Penrod and Sam

Penrod #2

by Booth Tarkington

1916. Tarkington was one of the most popular American novelist and dramatist of his time. The Penrod series of novels deal with the daily life and trials of a boy of eleven and twelve in turn of the century Indiana. The humor is found in the petty hypocrisies of the adults and the naïveté of the children and how those two things intertwine. Penrod is not alone in his travels in this volume he is accompanied by his loyal yet aging dog Duke, his best friend Sam Williams, and two African Americans across the alley, Herman and Verman. Contents: Penrod and Sam; The Bonded Prisoner; The Militarist; Bingism; The In-Or-In; Georgie Becomes a Member; Whitey; Salvage; Reward of Merit; Conscience; The Tonic; Gipsy; Concerning Trousers; Camera Work in the Jungle; A Model Letter to a Friend; Wednesday Madness; Penrod's Busy Day; On Account of the Weather; Creative Art; The Departing Guest; Yearnings; The Horn of Fame; The Party; and The Heart of Marjorie Jones. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.

Genres: Fiction, Classics, Humor, Childrens, American, School, Literature

356 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1916

About the author

Newton Booth Tarkington was an American novelist and dramatist best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novels The Magnificent Ambersons and Alice Adams. He is one of only four novelists to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction/Novel more than once, along with William Faulkner, John Updike and Colson Whitehead. Although he is little read now, in the 1910s and 1920s he was considered America's greatest living author.

Reviews

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this one (Tarkington's second Penrod book) back in my junior high days (the copy was my father's) and it was also totally hilarious. Penrod is this eleven year old kid who is always getting himself into trouble without necessarily meaning to. Anyone reading it today should be aware that it reflects the racial attitudes and language of the early 20th century - among Penrod's friends there are some black kids. Nuff said. Overall one gets a view of upper middle class life as it was back then in the Middle West. But boys will be boys.

[Gabriellyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

UGH! This book was horrible! Prepare for a rant review!

Penrod and Sam was a popular novel written by Booth Tarkington. Tarkington was considered one of the greatest authors in America. However, once I started into the book, I wondered how in the world he afforded such a title! Penrod and Sam chronicles the adventures of two mischievous little boys. In my opinion a better name would have been Brat and Accomplice as they enact all sorts of atrocities towards others. While this may have been a favorite to many, I personally created a whole new shelf just for it, angering.

Through the whole book Penrod Schofield is the main instigator. Sam wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for Penrod’s influence. Penrod leads the charge with numerous schemes of the most hateful nature that involve: pranks, cruel behavior to animals, hazing’s etc.

One of the worst parts about this book is that Tarkington represents it as if this was normal behavior and while some of it can be expected from young boys, a good deal of it is unacceptable. Tarkington represents it as if it’s not in their hands to control. Like the things they do are innately a part of them and when they do them it isn’t their fault. These boys are old enough to know right from wrong. The ideology of this book is ludicrous.

Overall there is no retribution the things they do. Mostly, Penrod gets away with all he wants making it even more frustrating. If I hadn’t had to read this for school I wouldn’t have read it at all.
Entertainment such as books, movies, television shows etc. should encourage good beautiful things. Books should make love and goodness appealing. This book didn’t do anything of the sort. There was no one to root for; there was no one you liked. Practically every character was insufferable leaving me void of any positive emotion towards it. If I could have rated this in the negatives I would of.

[Larry Piper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was, in effect, a sequel to Penrod. This despite the fact that Penrod turned 12 at the end of the previous book and was "nearly 12" in this book. Whatever, it's the same cast of 11-year-old boys doing the kinds of inventive, and often naughty, things that 11-year-old boys do. Rather a fun read.

[Flynt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice book about what it was like to be raised a "free range" child. Not quite as satisfying as "Penrod," mainly because the writing lacked the unifying theme its predecessor had. Still, a good book overall. I suggest you avoid this edition & spring for one of the older editions that include illustrations.

[Brianna Knutson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book started out fun, but it got less interesting and more skim-able as it went along. The interesting bits are reminiscent of Tom Sawyer or The Little Rascals. It was written in 1916 and reflects its time in terms of black/white relationships. I also knocked it down a star for how the boys treat Herman and Verman. I know they're 12, but their treatment of those boys is borderline bullying.

[Carolyn Griglione · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a fun read. Tarkington's writing is superior. The exploits of the boys were hilarious. He was so creative in describing each mess the boys create. Great vocabulary.

[Akash Amat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sequel of the novel 'Penrod', this book has similar characteristics as its predecessor. Though, in comparison it's somewhat less funny.
My review of 'Penrod': https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Apart from the comment above on the humour, here are a few more observations:
* No revisit of the hilarious 'Harold Ramorez' stories.
* The budding romance with Marjorie Jones is resumed only in the last chapter and seems to ignore the events of the last novel.
* Penrod is somewhat more belligerent in this novel.
* The earlier novel had the advantage of introducing several characters, affording opportunity for more and better humour, I think.

However, overall this is still quite an enjoyable book.

Another observation for this book and the predecessor is how the author uses Penrod's occasional pompousness etc., to make fun of such people in general...
Penrod having come into possession of a musical horn, which Sam also wants to play.
"“Don’t come bangin’ around here and interrup’ me all the time,” he said severely. “I got to practice.” And he again pressed the mouthpiece to his lips. He was not of those whom importance makes gracious."
---

A few random lines of humour:

Penrod and friends set about creating a shack...
"Acceptance was enthusiastic; straightway the assembly became a union of carpenters all of one mind, and ten days saw the shack not completed but comprehensible. Anybody could tell, by that time, that it was intended for a shack."

Chasing an abandoned horse...
"A boy will nearly always run after anything that is running, and his first impulse is to throw a stone at it. This is a survival of primeval man, who must take every chance to get his dinner. So, when Penrod and Sam drove the hapless Whitey up the alley, they were really responding to an impulse thousands and thousands of years old — an impulse founded upon the primordial observation that whatever runs is likely to prove edible. Penrod and Sam were not “bad”; they were never that. They were something that was not their fault; they were historic."

"Of his sang-froid under a great strain it is sufficient to relate that, in the kitchen, he said suddenly to Della, the cook, “Oh, look behind you!” and by the time Della discovered that there was nothing unusual behind her, Penrod was gone, and a loaf of bread from the kitchen table was gone with him."

"“It’s something that’s going to do you lots of good, Penrod.” He was instantly chilled, for experience had taught him that when predictions of this character were made, nothing pleasant need be expected."

Penrod in class, while a classmate recites an essay...
"Penrod was unable to fix his attention upon these statistics; he began moodily to twist a button of his jacket and to concentrate a new-born and obscure but lasting hatred upon the court-house. Miss Raypole’s glib voice continued to press upon his ears; but, by keeping his eyes fixed upon the twisting button he had accomplished a kind of self-hypnosis, or mental anaesthesia, and was but dimly aware of what went on about him."

Penrod being apprehensive about her sister unfairly telling on him...
"Margaret had insidious ways of stating a case; and her point of view, no matter how absurd or unjust, was almost always adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Schofield in cases of controversy."

Penrod being told by Maurice of Maurice's plans for Chitten...
"Penrod showed some interest, inquiring for details, whereupon Maurice explained that if Master Chitten displeased him further, Master Chitten would receive a blow upon one of his features. Maurice was simple and homely about it, seeking rhetorical vigour rather than elegance; in fact, what he definitely promised Master Chitten was “a bang on the snoot.”"
---

There are a few movies based on this very book, which seem promising and I plan to give a look. The book itself has a sequel, Penrod Jashber - maybe later.

The free Kindle-ready version is available in Gutenberg.
There are some versions with the original illustrations as well...
Paid eBook: https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
List of illustrations:
https://books.google.co.in/books/cont...
...
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=V...
Free: http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/inaut...
Free: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL54890...

[Eric Hinkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! Very funny and entertaining. It's sorta like Huck Finn except all the adventure takes place near the house. Booth T has a rather dry and wry sense of humor, and I laughed out loud quite a bit. His descriptions of the characters' emotions and reactions are priceless!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this when I was young---read it many times.

[Kathryn Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, these books are very entertaining! Penrod is a young boy with quite the active imagination which gets himself and his friends into trouble quite frequently. Very funny!

[Kathryn]

This is one of the most hilarious books we ever read as a family, but you do have to watch out for some ignorant racist comments.

[Lesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seminal for me. Shaped my sense of adolescence and America. Then later I discovered the racism and classism.

[Mike Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ninety years ago Booth Tarkington was considered one of our greatest authors. He won two Pulitzer prizes for fiction ; no one else except Faulkner and John Updike have done that. He is seldom read today.
I first encountered Tarkington through my 8th grade history teacher, Cleve Miller, who would read to us on occasion. At least one of his choices was "Penrod" by Tarkington. I can't recall a single detail now except for the fact that it was funny and ultimately prompted me to buy a copy of "Penrod and Sam" in a used bookstore about 15 years ago. It's sat on the shelf ever since.
"Penrod and Sam" tells the adventures of two upper middle class boys growing up in the Midwest about the time of World War I. The book is light-hearted, charming, quite amusing and reveals a deep understanding of the minds of eleven year old boys in the same way that Twain's "Tom Sawyer" did.
One caution - as is true of almost all books, "Penrod and Sam" is reflective of the time in which it was written. Tarkington's African-American characters, while not vicious racial stereotypes, are informed by the paternalistic bigotry of the day.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though intended for children originally, I found this book a challenge to read as an adult. There were many times I had to look up words in my dictionary. Of course, children had larger vocabulary at the time this book was published but I still found some of the chapters confusing even without the sophisticated language. I was also disappointed that despite being a co title character, Sam almost disappeared from the book about two thirds in. It was though, nice to see Penrod also befriend two African American boys, at a time when that was very unusual. The whole book is also a glimpse of early twentieth century America.

[Jack Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

A long lost treasure

I don't remember exactly where or how I first came on this book, as a child, I only know it was a very long time ago, and that it was an old book then. But the title of it suddenly popped up in my mind a few weeks ago, and I thought I'd see if it was still in print, and read it for Old Times sake. I'm glad I did, for it is a funny and Bittersweet reflection of childhood in turn of the century days, and I think this book can fairly be compared to Twain's novel of Tom Sawyer. A fun, light summer read.

[Gary Inbinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amusing nostalgia about the misadventures of twelve-year-old boys in pre- World War One Midwestern America. The Penrod stories have been aptly compared to “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and the old “Our Gang” aka “Little Rascals” comedies. Booth Tarkington had a flair for slapstick comedy, and his descriptions of the time and place are right on point. He did a great job portraying the inner-life and perspective of pre-adolescent boys. Though some of the humor might seem dated, I found much of it laugh-out-loud funny and frankly there’s not much these days that can make me laugh like that.

[Ann Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was given to me by my Grandpa years ago, and it was one of his favorites. I appreciate it so much more now, being the mom of three boys. It’s laugh out loud funny in parts. Definitely written for another time, some things about little boys never change though :)

[Wendy Kimbel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully will written

While this is a period piece from a much earlier time, the language is delightful. I laughed aloud numerous times at the author's commentary on the events described.

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my grandmother’s book and I have just read it myself. I have not read “Penrod,” so have nothing to compare it to. There is a stark contrast from the author’s narration and the character’s dialog. Written in 1916, about pre-teen boys being left to their own devices, with little success.

[Krisette Spangler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Mr. Tarkington's writing. Penrod and Sam are two boys who just can't seem to stay out of trouble. They don't mean to torment their parents, but sometimes controlling their impulses is more than they can handle. It was a delightful read.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sequel to Booth Tarkington’s Penrod, telling the mischievous exploits of two young boys. The stories aren’t quite as compelling as those in the original, however. I think Tarkington ran out of steam.

[Coleen Barta · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Aunt Sis sent me my dad’s 1945 copy of this book about twenty years ago. I finally read it. Evidently the author is a Pulitzer Prize winner. I enjoyed his turns of phrase in describing the escapades of young boys, but would caution readers about some racist/sexist ideology of the period.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

my father's copy - must reread this summer.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this long, looooooooooong ago. Just about to read the whole series again. Fond memories.

[Robin Paull · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I think too long about the fact that there will never be another Booth Tarkington novel, I start to tear up.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 3 out of 5]

♥️We had this book in our family library, and I enjoyed reading it from time to time as a kid. Enjoyable and so nicely written,

📖 Read book version.

[Richard Knight · Rating 1 out of 5]

A racist, bootleg version of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. These two annoying scamps terrorize their Black "friends," and it's just generally an unenjoyable book. Pass.

[Tom Loomis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captures the true nature of boyness.

[Wildmaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Booth Tarkington absolutely knows how to write children, especially boys.

[DocNora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this very much. Bought a copy after reading it on project Gutenberg.