Wordcandy Weekly Book Snippet

Excerpt from:
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 , by Sue Townsend

Why you should buy a copy of your very own:
Adrian Mole's neurotic, self-obsessed diary entries are painfully funny. (Emphasis on the "painfully".) I particularly like the "Poor Mr. Lucas!" line.

In this scene...
Despite the fact that he still has a spot on his chin, it's an above-average Wednesday in Adrian's life. This is about a cheerful as he gets.


"Wednesday, January 14

Joined the library. Got Care of the Skin, Origin of the Species, and a book by a woman my mother is always going on about. It is called Pride and Prejudice, by a woman called Jane Austen. I could tell the librarian was impressed. Perhaps she is an intellectual like me. She didn't look at my spot, so perhaps it is getting smaller. About time!

Mr. Lucas was in the kitchen drinking coffee with my mother. The room was full of smoke. They were laughing, but when I went in, they stopped.

Mrs. Lucas was next door cleaning the drains. She looked as if she was in a bad mood. I think Mr. and Mrs. Lucas have got an unhappy marriage. Poor Mr. Lucas!

None of the teachers at school have noticed that I am an intellectual. They will be sorry when I am famous. There is a new girl in our class. She sits next to me in Geography. She is all right. Her name is Pandora, but she likes being called "Box". Don't ask me why. I might fall in love with her. It's time I fall in love, after all I am 13 3/4 years old."

© Sue Townsend, 1982