The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole aged 13 3/4 - Sue Townsend

"Why couldn't I have been born Prince Edward and Prince Edward born Adrian Mole? I am treated like a serf." 'The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾' was the first book in Sue Townsend's Mole series and originally published in 1982. It's a shortish book written in the format of Adrian's diary and personal thoughts and observations and makes for very funny and complusive reading. It's one of the first books I ever read all the way through purely for pleasure and ranks alongside The War Of The Worlds as one of my childhood favourites for this reason. The strength of this book, and the reason it works so well, lies in Adrian's wry, ...  Read the complete review

Without a doubt, this is one of the funniest books I've read in a long time, containing a unique brand of hilarity that would appeal to both adults and children. It is clear, that although this book is designed to entertain, Townsend uses it as a vehicle for social commentary, to highlight flaws in society. Themes include feminism, the breakdowns of typical roles e.g. gender roles, politics, parenthood, childhood, and adult morality. If you think this means a preaching, didactic lecture, guess again, as it is all cleverly expressed through humour. Through the diary format - enabling Adrian to indulge in cathartic purging - and through a good deal ...  Read the complete review

Adrian Mole is 13 (and three quarters). He lives with his mum, Pauline and dad, George in a house that exists somewhere between chaos and grim reality, in suburbia. He has a secret love, Pandora Braithwaite, whom he envisages as his future wife. He's a good samaritan to Bert Baxter, (a miserable old git) and his mad Alsatian dog called Sabre, by visiting him regularly and looking after his welfare. Mostly thanklessly. He is bullied at School by Barry Kent, but balances his discomfort with his best friend, Nigel. This is an oversimplistic introduction to the phenomena that is Adrian Mole. Sue Townsend's creation is vulnerable, full of anguish, ...  Read the complete review

WHAT IS IT ABOUT: Adrian Mole is a typical teenage boy whose diary reveals him to be nervous, hormonal and struggling with the day to day events of teenage life. A fictional diary written by SUe Townsend, this is a light hearted, comic and touching book from the early 90s. IS IT ANY GOOD: Here's a book I read as a young boy and have just now finished again. I remember loving it as a kid, and it still holds a lot of charm, for a couple of reasons: 1) It's easy to relate to - the maladies of working class inner city family life are something many people will be able to understand, from parents overdoing it on the drink, to measuring your ...  Read the complete review

This diary barely gives you time to catch your breath from one joke before knocking you down with another. Each entry is filled with the worry and angst of every teenage boy. Is this spot getting bigger? Why isn't this getting bigger?!! Adrian Mole is an average teenage boy living with a screwball family in a crazy neighbourhood. His arguing mother and father may well be alcoholics, his dog may be clinically insane and his friend Nigel is most likely gay, but all this seems to pass Adrian by as he fawns over the love of his life Pandora. Along the way he meets a remarkable range of characters: Bert Baxter, a crusty old man whom Adrian must take ...  Read the complete review