The Fall of Fergal: The First Unlikely Exploit (Unlikely Exploits) [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Philip Ardagh (Author), Joe Barrett (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 13, 2005 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Unlikely Exploits (Book 1)

The very last words young Fergal McNally heard in his life were: "Don't lean out of that window!" The very last sounds were probably the air whistling past his sticky-out ears as he fell the fourteen stories, the honk of traffic horns below (getting nearer and nearer, of course), and-possibly-the "SP" of the "SPLAT!" he himself made as he hit the pavement. Fergal certainly wouldn't have heard more than the "SP," though, because by the time the "LAT!" part had followed, he would have been well and truly dead.

The first in a darkly hilarious new series from the bestselling author of the Eddie Dickens Trilogy

Philip Ardagh's Unlikely Exploits series chart the extraordinary changes in fortune of the downtrodden McNally family, beginning with The Fall of Fergal. The setting is an unidentified country suffering from an unexpected breakout of large holes.

The McNally children find themselves in the Dell Hotel, the venue for the final of the Tap 'n' Type typing competition, surrounded by a strange assortment of characters ranging from Twinkle-Toes Tweedy, the house detective, to Mr. Peach, a ventriloquist with a very large mustache.

With young Fergal McNally falling to his death on page one, the only way for the McNallys is up . . .

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Philip Ardagh, the smart, silly author of the Eddie Dickens trilogy (and often called the UK's answer to Lemony Snicket), kicks off another smart, silly series with The Fall of Fergal.

Between an internal-dialogue prologue and an early in-story, readers will quickly realize that the plot of Fergal will probably prove secondary to Ardagh's free-wheeling self-referential style. But how can you argue when you're having this much fun? Even as the book begins with its ending, Ardagh's strategy works as brilliantly as ever--and even includes a semi-sensible plot: young Le Fay McNally has reached the Tap 'n' Type Young Typist of the Year Grand Finals, and she hopes to smuggle her older sister, twin brothers, and one younger brother into the luxurious Dell hotel to watch her compete. The poor, put-upon, ill-fed McNally kids reel at the poshness of the Dell, and comedy ensues as Le Fay first sneaks her siblings into the hotel, then begins meeting her competitors (including the hilariously illustrated and described Graham Large: "the hair--my God, the hair--that was most shocking of all. Thick, dark brown, and swept back into an enormous quiff, it was so stiff that it looked more like spun sugar....She'd never met such a sweet-smelling, softy-skinned, quiffy person in shorts before").

Between his knowing asides, Ardagh squeezes in a few other hilarious characters--including chief hotel detective Capt. Twinkle-Toes Tweedy (Retd.) and voluminously mustachioed ventriloquist and beat poet Hieronymus Peach--before the white-knuckle Tap 'n' Type finals and the book's climactic ending (which, if you'll remember, came at the book's beginning). Fans and soon-to-be fans of Ardagh will be glad to hear him confide that there's much, much more in store for the McNallys: "There are three books in this series, and something has to happen in the other two!" (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6–"The very last words young Fergal McNally heard in his life were: 'Don't lean out of that window!'" It's a great hook for a dark tale that begins with the end and works its way backward, but the device is not entirely successful. Widowed Captain McNally is a former sailor and war hero who has turned to drinking. His oldest daughter, Jackie, takes care of her four siblings. When Le Fay wins a spot in the national grand finals for a typing competition, Jackie devises a plan for the other children to attend the event; they will sneak into Le Fay's hotel room. After uncovering a plot by another competitor to cheat her out of the championship, Fergal tragically falls to his death. When the detective sees the remaining children in the hotel room, he notices a resemblance between them and an old sailor who once saved his life. A strange twist at the end leads the way to the next book in the series. Dropping prophetic hints throughout, Ardagh ties the loose ends together nicely and talks to readers in a series of asides. Unfortunately, the sequencing of the story, starting with Fergal, skipping back to introduce the characters and tell the story, occasionally fast forwarding again, is distracting and results in a fragmented narrative. Ardagh's dark sense of humor is particularly evident in his graphic description of Fergal's fall and subsequent trip to the morgue. The pen-and-ink line drawings are eerily sinister and somewhat disturbing. This British author's dry, off-the-wall wit will appeal to a limited audience.–Kit Vaughan, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Audio CD
• Publisher: Listening Library (Audio); Unabridged edition (December 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307282767
• ISBN-13: 978-0307282767
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 4.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,131,562 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My 10 year old LOVED it, December 8, 2004

By 

B. Junkin-Mills "brookemom" (West Chester, PA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Fall of Fergal: The First Unlikely Exploit (Unlikely Exploits) (Hardcover)

My 10 year-old son, usually a reluctant reader, loved this book so much that he repeatedly chose to read beyond his "required" 30 minutes of reading time. Also, he kept running in to me to read me excerpts - he thought it was hilarious. He brought it to school to ask his librarian to get it. Wow! I've ordered the second and anxiously await the 3rd.

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it!, August 23, 2010

By 

Lauren Roswell (Kansas) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Fall Of Fergal: The First Unlikely Exploit (Unlikely Exploits Trilogy) (Paperback)

I just love the books! They are so funny and humorous! Philip has a way with words. My kids enjoy reading them as well. I hope he writes more books soon!

5.0 out of 5 stars I love it!, April 20, 2010

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Fall Of Fergal: The First Unlikely Exploit (Unlikely Exploits Trilogy) (Paperback)

I love this entire series of books! I think Peter is my favorite author of all time. His writing style is fun! He is so creative! I love how he tells it like it is and throws in comments. I cannot rate this book high enough!