- Hardcover
- Publisher: William Heinemann; reprint edition (1955)
- Language: English
- ASIN: B0010K6I00
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
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Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Remarkable,
By James P. Hunt (Oklahoma City, OK USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Pied Piper (Paperback)
In college I went to a used book store to buy Shute's "On the Beach". They didn't have it, so I bought "Pied Piper" as a consolation. I've read it three times since. Tremendous novel. An aeronautical engineer by training, Shute was a gifted storyteller and writer. Piper is well paced, has many stories within the story of bringing the children back to England - a man coping with old age, feelings of uselessness, the loss of a son; the formation of a deep friendship with the woman his son left behind, and so forth. Shute hits on the timeless themes of courage, fortitude, self-sacrifice, forgiveness etc. without ever coming close to being maudlin. There are no unnecessary speeches from men standing on a hilltop talking about "what it's all for". As John Howard says, while in custody, to the German officer who tells him he must be a very brave man, "No, not a brave man. Just a very old one." For the record, I think it was made into a movie twice. Once with Monty Wooley playing Howard and then again for television - mid eighties, perhaps - with Peter O'Toole playing the role. Still, as the story is so marvelous, it should be done again for the big screen. Considering Anthony Hopkins's performance in "The Remains of the Day" (which was superior to the entertaining but far less nuanced Hannibal Lecter), I think he would be perfect to play Howard, putting the perfect cap on his career.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Respite from Sex and Gore,
By
This review is from: PIED PIPER (Hardcover)
A somewhat earlier Shute novel that again reveals his positive orientation toward people and life. Shares with many other novels the preposterous notion that some Nazis were humane and thoughtful (I'm thinking of Steinbeck's "The Moon is Down" for one), but I don't hold that against the work. We would all do exactly the same things the old man did to save the children, so there develops a great sympathy for him during the course of the reading. And the book is squeaky clean, one that provides some welcome relief from the current onslaught of, say, two females having sex in the toilet stall in "Bright Lights, Big City." We're way far away from that here. And thank goodness.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unforgettable!,
By
This review is from: Pied Piper (Paperback)
Nevil Shute wrote stories about regular people thrown into extraordinary circumstances. He doesn't seem to attract much attention in college literature classes, perhaps because he writes about ordinary people. It's a shame because every book of Shute's is a great read. His characters will remain with you long after you've read the book. This tale of a grieving father who became a true hero is one of his best.
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