Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Skippy Dies

by Paul Murray

Our story begins with Daniel "Skippy" Juster and Ruprecht Van Doren engaging in a donut-eating contest. Ruprecht wins easily, but not because he is a donut afficionado. It is because Skippy dies during the contest.

The rest of the novel concerns itself with how Skippy came to die, which is a fairly interesting and complex set of circumstances. Along the way, readers meet his classmates, teachers, friends, and enemies. Not everything, as readers will learn, is as it appears to be.

And once Skippy has died, we also witness the aftermath.

Sometimes humorous and sometimes very dark, Skippy Dies is a unique look at boarding school life, as well as life itself.

I'm still not sure what to think of this novel, but I did like it. I found some of the characters to be quiet compelling.

8/25/11

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