Number 4 - The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole - Sue Townsend

I first read this book in 1985 when I myself was nearly the same age as the titular hero. This has 70p written in pencil on the top of the first page inside, so it's easily possible that this is the very same copy that I read all those years ago.

I remember finding it very funny first time I read it, but I don't recall it being embarrassing laughing uncontrollably in public funny. 

That's the difference between reading this as a teenager, and reading this as an adult. This time round, I was sitting reading it on my lunch at work and several times dissolving in hysterical fits of giggles.

I have a less complicated relationship with the character this time too.  In 1985 I was skinny with dark hair and glasses - and liked to read a lot.  Especially after the tv show came out, the favoured insult from those so inclined was "Adrian Mole" in much the same way that kids matching that description now get called Harry Potter. That may have taken the shine off the books for me somewhat and may explain why I have still to read the other 4 Adrian books.

Top of the list of reasons why this was so much funnier this time is that I understand what the adults are talking about. Whilst I don't think I was quite as naïve as Adrian, I didn't get a lot of the little asides. The references to the books he's reading with some vastly wrong fact about the author - eg, reading a book "by some woman called Evelyn Waugh" or the biography of Kinsley Martin where he says it's strange that it doesn't mention that he wrote Lucky Jim.

Townsend captures the uncertainty of teenage life with total accuracy. You just know you wouldn't want Adrian anywhere near you, let alone in your close circle of friends.  He's irritating, self-absorbed, and obsessed with sex. He spreads chaos around him whether he means to or not (example Mr Braithwaite's letter). However we can't help but sympathise with him. Even though probably three quarters of his pain is imaginary, and most of the rest is self inflicted, we're privy to some of his most private thoughts and we can understand where he's coming from. And we know he does care about some things. 

I have a couple more of the rest of the series to track down - I want to get similar editions to this one if possible-  but I will be continuing the series sooner rather than later.

For quick easy, screamingly funny reads, this is a very difficult book to beat.