war being prepared by the rebels against the Capitol, but the war that is raging inside Katniss's being. War, indeed, no matter how noble the motives are, does not offer the best solution to problems. It is a win-some-lose-some way out of any dispute, and more often than not, it hurts the innocent ones the most.

***SPOILER STARTS HERE***

TOTALLY UNEXPECTED. This is probably the best I can describe Mockingjay. Most of my predictions turned out wrong, such as who will die and who will live, who's the traitor and who is not. I have been rooting for the Gale-Katniss loveteam ever since Book 1 but then it turns out, Suzanne Collins had other plans.

One thing I noticed though is how some scenes that I think deserve more attention were a little bit rushed. I believe Finnick's death deserves more page-time, if there is such a word. And Katniss's trial, too. But then again, as I've said, the turn of events are totally unexpected. Which makes Mockingjay all the more an extraordinary story.

I especially love the ending. Of how it speaks of hope and the anticipation of a more perfect world. It is such a bittersweet finale that more than compensates all the dislike I felt with Catching Fire. The Hunger Games Trilogy may be imperfect, but it is its imperfections that make the series worthy of acclaim.

Mockingjay is one great read most especially for its intelligent plot. I may not be the ultimate YA fiction fan, but this is one book, or make that the trilogy, which I will not easily forget.

Book Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins