Questions About Jasper Jones

by Craig Silvey (Goodreads Author)

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Jasper Jones, please sign up.

Answered Questions (12)

it's getting better as i read on. the pace has picked up. i still don't find the some of the voices genuine e.g. the young vietnamese teen sounds ridiculous. what do others think? also too many literary allusions. the constant reference to Atticus finch is over kill.

Russell Proctor I found the voices very non-genuine. I lived in the 1960's in rural Australia and these "voices" just don't cut it. Why was the book set in 1965? Ther…moreI found the voices very non-genuine. I lived in the 1960's in rural Australia and these "voices" just don't cut it. Why was the book set in 1965? There seems to be no reason for it. At one point Charlie specifically points out that the TV is in black and white. If he was genuinely supposed to be a 13 year old boy at that time he would have known no other type of TV. So why mention the picture was in black and white? It would not have occurred to him to remark on that at all. A minor point, but it's not the only example of "non-genuine" voice by any means.(less)

flag

This book sucks. It's very boring and drawn out. Why did the author write this?

Matthew Turner At least you made an attempt to disguise your opinion as a question with: "Why did the author write this?".

I can't answer on behalf of the author, bu…moreAt least you made an attempt to disguise your opinion as a question with: "Why did the author write this?".

I can't answer on behalf of the author, but if I had to guess... he probably wrote it because he thought it was a good story worth telling.

And it seems a lot of people agree because it has a very high rating on Goodreads.

And it also won these awards:
★ Michael L. Printz Honor Award, 2012.
★ Indie Book of the Year Award, 2009: Overall Winner and Fiction Winner.
★ Western Australian Premier's Book Awards, 2009: Winner for Fiction
★ Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA), 2010: Book of the Year, and Literary Fiction of the Year.
★ Miles Franklin Literary Award, 2010: Shortlisted.
★ New South Wales Premier's Literary Award Christina Stead Prize for fiction, 2010: Shortlisted.
★ Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction, 2010: Shortlisted.
★ International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, 2011: Shortlisted.

And the book is also being adapted into a film.

I'm sorry you didn't like it but -- oh well -- different strokes for different folks.(less)

flag

I really like this book, is there anything you can recommend based on that?

Matthew Turner If you liked this book, I strongly recommend The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. I loved both books, but The Curious Incident was, in …moreIf you liked this book, I strongly recommend The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. I loved both books, but The Curious Incident was, in my opinion, even better than Jasper Jones.(less)

flag

When Jasper shows Charlie that he has found Eliza Wishart in “his” clearing, Charlie is understandably shocked and upset. Do you think that Charlie did the right thing in helping Jasper? Why do you think Charlie agreed to become an accomplice?

Scott Fisher It was the wrong this to do. Charlie did not know Jasper. Charlie did not have any reason to keep Laura's death from her family (especially the sister…moreIt was the wrong this to do. Charlie did not know Jasper. Charlie did not have any reason to keep Laura's death from her family (especially the sister that he hits on in the middle of the book) so only a sociopath would withhold that information. There was no reason to think that their main suspect (Lionel) would be treated well by the police as he has an appalling reputation so the idea that they needed to protect Jasper in the face of Lionel is stupid. Moreover, they did nothing after sinking her body until much later. Meanwhile, Charlie made heaps of jokes, fell in love with the corpse's sister, had an erection so that it was hard to wee and fought with his evil mother. Charlie became an accomplice because it fits with the misogynistic nature of the novel. For Silvey, men are usually saints, martyrs, mates and marvels (except the bad guys). The women are all either evil or dead so Silvey saw little reason to care about another dead female when there's a bloke to protect.(less)

flag

Is it worth reading even after having seen the film?