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More copies of this ISBNThis title in other editionseBook editionsThe Dead Fathers Clubby Matt Haig
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:A ghost story with a twist — a suspenseful and poignantly funny update of the Hamlet story. Eleven-year-old Philip Noble has a big problem: His dad, who was killed in a car accident, appears as a bloodstained ghost at his own funeral and introduces Philip to the Dead Fathers Club. The club, whose members were all murdered, gathers outside the Castle and Falcon, the local pub that Philip's family owns and lives above. Philip's father tells him that Uncle Alan killed him and he must avenge his death. When Philip realizes that Uncle Alan has designs on his mom and the family pub, Philip decides that something must be done. But it's a much bigger job than he anticipated, especially when he is caught up by the usual distractions of childhood — a pretty girl, wayward friends, school bullies, and his own self-doubt. The Dead Fathers Club is a riveting, imaginative, and quirky update of Shakespeare's great tragedy that will establish Matt Haig as a young writer of great talent and imagination. Review:"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." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:"What makes this work effective is that the narrative captures the anxiety of a timid boy, ridiculed by everyone, who must decide whether and how to kill his charismatic uncle. Hamlet never faced such difficulties." Library Journal Review:"[An] absolutely irresistible read." Booklist Review:"Touching, quirky and macabre." Sunday Express Review:"Humorous and original...[it] will appeal to adults and children alike." The Daily Mail Review:"We now owe another debt to Shakespeare, and one to Haig, for re-imagining a tragic masterpiece with such wit, force and — yes — originality." Kirkus Reviews Synopsis:Eleven-year-old Philip Noble has a big problem. It all begins when his dad appears as a ghost at his own funeral and introduces Philip to the Dead Fathers Club. Philip learns the truth about ghosts: the only people who end up ghosts are murdered. So begins Philip's quest to avenge his dad. Hilariously funny, it is full of poignant insights into the strange workings of the world seen through the eyes of a child. About the AuthorMatt Haig was born in 1975. His The Last Family in England was published in 2004. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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