Sue Townsend is featured in this week's Guardian book club podcast, discussing her first novel, the classic Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4, one of my favorite books of all time (I'm practically the same age as Adrian, and have read every one of the books as they came out). — Read the rest
I've written before here about the impact that Sue Townsend's comic Adrian Mole novels have had on my life since I was a young teenager, so it'll come as no surprise to learn that I was completely delighted by the latest volume, Adrian Mole: the Prostrate Years, which is sweeter, darker, more sentimental and more grim than the earlier installments. — Read the rest
This weekend, I discovered to my absolute delight that Sue Townsend had published another volume in the Adrian Mole diaries, a series I have followed since I was a teenager. The new book,
The Lost Diaries of Adrian Mole, 1999-2001, was published in hardcover in 2008, but I missed it until now — it's just been released in paperback. — Read the rest
I've just finished reading the sixth Adrian Mole book, Adrian Mole and The Weapons of Mass Destruction. Adrian Mole, the titular diarist of the series, is basically the same age as I am; I practically memorized the first two volumes while I was in high-school, especially the incredible, awful poetry that puts Vogons to shame ("Pandora/I adore ya/I implore ye/Don't forget me" or the immortal:
— Read the restNorway!
The Adrian Mole books are my all-time favorite English kids' books. When I was in junior high and high-school, they were practically Bibles to my friends and me — we could quote whole long passages of them Imagine my delight when I found out this week that there was a text-adventure game based on them for the Commodore 64, and that the game is now downloadable froplay on your favorite C64 emulator. — Read the rest
In 1982, Coco Moodysson was a 12 year old punk in Sweden, along with her best friend and her best friend's sister. They gave themselves spiky haircuts, started a band called Off to the Alps, wrote a song called "Ecco Shoes" and demanded that the adults in their lives take them seriously.
Sue Townsend has died. Ms Townsend wrote (among other things) the marvellous Adrian Mole books that have been a touchstone for me since I was 14 years old (I'm the same age as Adrian Mole, and grew up with him through Townsend's fictionalised diaries). — Read the rest
In the current issue of Time Out London, Sue Townsend (one of my favourite authors, creator of the marvelous Adrian Mole books) describes her view of sleep: "I've only just learned to like being in bed. I used to think it was so strange to go to a specified room, lie down and go into a state of unconsciousness. — Read the rest
This holiday season, Bay Areans can contribute to the Gift of Reading book-drive and help turn kids onto great, life-changing literature. I'm going to do a run to my local when I get home and round up as much of the following as I can for donation — books I read and wish I'd read when I was a kid:
— Read the restSue Townsend is continuing Adrian Mole's adventures in her topical Guardian column — Adrian Mole is the fictional character whose fantastic "secret diaries" are UK classics and my personal angst bible.
— Read the restDear Mr Mole,
In this time of national crises, it is incumbent on us all to support our government.
Writer Sue Townsend has begun (?) a column in The Guardian, writing as my favorite literary character, Adrian Mole. Link (Thanks, Amanda!)
Update: Scott, a reader, writes to say that Townsend's been doing the column for over a year. Man, you Transatlantics have all the fun!
Oh. My. God. The "Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About" page is not only high-freakin-larious (funny enough to give Adrian Mole a run for his money), but it's also charming, British, and obsessive as hell. I love — love — cranks. — Read the rest
