Round of Applause

Many people like Paul Zindel for his writing style, not for the tales that he tell. I now like him for both.

Zindel created a good book in The Pigman, the story of two teenagers in high school who find and ultimately fall in love with this old, lonely man who just wants a friend. The two kids find him by prank calling his house, 190 Howard Avenue. The main characters, John and Lorraine, said that they were calling him for a charity, and he wouldn't hang up. They went to his house and became attached to him. They went back more and more often.

This book might even appeal to adults, also. Parents and adults will remember their prank calling days, such as "Prince Albert in a Can" and the most famous prank, "is your refrigerator running?" John and Lorraine do these jokes and more. Parents can also relate to the old fashioned telephone, which John's father, who he calls Bore, locked up. Bore then accused John of gluing the lock so no one could use the phone.

Paul Zindel threw in plenty of irony when writing this book also. John's parents are easy going, and he is disrespectful towards them. He goes as far as calling his parents Old Lady and Bore (because his father is so boring when he talks about the Coffee Exchange). Lorraine's mother is strict, and demands attention and respect from Lorraine. Lorraine says "yes ma'am" to everything, and her mom always tells her to lock the windows in fear of rapists. Lorraine's father is dead, but had left her mother.

A bad part about the book is the terrible secret that the book is supposed to be about. The secret is very predictable, but that doesn't spoil the end from being good. Want to know what happens? Pick up the book!