Side-splittingly funny! (Wilt - Tom Sharpe)

Member Name: Smile

Product:	Wilt - Tom Sharpe
Date:	23/02/01 (248 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Riotously comical. Well written. Whodunit or ‘whodunwhatwhenR 17; throughout!

Disadvantages: Should not be read in public!

I can express, without diffidence, that “Wilt” by Tom Sharpe is likely to be one of the funniest books you will ever read. Be careful – you may find yourself laughing audibly and annoyingly in public places; this should carry a health warning!

Henry Wilt, an English literature lecturer who works in a sub-standard polytechnic where the average intellect of the Neanderthal-like pupils is that of an ape, is our bumbling hero! But bumbling only at the beginning, because he positively shines by the end!

The story is as unbelievably believable as any you’re likely to read, and at times Henry Wilt’s cynicisms are actually relevant to readers’ lives in general, so perhaps you might learn something from him! If not, you’re likely to howl with laughter and will not cease until you turn the last page – at which point you might well start all over again!

Henry is a relatively discontented specimen who is ambling through life, somewhat disenchanted and fed-up with his nagging and niggling wife – who appears at times to live in a world of her own and is equally disenchanted! Sounds quite depressing, does it not? Surprisingly, it isn’t! Because Henry decides to kill his wife, or rather, he fantasises about it frequently and has a great deal of difficulty thinking about anything else.

As it rapidly becomes his raison d’être, he finally decides to put one of his fantasies of murder into practice, or at least into a practice-run. Unfortunately, his wife really does go missing and a witness sees Henry dumping a body into the unfilled foundations of a proposed building on the polytechnic campus. A whirlwind of action ensues, but not the gun-slinging American type of murder-mystery thrills, rather a ‘real’ investigation into the actions of Henry Wilt.

However, the police are bigger ‘bumblers’ than Henry is (or used to be), and the detectives
on the case are as obtuse and dim-witted as you’d except Oliver Hardy to be in similar situation – in fact, if they were any slower on the uptake they’d be moving backwards! This combined with Henry’s advances in the art of verbal combat gives “Wilt” a sharp and caustic flavour which at the same time is humorous and provokes laughter all around.

As a closely intertwined sub-plot there is Henry’s wife who has (as aforementioned) disappeared with a couple of nauseatingly bizarre Americans, and her adventures are almost as funny as her estranged husband’s. Having a ‘puritanesque’ nature, her escapades are uproariously entertaining and are made so by her actions being almost forced upon her as a result of her naivety!

Tom Sharpe has excelled himself by ensuring Henry Wilt’s character is that of an average man, who only needs a chance to outshine his peers. By giving him this chance, Sharpe, manages to have his readers identify with Henry and many will wish they had mind as quick, devious and supple.

The humour is farcical, the conversations are intelligently comical, but tastefully so despite some of their content. This is the best part of “Wilt”, even though the situations characters find themselves in and the turn of events and circumstances are highly amusing, the manner in which people directly interact with one another is most entertaining. This is particularly evident in Henry’s interrogations by the blundering detectives.

The further into the story he goes the more Henry’s cynicism and mentally gymnastic agility comes forth to illustrate his full potential, which is not evident at the start of the novel. As he begins to shine and almost relish his encounters with law, his wit and sarcasm knows no bounds. Hence readers will find themselves chuckling as they begin to identify themselves more and more with our hero, and they’ll
also applaud his innovative approach in dealing with the police.

In conclusion, the best way to describe Tom Sharpe’s “Wilt” is by imagining a hilarious situation comedy combined with extraordinarily witty conversations and highly intelligent humour. “Wilt”, the novel and the character, are not susceptible to political correctness, neither is it (or he) predictable, hence this will have you in side-splitting delight and will grip you tightly as don’t know what is going to happen next.

Don’t miss this one out; even manic-depressives are likely to spend a couple of days away from their anti-depressants because there is no choice but to laugh!

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