A Pack of Lies
Encyclopedia
A Pack of Lies is a children's novel with metafictional elements by Geraldine McCaughrean
, first published in 1988. The novel includes a collection of ten short stories of widely varying type and setting. The book won the Carnegie Medal
and the Guardian Children's Fiction Award.
, as in the Panchatantra
, the Arabian Nights and the Canterbury Tales. Each of the stories is linked to a different piece of furniture in an antique shop, and the question arises as to whether the stories are pure invention ("a pack of lies") or could perhaps be true - and what their being "true" would mean about the narrator.
A young man with the unlikely name of MCC Berkshire ("from Reading") follows Ailsa home from the library and talks himself into an unpaid job in her mother's run-down antique shop - all he asks is somewhere to sleep and books to read. He has a wonderful way of assessing the customers and suiting the provenance
he gives the furniture to their interests. Moreover, he seems to adapt himself - his accent, his manner, his personal history - to the story being told, which also seems to be inspired by the book he has just been reading. When chided by Mrs Povey for telling lies, he responds: "'Not lies, madam.... Fiction. That's the thing to give 'em. That's the thing everyone wants. Fiction, madam! "
Ailsa and Mrs Povey, while grateful to MCC for his help and enjoying his company, often have doubts about him, while Uncle Clive, on a brief visit, is positively hostile. After the Poveys' financial problems are suddenly solved, literally from the pages of a book, the scene is set for MCC's departure. In the final chapter Ailsa realizes the shocking truth, while the reader realizes that Ailsa's reality is another of MCC's tales.
From Publishers Weekly
: "The author leaps from genre to genre, in the writing equivalent of sleight of hand. Within each tale are surprising twists and turns that overlap and extend the
stories-within-stories; McCaughrean pulls off each meta-fictional complexity with finesse
and humor."
From the Times Educational Supplement
: "The sheer glee of the enterprise is irresistible."
From Growing Point
: "Entertainment like this is rare; it should be enjoyed, re-tasted and remembered with pleasure."
A Pack of Lies was awarded the Carnegie Medal
for 1988 and the Guardian Children's Fiction Award, the two most prestigious British awards for children's literature.
The book was a primary subject of a scholarly essay on fiction and metafiction in The Lion and the Unicorn
in 1999.
Geraldine McCaughrean
Geraldine McCaughrean is a British children's novelist.The youngest of three children, McCaughrean studied teaching but did not like it, and found her true vocation in writing. She claims that what makes her love writing is the desire to escape from an unsatisfactory world...
, first published in 1988. The novel includes a collection of ten short stories of widely varying type and setting. The book won the Carnegie Medal
Carnegie Medal
The Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
and the Guardian Children's Fiction Award.
Plot summary
The narrative follows the age-old pattern of separate stories embedded within a primary storyFrame story
A frame story is a literary technique that sometimes serves as a companion piece to a story within a story, whereby an introductory or main narrative is presented, at least in part, for the purpose of setting the stage either for a more emphasized second narrative or for a set of shorter stories...
, as in the Panchatantra
Panchatantra
The Panchatantra is an ancient Indian inter-related collection of animal fables in verse and prose, in a frame story format. The original Sanskrit work, which some scholars believe was composed in the 3rd century BCE, is attributed to Vishnu Sharma...
, the Arabian Nights and the Canterbury Tales. Each of the stories is linked to a different piece of furniture in an antique shop, and the question arises as to whether the stories are pure invention ("a pack of lies") or could perhaps be true - and what their being "true" would mean about the narrator.
A young man with the unlikely name of MCC Berkshire ("from Reading") follows Ailsa home from the library and talks himself into an unpaid job in her mother's run-down antique shop - all he asks is somewhere to sleep and books to read. He has a wonderful way of assessing the customers and suiting the provenance
Provenance
Provenance, from the French provenir, "to come from", refers to the chronology of the ownership or location of an historical object. The term was originally mostly used for works of art, but is now used in similar senses in a wide range of fields, including science and computing...
he gives the furniture to their interests. Moreover, he seems to adapt himself - his accent, his manner, his personal history - to the story being told, which also seems to be inspired by the book he has just been reading. When chided by Mrs Povey for telling lies, he responds: "'Not lies, madam.... Fiction. That's the thing to give 'em. That's the thing everyone wants. Fiction, madam! "
Ailsa and Mrs Povey, while grateful to MCC for his help and enjoying his company, often have doubts about him, while Uncle Clive, on a brief visit, is positively hostile. After the Poveys' financial problems are suddenly solved, literally from the pages of a book, the scene is set for MCC's departure. In the final chapter Ailsa realizes the shocking truth, while the reader realizes that Ailsa's reality is another of MCC's tales.
The characters
- MCC Berkshire, a mysterious stranger, an inveterate reader and spinner of tales
- Ailsa Povey, a schoolgirl
- Audrey Povey, Ailsa's widowed mother, who owns Povey's Antiquary, a junk shopJunk shopA junk shop is a retail store that sells secondhand goods cheaply. A low-quality antique shop may be bordering on a junk shop.- External links :*...
- Clive Povey, Ailsa's uncle, Grace's brother-in-law, a bossy bad-tempered businessman
- Mr Singh, the owner of the newsagentNewsagentA newsagent's shop , newsagency or newsstand is a business that sells newspapers, magazines, cigarettes, snacks and often items of local interest. In Britain and Australia, these businesses are termed newsagents...
's shop next door to Povey's Antiquary
The stories
The stories range in subject matter from romance to piracy, in style from police procedural to narrative poetry, in setting from early twentieth century Ireland to ancient China. Most are also morality tales, based on some human weakness such as gluttony or vanity.- The Clock: A Story of Superstition
- The Writing Box: The Story of a Liar
- The Plate: A Question of Values
- The Table: A Story of Gluttony
- The Harpsichord: A Story of Honour and Trust
- The Umbrella-Stand: A Story of Temper
- The Mirror: A Story of Vanity
- The Roll-Top Chest: A Question of Whodunnit
- The Wooden Chest: A Story of Betrayal
- The Lead Soldier: A Story of Pride
- The Bed: A Story of Horrors Unspeakable
Literary significance and reception
Critics praised the book as lively and entertaining, particularly noting the skill with which its complexity is handled:From Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
: "The author leaps from genre to genre, in the writing equivalent of sleight of hand. Within each tale are surprising twists and turns that overlap and extend the
stories-within-stories; McCaughrean pulls off each meta-fictional complexity with finesse
and humor."
From the Times Educational Supplement
Times Educational Supplement
The Times Educational Supplement is a weekly UK publication aimed primarily at school teachers in the UK. It was first published in 1910 as a pull-out supplement in The Times newspaper. Such was its popularity that in 1914, the supplement became a separate publication selling for 1 penny.The TES...
: "The sheer glee of the enterprise is irresistible."
From Growing Point
Margery Fisher
Margery Lilian Edith Fisher 1913–1992 was a British literary critic.She was internationally renowned for her influence in promoting the importance of good literature for children. This came about through her books, world lecture tours and her own notable journal Growing Point...
: "Entertainment like this is rare; it should be enjoyed, re-tasted and remembered with pleasure."
A Pack of Lies was awarded the Carnegie Medal
Carnegie Medal
The Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
for 1988 and the Guardian Children's Fiction Award, the two most prestigious British awards for children's literature.
The book was a primary subject of a scholarly essay on fiction and metafiction in The Lion and the Unicorn
The Lion and the Unicorn (journal)
The Lion and the Unicorn is an academic journal founded in 1977. It examines children's literature from a scholarly perspective covering the publishing industry, regional authors, comparative studies, illustration, popular culture, and other topics. It provides unique author and editor interviews...
in 1999.