The Marzipan Pig [Paperback]

Russell Hoban (Author), Quentin Blake (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1989

"A tale of sweets and love . . . And each improbable episode more wonderful, and more romantic."--The New York Times Book Review. Black-and-white illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A marzipan pig, lost behind the sofa, is eaten by a mousewho consequently knows loneliness. The mouse looks to a clock for love, and when she leaves, the clock, in turn, knows emptiness. The owl who has eaten the mouse falls in love with a lit taxi meter, and so on, as each being or object is transformed by its encounter with another. Coming full cycle, a new marzipan pig arrives in the mail and is eaten by the upstairs mouse, who is not eaten by the owl. Instead, she goes dancing all night on the Embankment, wearing a pink hibiscus-petal frock. Exploring the same themes of love and its redeeming power as in The Mouse and His Child, Hoban incorporates humor and adventure in this short, fable-like story. Blake's charcoal-and-ink drawings charmingly illuminate the text. Ages 7-9.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4 Hoban has created an offbeat tale wherein the title character makes only a brief, catalytic appearance. The marzipan pig has fallen, unnoticed, behind the sofa, and is eaten by a mouse. The pig's sweetness and his thoughts are transferred to the mouse, then to the owl who eats the mouse, starting a chain of events which comes full circle by the story's end. This is an odd little piece with quirky moments (the owl, for example, falls in love with a taxi meter), yet not without humor, and while some readers may find this a bit on the treacly side, fantasy fanciers may find merit in Hoban's evocative prose. Frequent black-and-white sketches, somewhat murky, neither help nor hinder the text. Kathleen Brachmann, Highland Park Public Library, Ill.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux (J) (March 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374447500
• ISBN-13: 978-0374447502
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #813,791 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful poem in the form of a children's story, September 18, 2004

By 

Victor J. Bennetts (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Marzipan Pig (Hardcover)

I can say without exaggeration that this book changed my life. I read it over 15 years ago when I was studying Hoban as a literature student and was stuck by the bitter thread of lonliness that runs through much of Hoban's writing. I think it finds its most perfect and certainly its most concentrated expression in this work. Yes, this is a children's story and my children love it (although not as much as, say, ACE Dragon) but it is also so much more. When I first met my wife ten years ago I gave her a copy of this book. Actually, we had been going out for a month or two and she called me that day to say we shouldn't see any more of each other. She thought our relationship might have a negative impact on her career as we were work colleagues at the time. I wandered into a bookstore at lunchtime and chanced upon a copy of Marzipan Pig which I bought and left with her. Three days later she called me back to say she had made a mistake. Thus I avoided the fate of the clock in this story. Thank you Mr Hoban, many thanks indeed.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most amazing children's book ever, March 24, 2008

By 

Mom of 1 yr old - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Marzipan Pig (Hardcover)

I bought this book for a quarter at a tag sale for my son. Although he's not yet old enough to be interested in it, I immediately fell in love. It is beautifully written, more of a poem than a story. Its just wonderful, there really is no other word. I am sure I will read it over and over (although for the price of it offered here, I will not be buying it for friends and relatives, as planned when I got online tonight).

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars edible love, October 20, 2001

By 

Tanya Sparke (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Marzipan Pig (Hardcover)

Love......................Love.................................... the owl looked with powerful intent,Love............. the neon taxi lamp was the most beautiful thing to be ever who, whoed by owl.
This book is the sweetest childrens story an adult will ever read.Our passionless moments in life are all in this splendid book. Something one can digest with ones family.