Adrian Mole: the Wilderness Years (original 1993; edition 1993)

This book is a definite return to form after the disappointing True Confessions. In this episode of Adrian's life, he is 24 years old, and living in a box room in the flat of Pandora Braithwaite and her husband(!) However, he spends much of the book being bounced from one home to another.

He also encounters a new love interest named Bianca, jealousy over the success of his old adversary Barry Kent, and the trials of trying to finish his own novel 'Lo! The Flat Hills of My Homeland'.

This book is what all Adrian Mole books should be - funny, touching and surprisingly perceptive on behalf of the author, while Adrian himself still displays his usual signs of self-delusion. Very enjoyable indeed. ( )

Here's Adrian again, still feeling victimized by life, still wallowing in self pity, and still hilarious. I don't know how Townsend pulls it off. In real life I absolutely despise people like him, but Adrian brings out different feelings. ( )

I found this at the school library one evening when picking Marlo up. She borrowed it for me. It's light reading. The premise is that it is the diary of Adrian Mole who is ages 18-19 or 20 in this book. He's just your usual, average, every-day British dork of a kid. Nothing amazing. Nothing too intuitive. Just light-reading about everyday life here in the mid to late 80s. Easy reading, interesting. ( )

Adrian Mole, erstwhile novelist and self-styled intellectual, returns for a fourth installment of his diaries.
While the first 3/4 of this book was more or less filled with the same whining naivety of the preceeding volume of this series, I was pleased with the final quarter in which Adrian seems to finally be growing up. Not a moment too soon. I am now vindicated in having purchased the entire series and am looking forward to the next volume. ( )

sue townsends alter ego, adrian as a young adult absolute scream ( )