Pigeon English - Hardcover

Kelman, Stephen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0547500602 ISBN 13: 9780547500607

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011

Synopsis

Hardcover. Pub Date: 07 2011 Pages: 288 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Newly arrived from Ghana with his mother and older sister. Eleven-year-old Harrison Opoku lives on the ninth floor of a Block of Flats on a London Housing ESTATE . The second best runner in the whole of Year 7. Harri races through his new life in his personalised trainers - the Adidas stripes drawn on with marker pen - blissfully unaware of the very real threat all around him. With equal fascination for the local gang - the Dell Farm Crew - and the pigeon who visits his balcony. Harri absorbs the many strange elements of his new life in England: watching. listening. and learning the tricks of inner-city survival. But when a boy is knifed to death on the high street and a police appeal for witnesses draws only silence. Harri decides to start a murder investigation of his own. In doing so. he unwittin...

About this title

Review:

"Simultaneously accurate and fantastical, this boy's love letter to the world made me laugh and tremble all the way through. "Pigeon English "is a triumph." --Emma Donoghue, author of "Room" (on the current Booker longlist) ""Pigeon English "is a powerful and impressive novel. Harri is an intelligent child with irresistible charm. His exuberance and natural resilience transcend his desolate surroundings and offer the reader an unexpected hope and belief in the nobility of the human spirit. Kelman knows the world of boys--their language, their humour, their thoughts--and Harri's voice is dazzlingly authentic. Utterly convincing and deeply moving, this is a book that we should all read if we want to understand the ugly world that we have somehow managed to create on the edges of society. I wasn't sure if I would have the courage to read it, but I was won over within the first few pages." --Clare Morrall, author of t

"Rich with lingo, energy, and occasional terror, "Pigeon English" is a stark and funny look at life in London's rough housing projects. After another hutious gangland chooking, eleven-year-old Harri is on the case, tracking the murderer for donkey hours while impressing Poppy with his bo-styles. A compelling anatomy of our inner cities, Stephen Kelman's debut novel navigates the hectic, modern world while coping with its most violent accompaniments." --Tony D'Souza, author of "Whiteman" and the forthcoming "Mule"
"Simultaneously accurate and fantastical, this boy's love letter to the world made me laugh and tremble all the way through. "Pigeon English "is a triumph." --Emma Donoghue, author of "Room" (on the current Booker longlist) ""Pigeon English "is a powerful and impressive novel. Harri is an intelligent child with irresistible

"Rich with lingo, energy, and occasional terror, "Pigeon English" is a stark and funny look at life in London's rough housing projects. After another hutious gangland chooking, eleven-year-old Harri is on the case, tracking the murderer for donkey hours while impressing Poppy with his bo-styles. A compelling anatomy of our inner cities, Stephen Kelman's debut novel navigates the hectic, modern world while coping with its most violent accompaniments." --Tony D'Souza, author of "Whiteman" and the forthcoming "Mule"
"Simultaneously accurate and fantastical, this boy's love letter to the world made me laugh and tremble all the way through. "Pigeon English "is a triumph." --Emma Donoghue, author of "Room" (on the current Booker longlist) ""Pigeon English "is a powerful and impressive novel. Harri is an intelligent child with irresistible charm. His exuberance and natural resilience transcend his desolate surroundings and offer the reader an unexpected hope and belief in the nobilityB

"Simultaneously accurate and fantastical, this boy's love letter to the world made me laugh and tremble all the way through. "Pigeon English "is a triumph." --Emma Donoghue, author of "Room" "Rich with lingo, energy, and occasional terror, "Pigeon English" is a stark and funny look at life in London's rough housing projects. A compelling anatomy of our inner cities, Stephen Kelman's debut novel navigates the hectic, modern world while coping with its most violent accompaniments." --Tony D'Souza, author of "Whiteman" and the forthcoming "Mule"
"Utterly convincing and deeply moving, this is a book that we should all read if we want to understand the ugly world that we have somehow managed to create on the edges of society." --Clare Morrall, author of the Booker-shortlisted "Astonishing Splashes of Colour "and "The Man Who Disappeared"

Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize "Simultaneously accurate and fantastical, this boy's love letter to the world made me laugh and tremble all the way through. "Pigeon English "is a triumph." --Emma Donoghue, author of "Room" "Rich with lingo, energy, and occasional terror, "Pigeon English" is a stark and funny look at life in London's rough housing projects. A compelling anatomy of our inner cities, Stephen Kelman's debut novel navigates the hectic, modern world while coping with its most violent accompaniments." --Tony D'Souza, author of "Whiteman" and the forthcoming "Mule"
"Utterly convincing and deeply moving, this is a book that we should all read if we want to understand the ugly world that we have somehow managed to create on the edges of society." --Clare Morrall, author of the Booker-shortlisted "Astonishing Splashes of Colour "and "The Man Who Disappeared"

Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize "This boy's love letter to the world made me laugh and tremble all the way through. "Pigeon English "is a triumph." --Emma Donoghue, author of "Room" "Remarkable . . . Kelman's creation is plausible, convincing and often enchanting." --"Milwaukee Journal Sentinel" ""Pigeon English" in a category beyond genre . . . This [is a] work of deep sympathy and imagination."--"Boston Globe" "Continually surprising and endearing . . . There's a sweetnees here that's irresistible." "-- Washington Post"

"Ingenious . . . "Pigeon English" packs a wallop." -- "Cleveland Plain Dealer"

"The mystery is secondary to the pleasures of listening to Harri as he prattles on winningly in a mix of street slang and Ghanaian expressions." --"Christian Science Monitor " ""Pigeon English" is a fascinating look at a culture pushed to the margins by a nation's economic and empathic indifference." --"Time Out Chicago " "A startlingl

Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize "This boy's love letter to the world made me laugh and tremble all the way through. "Pigeon English "is a triumph." --Emma Donoghue, author of "Room" "Remarkable . . . Kelman's creation is plausible, convincing and often enchanting." --"Milwaukee Journal Sentinel" ""Pigeon English" in a category beyond genre . . . This [is a] work of deep sympathy and imagination."--"Boston Globe" "Continually surprising and endearing . . . There's a sweetnees here that's irresistible." "-- Washington Post"

"Ingenious . . . "Pigeon English" packs a wallop." -- "Cleveland Plain Dealer"

"The mystery is secondary to the pleasures of listening to Harri as he prattles on winningly in a mix of street slang and Ghanaian expressions." --"Christian Science Monitor " ""Pigeon English" is a fascinating look at a culture pushed to the margins by a nation's economic and empathic indifference." --"Time Out Chicago " "A startlingly assured piece of work . . .With a very light touch, Kelman makes us view from a new perspective the kind of story we're used to reading about in the newspapers . . . Kelman is a writer to watch." --"Mystery Scene" "The humour, the resilience, the sheer ebullience of its narrator--a hero for our times--should ensure the book becomes, deservedly, a classic." --"Mail on Sunday "(UK) ""Pigeon English" is a book to fall in love with: a funny book, a true book, a shattering book . . . If you loved Mark Haddon's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" or Emma Donoghue's Man Booker-shortlisted "Room," you'll love this book too." --"The Times" (UK) "Fantastic . . . it seems hard to believe this is the author's first book." --"Guardian "(UK) "Like Harper Lee's Scout Finch and Miriam Toews' Thebes Troutman, Stephen Kelman's Harri is an original who seems to breathe real oxygen" --"Winnipeg Free Press "(Canada) "Rich with lingo, energy, and occasional terror, "Pigeon English" is a stark and funny look at life in London's rough housing projects. A compelling anatomy of our inner cities, Stephen Kelman's debut novel navigates the hectic, modern world while coping with its most violent accompaniments." --Tony D'Souza, author of "Whiteman" and "Mule " "Utterly convincing and deeply moving, this is a book that we should all read if we want to understand the ugly world that we have somehow managed to create on the edges of society." --Clare Morrall, author of the Booker-shortlisted "Astonishing Splashes of Colour "and "The Man Who Disappeared"

Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize "This boy s love letter to the world made me laugh and tremble all the way through. "Pigeon English "is a triumph." Emma Donoghue, author of "Room" "Remarkable . . . Kelman s creation is plausible, convincing and often enchanting." "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel" ""Pigeon English" in a category beyond genre . . . This [is a] work of deep sympathy and imagination." "Boston Globe""Continually surprising and endearing . . . There's a sweetnees here that's irresistible." "-- Washington Post"

"Ingenious . . . "Pigeon English" packs a wallop." -- "Cleveland Plain Dealer"

"The mystery is secondary to the pleasures of listening to Harri as he prattles on winningly in a mix of street slang and Ghanaian expressions." "Christian Science Monitor """Pigeon English" is a fascinating look at a culture pushed to the margins by a nation s economic and empathic indifference." "Time Out Chicago ""A startlingly assured piece of work . . .With a very light touch, Kelman makes us view from a new perspective the kind of story we re used to reading about in the newspapers . . . Kelman is a writer to watch." "Mystery Scene" "The humour, the resilience, the sheer ebullience of its narrator a hero for our times should ensure the book becomes, deservedly, a classic." "Mail on Sunday "(UK) ""Pigeon English" is a book to fall in love with: a funny book, a true book, a shattering book . . . If you loved Mark Haddon s "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" or Emma Donoghue s Man Booker shortlisted "Room," you ll love this book too." "The Times" (UK) "Fantastic . . . it seems hard to believe this is the author s first book." "Guardian "(UK) "Like Harper Lee s Scout Finch and Miriam Toews Thebes Troutman, Stephen Kelman s Harri is an original who seems to breathe real oxygen" "Winnipeg Free Press "(Canada) "Rich with lingo, energy, and occasional terror, "Pigeon English" is a stark and funny look at life in London s rough housing projects. A compelling anatomy of our inner cities, Stephen Kelman s debut novel navigates the hectic, modern world while coping with its most violent accompaniments." Tony D Souza, author of "Whiteman" and "Mule ""Utterly convincing and deeply moving, this is a book that we should all read if we want to understand the ugly world that we have somehow managed to create on the edges of society." Clare Morrall, author of the Booker-shortlisted "Astonishing Splashes of Colour "and "The Man Who Disappeared""

Book Description:

Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2011
Shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award 2011
Pigeon English introduces a major new literary talent

About this edition

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0547500602
• ISBN 13: 9780547500607
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 263