Product Description

Beautifully crafted, brave and original, "Pigtopia" is narrated by the two very different voices of Jack and Holly - a pair whose unlikely bond, formed around the pigs Jack rears in secret, is threatened by the intolerance of those around them. A classic double act, who instantly take their place alongside the greats of outsider fiction, their's is a story of unhappiness and foreboding, but also one of hope and the redemptive power of friendship.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #491376 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Review
"'Stunningly moving... a tour de force.' Los Angeles Times 'A gripping and emotional story.' Guardian 'Mesmeric and striking... A novel whose boldness is itself a triumph of the poetic imagination.' Tom Adair, Scotsman"

David Almond, author of Skelig
Fascinating. A bold and strangely-moving book.

Customer Reviews

AMAZING!!!
This is a tale of looking within a person, taking the time to find out who they really are - and not listening to idle gossip or preconceived opinions and ideas.

Jack Plum and Holly Lock develop a friendship which is innocent, naive and somewhat child-like. Holly is able to look past Jack's disfigurements so see a beautiful, caring and intelligent person.

Jack has built a palace for pigs and invites Holly into this safe haven, however after turn of unfortunate events, namely Mrs. Plum and Snotty Samantha, things begin to fall apart.

Holly and Jack try so hard to put things right, but the outside world is closing in on them and their safe haven. Holly feels it's her duty to take responsibility for Jack, the Palace and the pigs - but is not sure if she can cope.

This is a great read and a story of morals, innocence and the strength a friendship can provide.

Very moving
The book reminded me of the curious incident in the nightime, but with pigs. It is about a thirty-something man with a very young mental age who befriends teenage girl Holly Lock and their struggle to keep their friendship secret.The story is told in their two very different voices about their family problems, their friendship and of course, Jack's pigs that he raises in secret in the local woods.

Pigtopia
Fitzgerald's fourth novel is told by two different narrators: Jack Plum and Holly Lock. Jack is in his 30s and lives with his physically disabled mother. He was born with a very large head and resembles a pig. Jack is an outcast in his local community because of his unusual appearance and as a result, only ventures outside when it's essential. But one day, spurned on by loneliness, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with Holly, a teenage girl who lives nearby. Inevitably, this friendship cannot last as society will not allow it. The outcome is tragic yet almost predestined.

Pigtopia begins with Jack telling in his distinctive 'voice' about his birth and life leading up to meeting Holly. His awkward birth because of his large head resulted in crippling his mother, who spends the rest of her days in a wheelchair. She is extremely resentful towards Jack and constantly blames him for what he did to her. Jack's father apparently left his wife and child in the lurch and is no longer around, something else Mrs Plum is bitter about. In order to escape from the spitting hatefulness he has to endure from his mother, Jack built a retreat he calls his Pig Palace down in the cellar of the house. Here, he breeds pigs and spends as much time as he can playing and talking with them. He feels that the only love he receives is from his pigs and they are the only things stopping him becoming resentful like his mother.

But Jack desires more meaningful company; another human to be his friend and talk with, rather than to. Because Jack, although his knowledge on some things is limited and he doesn't use proper English, is actually quite intelligent. So he seeks out "one best humanpiggirl" he can attempt to connect with. It may sound dodgy, but it really is innocent as Jack is naïve about things like sex. He chooses Holly, a physically immature schoolgirl who is a bit of a loner herself with only one friend whom she doesn't even like. It takes a couple of attempts for Jack to get Holly to trust him but eventually he achieves the connection he was hoping for.

This novel is one of those where you want to carry on reading it until you've reached the end. I whizzed through Pigtopia as the story unfolded, by turns disturbed and touched. Disturbed because of what happens to Jack's mother and touched by the friendship between Jack and Holly. There are a couple of twists and surprises as the novel progresses, which gives the book an unpredictable edge. On the whole, the plot may be a tad dramatic and soap opera-ish, but the treatment Jack receives from the local youth is sadly realistic. The novel is about the futility of trying to escape reality; Jack comes to realise he cannot live with others as he is too 'different'. The sad thing is only Holly knows his true worth from her time spent with him in his Pig Palace. The picture painted by Fitzgerald of our society is rather bleak and makes you despair of humanity.