The Pigman

Rating:
Summary: It was OK
Review: I read this book because my teacher made me-tell you the true, I thought the name for this book is just stupid. But after I finished reading this book, I thought it was OK although it was kinda boring. I've also readed the Pigman's Legacy, which in my opinion, better than the Pigman.

Rating:
Summary: The Pigman
Review: It seems that everyone had something good to say about The Pigman so I decided to give it a try. I read it in about a week, and I can see why so many people liked it so much. It has everything that makes a book great, tragedy, happiness, a little bit of comic relief, and friendsip. This, all in all, is a five-star book, but if everyone thought like I do, it'd be three stars. Not because I thought it was distasteful, or because I thought it was a bad book. It just didn't fit my taste that much. However, The Pigman did leave an impact on me, probably a slightly bigger one than most books do. So instead of three, I'm giving it four stars. The Pigman is a book I think everyone can enjoy and should read.

Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable Characters
Review: Lorraine was like me when I was younger; a big eater and often self-concious about her weight. And I know a lot of guys like John, who drinks and smokes regularly and cuts class. The author was able to create such realistic teenagers in this story by giving them human weaknesses and also strengths. This book never blames or preaches, but rather sets an example of what can happen when you don't think of the consequences. Lorraine and John's adventure speaks volumes not only to young people but also adults everywhere. Perfect blend of bland humor and drama.

Rating:
Summary: Friendship
Review: The Pigman gets 5 stars from me because of the interesting writing style Zindel chose to narrate the novel. Two teens, John and Lorraine, tell their memoriam story in chapters. Each writes every other chapter and the flow is never once lost. They correct each other through their opening paragraphs and you can tell that they do know each other pretty well.

Or do they?

There are many twists and turns in the friendship of John and Lorraine, especially when the duo become a trio with the addition of Mr. Pignati. The two main characters are well-rounded since the story is written by them. The other characters have honest holes to them, just as in real life. We never really know the people in our lives fully. Zindel created this characters well.

Of course, there is an unexpected-yet-predictable romance in the story that kind of ruined the story for me. I'm not against romance, I just don't like seeing the predictable kind shoved into my face every chance a writer has to do it. I thought that just maybe Zindel would cleverly skip this, but he threw it in.

I still give this book 5 stars because of the in-depth characters and the refreshing style. I couldn't put it down, and I really feel if you like the two afore-mentioned qualities, you won't be able to also.

Rating:
Summary: Pigman Summary
Review: The Pigman by Paul Zindel was published in 1968 by Bantam Books. The novel is a fiction "memorial epic" about two high school students, John and Lorraine, who meet an old man, Mr. Pignati, and spend a lot of time with him. The main setting is Mr. Pignati's house. The main characters write the book about their experiences with the Pigman.

John and Lorraine's families do not give them support and don't pay any attention to them. They meet the Pigman through a prank phone call. John and Lorraine start hanging out with the Pigman, but their relationship is not normal because of the age difference (Mr. Pignati is about 56 years old and John and Lorraine are either 14 or 15 years old) and we know that it is not going to have a happy ending. (His name is Mr. Pignati but they call him the Pigman because he collects glass pigs.) John and Lorraine start hanging out with the Pignman because he is so nice and partly because they feel sorry for him. The Pigman takes John and Lorraine to the zoo to meet Bobo, the Baboon. Mr. Pignati is very nice to them and pays them attention, which their parents don't give them much of. One day while they are playing around at his house, the Pigman has a heart attack and goes to the hopsital. While he is in the hospital, John and Lorraine have a party. The Pigman comes home early from the hospital in the middle of the party to find his house a wreck. Throughout the story, John and Lorraine are trying to be what they aren't, adults, and the Pigman is trying to be what he isn't, a kid. Because John and Lorraine are playing at being adults, they are forced to grow up and be more mature.

Zindel's purpose is to entertain and to send a message to teenagers not to pretend to be what you aren't. Zindel entertains the readers, young and old, by having the two main characters switch on and off writing the chapters. You get to read each point of view. Also, the problems that John and Lorraine face are realistic problems. Lorraine's family isn't perfect and John's family is falling apart. The message Zindel sends teenagers is not to pretend to be what you aren't. The Pigman is playing at being a kid and has a heart attack because of it, and John and Lorraine are playing at being adults and end up with adult problems at the end. The strengths of the novel are that it's appealing to teens and it catches the reader's attention. It appeals to teens because two teenagers are writing the story, and the author uses childish humor. For instance, John refers to a kid at the party as looking like a "constipated weasel." (Just try to picture this.) The personalities and the way the book is written makes the reader get "hooked on the book."

I would recommend this book to teens or older because the problems that the characters face and how they deal with them are interesting. The book seems like it is a comedy and a tragedy, and it keeps you reading on.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent book for young teens
Review: Of all of the books that I've read that were geared toward a teenage audience, "The Pigman" remains my favorite. There were many invaluable lessons in this book that Zindel captures perfectly. Just one year after I first read this book, I had a "Pigman" figure in my own life that was successful in guiding me through my early teenage years. The most important lesson from "The Pigman" was learning to listen to these figures that, for some reason or another, come into your life to help you when you least deserve it.

The plot begins when two teenagers, John Conlan and Lorraine Jensen, begin to harass people with a teenage telephone game in which the competition was to see who could talk to an absolute stranger for the longest amount of time. They telephoned a man by the name of Angelo Pignati pretending to be representatives of a made-up charity. When Mr. Pignati agreed to donate money to the "charity," John and Lorraine went to Mr. Pignati's house and became friends with the man almost immediately. Since his wife had passed away and he was extremely lonely, Mr. Pignati asks John & Lorraine to accompany him on day trips to the zoo and the department store. When Mr. Pignati injures himself on a pair of roller skates purchased at the department store, he is placed in the hospital and tells John & Lorraine to take care of his house while he is recovering. Unfortunately, John gets the idea to have a party at Pignati's house while he is away -- the ultimate betrayal of trust. You'll have to read the book to find out the consequences of John's decision.

As I said, "The Pigman" teaches important lessons that young teenagers need to hear -- lessons about the importance of trust and listening to people who want to help you. I was fortunate enough to get Paul Zindel to autograph my copy of the book, and although I won't be a teenager for that much longer, I will cherish this book as my favorite from my young teenage years. I highly recommend "The Pigman" to young adults ages 12-14 that would be interested in reading a memorable story that also gives you helpful moral advice.

Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: Two "social outcast" students get to know a lonely old man while playing a phone game with her friends. As it was just a joke to visit him at the beginning, his house becomes a second home and he himself kind of a grand-father for them. Their friendship gets deeper an deeper, until something horrible happens...

The book "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel is a great description about friendship between young and old and between boy and girl. Although the two different narrators who take turn with each chapter might be a bit confusing at the beginning, the style of writing is very good. The reader can identify with the main characters and does not lose interest in reading the book as there are always included little things that make him keep on reading. Moreover, the author describes precisely the family lives of the three main characters. In my opinion "The Pigman" is a really good book with which many people can identify and which is not too difficult to read as even non-native speakers are able to understand it.

Rating:
Summary: My thoughts about the Book
Review: Im going to tell you that the book I read The Pigman by: Paul Zindel was an intresting book. The main characters in the book were Lorraine ,John, and Mr. Pignati.I really liked this book because it had humor,friendship,and a casual flavor of some adolesence. I'll tell you a little bit about the book because I don't want to give out the ending. It started off when John and Lorraine called Mr. Pignati up and told them they were from a charity and were collecting $10 and Mr. Pignati being himself said I will give it. So they picked up the money and since that day they became real good friends with the Pigman, and in some ways they took advantage of the old man. Mr. Pignati was an lonely man but he was nice,humorous, and trustful. One day when the Pigman wasn't home Lorraine and John threw a wild party at his house and when Mr. Pignati came home he had a stroke. I don't think that what they did was right because first of all it wasn't their house and they went way far in taking advantage of him. Overall I think this book teaches you a lot about trust, and not to take someones trust and life for granted. Everyone should be able to read this book because you can learn a lot from it.

Rating:
Summary: The Pigman
Review: This book is a book about a guy that is lonely. His wife Conchetta died. One day there were these two high schoolers that called him and said that they were the charity and was going to help him. They talked to him for a long time then they told him the truth that thesy were just two high schoolers. Then Mr. Pignati told them to come over and so they did. He told them about his wife and everything. Then one day Mr. Pignati had a heart attack and he died. He always went to the zoo to see his favorite animal bobo wich was a monkey. I would recommend this book to people that would like legends and other stuff.

Rating:
Summary: Spring Into action and Read a Book
Review: I really like the book The Pigman. It was very interesting because it had great details. When I read a book I picture myself as the characters, that is one of the things I like about the book because I can be the characters. I disliked the book because it was confusing when it goes from part to part. I recommand this book to anyone over the age of eleven years old because it has a lot of cursing involved in the book.