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Underground > Books, Criticism & Writing >

Adrian Mole Diaries.

12:40 / 15.08.05

Reading the first Adrian Mole book to my girlfriend right now, find it as hysterical as I did the first time I read them many years ago.

Some highlights... spoilers of course

Noddy coming through the black walls
Barry Kent returning his harrassments money to A. Mole's grandmother
Everything dealing with Bert Baxter
The letter from Hamish
Rembrandt painting the sistine chapel
Choosing red socks because red is the color of revolution

I could actually go on and on all day.

Looking online I see that his life story has continued past the second book where I left off. Unfortunately, being in the United States it isn't easy to come across these books. Is it worth hunting them down? Can I skip right to Adrian Mole and the Weapon's of Mass Destruction or should I read all the ones in between?

12:52 / 15.08.05

Wow, haven't thought about Adrian Mole in a while. I loved those two books when I was young. They made a tv series as well - I don't know how easy it would be for you to track it down. I enjoyed it at the time but don't know how it would stand up to another viewing.

I did read one of the grown up Mole diaries a few years back and didn't like it, but I really can't remember whether it was badly written or whether the spell was broken once the formula was changed. It's always difficult to age a character and maintain the appeal.

14:27 / 15.08.05

Gosh, that summary gives me a happy. Takes me right back. Isn't it 'I implore ye/Don't ignore me' though?

I think you need to read the follow-ons before you get to Weapons of Mass Destruction, really, in order to work out exactly what has happened and to whom. But though they are good, I think I agree with Loomis that they don't quite match up to the first two. I remember reading them when I was nine (precocious - you need to be at least adolescent to get most of the jokes) and having to ask my mother what a wet dream was...