The Pigman: A Classic Young Adult Novel of Friendship, Betrayal, and Tragedy

Having read this book in high school many years ago, I decided to reread it and I am glad I did. The late Paul Zindel tells the story of 2 High School sophomore's in Staten Island named John and Lorraine who are prime examples of adolescent angst living in troubled homes and trying to find themselves. Through a phone prank John and Lorraine pass themselves off as charity workers and upon invitation go to the home of Mr. Pignatti the "Pigman". Mr. Pigman is a lonely man looking for companionship.I found the story which is told alternately in chapters from John and Lorraine often times humorous and ultimately sad as life is for many. This story touches on friendship , loyalty and love. These three characters meet through fraudulent means but ultimately grow to love and need each other . There are life lessons in this short story for everyone regardless of their age. The copy I read is the 50th anniversary edition and contains a Q & A with the author, trivia and 2 chapters of the followup to this book, "The Pigmans Legacy." I found these additions informative and enjoyable. Life is full of lonely people like Mr. Pigman and troubled youth like John and Lorraine and everyone has Pigman moments in their life Reading this book by Paul Zindel will make you think and be worth your while. Recommended .

This was a favorite book from my preteen years so it was fun to read it again and share with my granddaughter

The Pigman by Paul Zindel is a young adult novel, told over by two trouble making teenagers. The book is told over by two narrators, John Conlan & Lorraine Jensen, in their own perspectives. Both of them take an oat at the beginning of the book, to only write down the facts of the story and their experiences with Mr. Angelo Pignati. John and Lorraine, and their two other friends, Norton Kelly and Dennis Kobin, meet up and decide to make prank phone calls. Lorraine picks out Mr. Pignati and pretends to be calling from a charity. Mr. Pignati agrees to give them a donation of $10. John and Lorraine decide to go to Mr. Pignati's house to collect the donation. From the first time they meet Mr. Pignati they become great friends, and Mr. Pignati takes up a great role of being a father-figure for them. John and Lorraine visits become very frequently, and they adapt a very strong relationship with Mr. Pignati. One day John and Lorraine discover documents that prove the death of Mrs. Pignati, and that she isn't just on vacation, which Mr. Pignati had told them previously. John and Lorraine decide to tell Mr. Pignati the truth about them not really being in need of any charity, and Mr. Pignati tells them that his wife had really died, a short time before. Mr. Pignati care for them, and treats them like his own children. The three of them create a really strong relationship, and Mr. Pignati helps them discover the true meaning of friendship. Mr. Pignati helps John and Lorraine discover the love that they have for each other, and what love is. Mr. Pignati helps these troubled teenagers, and cares for them truly. Throughout the story the chain of events begin to get unleashed and the story gets more interesting. John and Lorraine write the book to tell over all the good times that they had with Mr. Pignati, and to cover up some of the guilt which they feel. The Pigman is a great book for teenagers, it corresponds to many teenagers lives, and teaches some very strong lessons. I suggest you to read The Pigman, there is a lot to learn from this book.

Great life lesson book wrapped up in an intriguing, funny, sad, story. You hit almost every emotion on the ride this story takes you on. I found it when I was only 13 and it grabbed my attention like no other book had. I did a book report on it and we had to read our review/report out loud in front of the class. Everyone was enthralled in my report and you could have heard a pin drop in the classroom! It was the first time I felt important and had people listening to me. I think it makes a great choice for young teens and especially for kids that say they do not like to read. I didn't think I liked to read either and this book changed that.

Wow, this story was so moving. It really gives the reader a lot to think about. Were the kids wrong? Extremely well written.

Buena compra

I read this because my son had to read it for his 8th grade English class. I know it's a famous book but I found it really depressing. My biggest problem was that I didn't really like either John or Lorraine. I didn't like them so I didn't care what happened to them. I felt they were mean to Mr. Pignati. They are just two bratty teens, who play a prank on a sad old man and end up sorry at the end of the story. Not the worst book I've ever read, but not much fun either.

I am a mom who decided to read this book, as it was required for my son's 8 grade language arts class. I'm always interested in what he brings home and the very first glance had me hooked. He also enjoyed reading this book and it was an easy read for us both. The Pigman is a short story that kids can easily relate to, plus interesting enough to hold their attention. I can see why this book is so popular and is given as a class assignment. I gave The Pigman 5 stars because it impressed me while also teaching a lesson too.

ハンサムなＪｏｈｎが私のお気に入りなんです。 アメリカで英語の授業に使っていたもので、現在はそれを英語の授業で使ってます。高校生程度の単語や文法に他に日常の言い回しなど、ネイティブが 使っている英語なので、お勧めです。 中級程度の英語力があれば、スムーズに読めると思いますが、初心者には、 ちょっと難しいかもしれません。でもトライしてみる価値はあると思います。

Super. Vielen Dank.

I loved this book so much. Although it’s not something I would pick out for myself, we were assigned to read it for school. I was very surprised by the book, because I thought the beginning was a bit boring, but it leads to a very good ending. This book is a real tear jerker!!

My dad told me to read this as he said he loved it as a kid so I gave it a go and I finished in a day I couldn't stop reading. 5Star

I love pigs!