h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Adrian Mole, fictional diarist - A801163
Author: Greta_9 - U195919

My new one, hot on the heels of On How To Break Up... this time, it's not personal I can't believe no one had thought of writing about Adrian Mole before!

You're right, it *is* strange no-one thought of writing about this major literary character before - congrats on getting there first!

Just a few points, if I may. Your enthusiasm really comes through, but I'm wondering if maybe the first couple of paragraphs might read better if they 'stressed the superlative' a little less. Something like:

"...The brainchild of novelist Sue Townsend, Adrian Mole is the central character, or rather, the narrator of this long-running saga, a funny, affectionate and accurate portrait of Britain from the 1980s to the late 1990s."

A kind of "less is more" approach?

Another minor point - it looks like you've used tags to make the paragraphs in the middle section. It would be better if you removed these and replaced them with tags at the beginning of each paragraph, and tags at the end.

Aside from those two small points, I really like this. You've really captured the mayhem and intrigue of the different relationships of the books - this brought back memories of reading the first few books on the way into school instead of studying our set texts. Great series of books and a strong entry.

Jimster

Thanks Jimster, I'll definitely take your advice I loved the books. I was hooked on them in 1994, when I bought The Growing Pains..., and later I got the anthology, which was brilliant... I've read all of them at least twice. And it's funny the way nobody'd thought of writing about Adrian Mole before, I mean, it's a national treasure... and it took an Italian to write about him

There, I've updated it and also toned down the intro. Mediterranean enthusiasm showing through Let me know what you think of the new-and-improved Adrian Mole entry!

Looking good, Greta. I'm a little convfused by this line though:

'two elderly pensioners Adrian alternatively cannot wait and does not have the heart to shake off.'

Is there a word or two missing? What can't he wait for? I MUST know, the suspense is killing me!!

Jimster

Pfff... sometimes my English fails me, I'll just rephrase that Thanks Jimster!

Wow Great entry, I really liked this one, in fact I've added a link to it at the Bookworm's club A745544 (shameless plug) I've read all the Adrian Mole books and think they're excellent, they work on so many levels,

Thanks a bunch! Actually, I have visited the Bookworms' CLub, and am an active participator in one of the discussions, but I have trouble with Book of the Month, as I can't get hold of books in English very easily over here...

I'm totally in love with the Mole books, I've read and re-read them ad infinitum... So I'm glad I got a chance to have the first shot at writing about them

Sorry you;re right I am a useless editor aren't I? I've just added you onto the memebers list about 10 seconds ago

Hi Greta!

Definitely a subject worth writing about!

Four comments:

You might need to explain who Bridget Jones is, whom the introduction refers briefly - but then again you may not. What does everyone else think?

Was it ever televised? I think I remember a song or theme tune called "Profoundly in love with Pandorra". I may have dreamt that, but I really hope not!

I have a feeling that the author's original plan was not to write a whole series, but to leave AM as an adolescent, but fans wanted to know what happened to him afterwards. I may very well be wrong, though....

Adrian Mole had a diary column in "The Guardian" on Saturdays in the magazine for a while....

An excellent start - the number and speed of responses indicate how fondly the books are remembered!

Best wishes

Otto

Ooh, well remembered Otto.

[What's that noise? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a tub of lard? NO! It's ... GeekJimster!]

The TV series starred Gian Samarco as Adrian with Stephen Moore (Marvin from Hitchhiker) as his dad and Julie Walters (for the first season) and Lulu (for the second) as his mum. The theme was sung by Ian Dury.

'The secret diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 and 3/4' actually begins on January the 1st 1981, not 1983. That means that Adrian's date of birth is April 2nd 1967, not 1966.

In the 'Social commentary' you might like to write a sentence or two more sentences about feminism, with reference to Pauline Mole. It was clearly a very important commentary, especially in the earlier books. Rosie's middle name, 'Germaine', is clearly a reference to Germaine Greer whose work is read by Adrian's mother.

In the entry you say 'targets are... the monarchy (Adrian is a keen supporter of the institution, but one senses that Sue Townsend is not).' Townsend wrote a book called 'The Queen and I' where the monarchy is abolished and the royals go to live on a run-down council estate. The book clearly showed Townsend's anti-royalist tendencies. You might like to add something about this as a footnote.

Let's not forget Beryl Reid (Gawd rest 'er soul) as Grandma, Lindsay Stagg as Pandor, and Bert Fraser as Bert Baxter.

Always required viewing on a Monday evening in the mid eighties

Now, I really must scroll back up to the top and read the entry

Bill Fraser, wasn't it?

Late of Bootsie and Snudge?

Twas Bill Bootsie and Snudge? You must go back as far as I do mate

Can anyone help Greta out with adding some info to the entry about the tv series? I'm guessing that if she was in Italy at the time then she has little or no knowledge of it, and I think the entry should include a section about it, especially as Steven Moore played the father, and has a direct link with h2g2.

I love you people, really... I was aware there was a TV series, but I never got around to watching it (Adrian Mole is still unheard of around here, so it's no wonder it's never been broadcast on these shores).

Thanks for supplying all the details, I'll definitely work everything into the entry in the coming days. Maybe somebody would like to write something about the TV series? It'd be good if we could put something together that is as exhaustive as possible.

Hugz!

Otto, I know nothing about the Mole column in the Independent, unless The True Confessions of Adrian Albert Mole are actually a collection of those columns (must investigate). That is the only book not written in diary form.

As for Bridget Jones, I will add a footnote, as she also pops up in the latest Mole diary in a bizarre fantasy-world scenario... she goes out to lunch with Savage's owner, and later Adrian writes to her... rather surreal. Now, I'm going to have to parse the GuideML clinic for instructions on how to add footnotes...

I have no idea whether Sue Townsend meant to stop after the second (and, as far as I'm concerned, best) book. Might actually be true (MUST investigate!) It definitely feels like it, and maybe it would've been better... at least we could hope that Adrian would grow out of his fixations and pedantic attitude!

Just made a few changes and updates. Still not complete (must add links to a couple of sites I've found on the subject), but I've added footnotes and I'm very pleased with myself!

Greta_9

Hi again,

If you go the Guardian website (not putting url in because it'll probably be removed, but it's not difficult to find...), and put "Adrian Mole" into the search achieve, it'll bring up various oddities and the columns. They're called "The Secret Diary of a Provincial Man" - Adrian is 34 at the time. I've not read any of the later-years books, so I'm not sure if they've appeared in another form or not.

Hope this helps

Otto

I'm sure I remember Susan Townsend on some chat show saying thet she'd intended to end the series after Growing Pains, but wrote Wilderness Years because she'd noticed a similarity between Adrian and John Major. That might be worth mentioning, I don't know.

I look forward to seeing this fine work on the front page