The Adrian Mole Diaries: The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 written by Sue Townsend.
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Her other hugely successful novels include Adrian Mole: The Wilderness Years (1993), The Public Confessions of a Middle-Aged Woman (Aged 55 ¾) (2001) and Number Ten (2002). Most of her books are published by Penguin. She is also well known as a playwright. She lives in Leicester UK.
As seen in the last picture to the right, the book was adapted into a play. Click here for more information about the play!
Other Books Featuring Adrian Mole[]
- The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 ¾
- The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole
- The True Confessions of Adrian Mole
- Adrian Mole and the Small Amphibians
- Adrian Mole: The Wildneress Years
- Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years
- Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Game[]
Adrian Mole is so popular the he had his own video game back in the day, you can download here [1] you may need to monkey with it a bit. You can also pick up a copy of the game on eBay [2]
Places[]
These are some links to some of the places mentioned in the book, all are in the UK. Enjoy.
Pop Culture[]
ABBA [3] Princess Di wedding [4] Monty Python [5] The Falkland Campaign [6] Street Punks [7]
Character Description[]
Adrian Mole is an adolescent boy in England writing short entries into a diary of his everyday life. During this short and sometimes spotty view into his life, Adrian is mlearning to deal with the divorce of his parents, falling in love with a girl named Pandora, paying off a bully, helping an elderly gentleman named Bert Baxter, and much more. His witty comments mask much of the pain he experiences along the way as he deals with normal experiences of life and maturing.
Mrs. Mole Adrian's mother is constantly exploring herself as a woman. Her exploration of feminism turns out to be more of an exploitation. She seems to be constantly drunk early on in the book. Many frustrations come as a result of the tumultuous relationship she has with her husband and an affair she begins with the neighbor, Mr. Lucas. As the story unfolds, she leaves her son and husband in order to run away with him. Unfortunately, she does not find the life of freedom she hoped for, so, she returns home to her family, pregnant.
Mr. Mole Adrian's father is always stressed out about money. He does not seem to have much ambition or the drive to make money, yet he is always complaining that he has none. His drinking habits run along the same lines as Mrs. Moles', which does not leave one to wonder where all of the marital strife comes from. After he is left by his wife he finds solace in Doreen Slater aka. "Stick Insect" who consequently finds herself pregnant along with Mrs. Mole
The Dog A mutt that has tendencies toward being a first class pest, this family pet is referred to as “the dog” and despite its shortcomings is the family dog and Adrian is compelled to care for the critter.
Bert Baxter an old dude that smokes and drinks and has a mean dog “saber.” Adrian joined a group at school called the Good Samaritans and has been assigned to care for and do good things for Bert. Adrian dreads this old man at first, but ends up being a good friend to Bert and does things for him because Bert need help and Adrian is a good kid. Bert loves Beetroot which is just referred to as beets in the US.
Barry Kent the school thug, local punk, and social deviant, he extorts money from Adrian daily and is a constant source of aggravation for our hero until Adrian befriends him late in the book. After meeting Barry’s folks Adrian sees for himself some of the reasons behind the punkish behavior.
Nigel Adrian's close friend. Adrian and Nigel are usually in competition with one another over Pandora or bikes. Their friendship is pretty typical of young boys though they spend little time together. Adrian begins to grow apart form his boyhood friend as he discovers there is more to life than play.
Pandora The love true of Adrian's childhood. Though it takes a few tries and a few boyfriends, Adrian is finally able to win the affections of Pandora. Pandora is an "activist" who is willing to break the rules in any way that she can in order to bring some sort of revolution to her school, be it red socks or spikes attached to her underclothes. She is heavily influenced by her very political parents. Adrian first makes friends with her horse, Blossom, in order to become closer to Pandora
Mr. Lucas A neighbor of the Mole family. Carries on an affair with Mrs. Lucus.
Queenie Resident of Cooper Sunshine Home. In her 80's. Marries Bert Baxter.
Rick Lemon Works at the youth club. Takes Adrian and other kids on camping trip.
A Love Poem[]
- Pandora! Pandora! Pandora!
Throbbing
- Pandora,
- I am but young
- I am but small
- (with cratered skin)
- Yet! Hear my call.
- Oh, rapturous girl
- With skin sublime
- Whose favourite programme's 'Question Time'
- Look over here
- To where I stand
- A throbbing
- Like a swollen gland.
A Mole
Issues within the book[]
Daily life as seen through the eyes of a self- proclaimed "intellectual," drives the humor of this expose' presented as a series of journal entries, in which the reader is able to follow Adrian through his adolescent stumbling. The story moves quickly, without providing the reader much in-depth, vivid details about the people in Adrian's life or the physical setting of the story. Instead of providing thorough exposition, it presumes the reader will understand the humor of various events since they are commonly encountered in one's personal life. The author, Sue Townsend, pays close attention to form and layout in this work, easing the tension of the day-to-day happenings in Adrian’s life. At times, Adrian can be rather naive about what is happening around him, however this only leads into the fact that he is a funny, and sometimes tragic young man at a turning point in his adolescence.
Another important part of Adrian is trying to get his poetry published or read on the radio. He writes continuously to the BBC trying to get his work read on air. He even trys to start a school magazine but unfortunately it didn't sell! He writes a handful of poems in his diary which we get to read and we see where the inspiration for them come. They usually have to do with something going on in his life. Adrian is very proud of his rejection letters because he is the only child he knows who has got a letter from the BBC. John Tydeman the man from the BBC who writes to Adrian always encourages Adrian to keep trying and improving his poetry. -Nicole Santa Maria
The treatment of school age children is an important issue within the book. One could contend that Sue Townsend is trying to show the lack of attention shown to young adults. They actually care that their parents, friends, and teachers pay attention to them. Adrian takes special care to mention in his diary that his mother never tells him that she loves him unless she is drunk. He is hurt that she doesn’t return from her experiment with Lucas for him. He seems disappointed that his father does not want to spend time with him, but he’d rather spend time with stick insect and her son. There are so many things that young adults deal with at home and at school that they need support, encouragement, and, gasp, love.
The following link discusses the possible problems faced by teenagers who are the products of families who have divorced. Children from divorced households show a rise in bad behavior, low self esteem, and etc. Not only is Adrian exceptional as a student given his family situation, but his parents drink and pay little attention to him. He is an amazing student given his lack of a role model in his own household. Effects of Divorce on Children
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Reactions, venting, and other such nonsense[]
Nikolais: Yes, Adrian is clever and witty. Now and again he makes me laugh out loud. But this is rare. The underlying message behind this book is not only painful, but depressing because Adrian’s situation is true for many children. Adrian’s father and mother are very lucky that he is self motivated and continues down the right track. Big and Bouncy should be the least of their worries. Sure the phone bill was not exactly handled well, but it’s not like he’s dealing drugs. Adrian is flat out ignored by his parents. The only things they ever do for him are the necessities like getting food or buying a new uniform because he has grown (even then they complain). I understand that they are going through a tough time in their lives and have issues outside of their child, but I find their lack of care, which Adrian frequently points out, appalling. Each page I read either makes me laugh because of wit or makes me want to stop reading because the depressing undertone.
Adrian's Reading List[]
Origin of Species by Charles Darwin [8]
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen [9]
The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas [10]
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe [11]
Escape from Childhood by John Holt [12]
How Children Fail by John Holt [13]
Hard Times by Charles Dickens [14]
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell [15]
Wuthering heights by Emily Brontë [16]
Glencoe by John Prebble [17]
The Female Eunuch by Germain Greer [18]
Animal Farm by George Orwell [19]
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy [20]
The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas [21]
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert [22]
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett [23]
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky [24]
The Black Prince by Iris Murdoch [25]
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute [26]
On The Road by Jack Kerouac [27]
Kingsly, The Life Letters and Diaries of Kingsley Martin by C.H. Rolf [28]
Mill on the Floss by George Eliot [29]
TV Theme Song Lyrics[]
- My mother's heart and soul
- Have gone halfway up the pole
- My father's on the dole
- This is taking its toll
- My friend Bert is much too old
- And his dog's beyond control
- Though it sometimes seems they're droll
- It's a nuisance on the whole
- I'm profoundly in love with Pandora
- My poem has an intellectual theme
- The tenderness with which I adore her
- Goes all bouncy in my dreams
- Yesterday my chin was clear
- Now a new spot has appeared
- Barry Kent had cost me dear
- Till my Grandma interfered
- The BBC know I'm sincere
- In making writing my career
- Wish my mum would come back here
- Lots of ups and downs this year
- I'm profoundly in love with Pandora
- She's got knee-socks and treacle-coloured hair
- The tenderness with which I adore her
- Is something fine and rare
- But, my father's in a mess
- And there's a great deal of stress
- At our house and my major concern
- Is that things might return to normal
- So get rid of that creep
- And come back to sleep
- In our house we both miss you mum
- So hurry up and come back home
- My mother's heart and soul
- Have gone halfway up the pole
- Though it sometimes seems they're droll
- It's a nuisance on the whole
- Yesterday my chin was clear
- Now a new spot has appeared
- Profoundly in love with Pandora
- Wish my mum would come back here
- Lots of ups and downs this year
- I'm profoundly in love with Pandora
- Things aren't always what they seem
- The tenderness with which I adore her
- Is indeed a love supreme
Break Down of Months[]
January
| February
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March
| April
|
May
| June
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July
| August
|
September
|
Links[]
Link to Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy[30]
Link to another option for Journal entries, all photographs[31]
Families Worldwide New (Single Parent Info) [32]
Resources For Young Writers [33]
Dysfunctional Family Test [34]
Dysfunctional Family Patterns [35]
Dysfunctional Family Letter Generator [36]
Peanuts Againts Diabetes and Cholestero