All copies of this title, including those transferred to portable devices and other media, must be deleted/destroyed at the end of the lending period.
Description
Eleven-year-old Philip Noble has a big problem. His dad has appeared to him as a member of the Dead Fathers Club, a club for “ghost dads” whose murders are unavenged. His father’s road accident, it turns out, was no accident at all.
Uncle Alan is responsible for his dad’s death, and if Philip doesn't succeed in killing his uncle before his dad's birthday, just ten weeks away, his dad's spirit will never rest.
So begins Philip's quest to avenge his dad and to save his mum from the greasy clutches of Uncle Alan, who seems intent on taking his dad's place in their lives. But Philip finds himself both uneasy of his mission and distrustful of the ghost that claims to be his father. Plus, he’s distracted by Leah Polonius, the gorgeous daughter of Uncle Alan’s Bible-bashing business partner. What’s a young lad to do?
The Dead Fathers Club gives more than a nod towards Hamlet. Hilarious and unpredictable, The Dead Father’s Club is full of poignant insights into the strange workings of the world as seen through the eyes of a child.
Andrew Dennis is undeniably the star of THE DEAD FATHERS CLUB, a novel reminiscent of HAMLET. The 12-year-old is perfectly cast as Philip Noble, a boy who talks to his father's ghost and does not like what he hears. Dennis's voice is high-pitched and very British, sounding almost effeminate, but it quickly grows on the listener. Judicious editing could have limited the number of dialogue tags, which are sometimes annoying, but since the work is unabridged, the bad comes with the good. Dennis performs with a skill beyond his years. He makes the complicated story work. As in HAMLET, a murdered man begs his young son to avenge his death by killing his killer, the boy's uncle, before he marries the boy's mother. Dennis's delivery makes us accept the story of young Philip, who is confused, even angered, by his father's demand. This is a novel written for adults, but sophisticated YA readers may enjoy it. M.S. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
--S Magazine, Sunday Express...
"Touching, quirky and macabre."
--Daily Mail...
"Humorous and original. This is one of those crossover books like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time."
--The Guardian...
". . . so surprising and strange that it vaults into a realm of its own."
About the Author
MATT HAIG lives in Leeds, England. His writing has appeared in the Guardian, the Sunday Times, the Independent, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Face.
