Q. There are no exact correspondences to Hamlet in The Dead Fathers Club. Philip has lost his father, and his uncle Alan has usurped his mother’s affections and the proprietorship of the ‘Castle’. However, without giving away the end of the novel, is it safe to say that Philip breaks free of Shakespeare’s narrative, and if so, why is this significant for you? And he smiled but in a sad way and he said Yes like a light bulb. It is hard tocontrol where I go but I am getting better. And I said No. And Dads Ghost said I have seen him. I have seen him Philip. I have seen him saying sorry. Saying SORRY Philip. I have seen him drive over the bridge looking for signs. I know it was him Philip. And then he looked at me and said it again. I know it was him. You have to trust me. I know it was him. And I said No no no. He said Uncle Alan is dangerous. He will kill anyone who stands in his way Philip. That includes you Philip. And what happens when he gets bored of Mum? He will kill her too Philip. The words were squashing on my chest and I had to think of my breathing to get the air inside me. He said You have to stop him Philip. I said Ill tell the police. He said You cant tell the police Philip theres no evidence. I said But youve seen him. He said Ghosts dont count as evidence. I said Ill tell Mum. He looked really angry and said You cant tell Mum anything Philip. It will put you both in more danger. I said Ill tell him to leave us alone. He said No Philip no. He wont listen to you. I said What shall I do? He stood there and his face didnt move for ages like he was a see through photo and then he said in a voice that squeezed my chest even harder You must kill him Philip. You must get my Revenge. Matt Haig’s extraordinary second novel pushes and pulls at Shakespeare’s play, pokes and prods at it in such a way that only half the fun is to be found in spotting the parallels. The story is so surprising and strange that it vaults into a realm all of its own . . . most of all it allows Haig to indulge his innocently acute eye for detail and his delightfully weird imagination. One’s heart goes out to a boy torn between a selfish ghost (“If you ever loved me . . . “) and a foolish mother, and one naturally fears for him, knowing the fate of the first Hamlet. But Haig borrows from Shakespeare in the same spirit that Shakespeare borrowed from his own sources. One is never sure where the story is going next, and that’s what makes the book such sad fun. Gerard Woodward, The Guardian Leah confides to Philip that she hates God. By contrast, her father, Mr. Fairview, has turned enthusiastically toward religion after the death of his wife. What commentary does The Dead Fathers Club offer regarding religion, and how does religion influence events and relationships in the novel?

The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig - Reading Guide The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig - Reading Guide

Philip Noble is an eleven-year-old in crisis. His pub landlord father has died in a road accident, and his mother is succumbing to the greasy charms of her dead husband's brother, Uncle Alan. The remaining certainties of Philip's life crumble away when his father's ghost appears in the pub and declares Uncle Alan murdered him. Tempering the tragedy with a deftly comic touch, Haig combines a compelling mixture of psychological insight and pre-adolescent angst in this strikingly original tale. The Big IssueMatt Haig is a writer for children and adults who is adept at digging into the human heart * * Sunday Times * *

The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig: 9780143112945

Cleverly constructed narrative convinces the reader that this is a young child relating, explaining and describing both major and trivial incidents in his life. If you enjoyed The Sixth Sense you’ll find this book compulsive reading. It offers some pertinent observations about the human condition . . . be prepared for a highly dramatic conclusion. Funny, tragic (and very British), Matt Haig has written a delightful and poignant novel, told in the voice of an 11 year old boy who is trying to process the death of his father as he also endeavors to grow up. Full of surprising and intricate language as well as fascinating plot twists, this is a story for all types of readers. Karen Frank, Northshire Bookstore Vermont Carla always talked to men since her Divorce and since she stopped falling over and gettingthe bruises. Mum used to tell Dad she thought Carla was an Old Tart but sheliked her really. I dont know if Carla is older than Mum because she has twinsin my Year at school but she looks older than Mum. Philip is a breathless storyteller who seldom stops for punctuation but whose honesty and innocence, which shine from every sentence, are utterly captivating and heartbreakingly poignant. The result is an absolutely irresistible read. Booklist (starred review)

My intention was to write a story that connects with people emotionally and hopefully that connection works the same with or without an in-depth knowledge of Hamlet. After all, Shakespeare himself was the king of rewrites, and Hamlet itself echoes earlier vengeance stories. This meant having absolutely no life for four months, living on cereal and toast, getting through pens at a rate of one a day, and having surreal dreams about tropical fish and Roman Emperors. A breathless see-saw between indecision and drama, between dark comedy and poignancy. Utterly compelling to its unpredictable climax, you won’t want to come up for air. Eve Magazine F. Scott Fitzgerald said when he wrote he felt like he was holding his breath and swimming under water. With The Dead Fathers Club it was certainly written at quite a breathless, intense level, and came from a place I can’t easily locate. But once I had the voice, it was there and I was able to see everything through Philip’s eyes.

The Dead Fathers Club By Matt Haig | Used | 9781786893253 The Dead Fathers Club By Matt Haig | Used | 9781786893253

I moved my eyes and watched Mum and Uncle Alan and I wanted Uncle Alans hands to stop holdingMums hands and they did stop when Renuka went and talked to Mum. Renuka is Mumsbest friend who goes to Step class with her on Mondays and Thursdays where theyStep on boxes for an hour to make their bums smaller. Renuka had been with Mumlots this week and she had made 700 cups of tea and Uncle Alan looked cross nowbecause when Renuka talks no one can fit words in because she doesnt have anyspaces. Phillip is encouraged by his deceased father to steal a mini-bus to supposedly prevent Alan from breaking into the pub and is shown several chemicals that could potentially kill his father's murderer. During this time Phillip is assigned to therapy sessions and begins a relationship with Leah, the daughter of a business partner in the garage Alan works at, which Brian does not approve of. Her eyes went in a squint and made her face more wrinkly and she saw me. Herskeleton hand said Come here come here so I went and sat with her and she juststared at me and didnt say anything at first. She just looked round at everyoneand went Sssss because of her pains like she had a puncture. In Haig’s magnificent updating of Hamlet, Philip, an English schoolboy, must decide whether to listen to the ghost of his father and to murder the uncle who is making the moves on his mother. . . . Haig’s prose is light and humorous and sprinkled with allusions to the Bard, even as his topic turns dark and menacing. Arsen Kashkashian of The Boulder Book Store, Colorado store (Book Sense) in the Seattle PostHaig is one of the most inspirational popular writers on mental health of our age.”― Independent (London) A. Not through research, so I guess it was personal experience. I grew up in Newark-on-Trent, and went to a school like Philip’s, so it was relatively easy to conjure that world. And as I was a rather anxious eleven-year-old I drew a lot from my own feelings from that time. And then they went into the office and shut the door and I could hear nothing forages and then I heard Mum. She was howling like a WOLF and the noise hurt mystomach and I closed my eyes to try and hear the policeman and all he was sayingwas Im sorry and he kept on saying it Mrs Fell said And the soldiers knew that over this wall was not only the end of the world but also some of the most violent tribes they had ever heard of. I wiped my hand on my jeans and then Charlotte Ward said How long was it Miss? Hows your dad? Hows your dad? Hows your dad? Phillip is taken to the hospital where he discovers a news article that suggests that his father's ghost was lying. Phillip's father is still visible and still attempts to persuade Phillip to murder Alan, who chooses not to listen to his father. Alan eventually dies due to injuries sustained from Phillip's rescue, but it is left unclear as to whether Brian's ghost was saved from the terrors or was simply a figment of Phillip’s imagination.