Adrian Mole and the Small Amphibians

Adrian Mole #3.5

by Sue Townsend

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Young Adult, Novels, Ebooks, Short Stories, British Literature

46 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Susan Lillian "Sue" Townsend was a British novelist, best known as the author of the Adrian Mole series of books. Her writing tended to combine comedy with social commentary, though she has written purely dramatic works as well. She suffered from diabetes for many years, as a result of which she was registered blind in 2001, and had woven this theme into her work.

Reviews

[Chantal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not so funny as the other books, but that could be because I read it another language. Still Adrian has a lot of weirdness in him. Easy read.

[Lawrence Fanning · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an essential piece to the Adrian Mole series as it has a nice short bridging story between True Confessions & Wilderness Years, so if you want the complete collection then you will need this omnibus edition.

[Ben Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A return to form after the previous book, this has some of the cringe worthiness that made the teenage books so great. The best bits are the parts about Adrian's writing career. I loved his covering letters, and laughed out loud when he faxed his entire manuscript to the BBC.

[Leanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really a book, could be an additional couple of chapters in another book instead of a book in its own right.

Back to diary entries,- although sporadic- so better than the previous book

Getting back to form

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short addition to the series (48 pages?) does a great job of revisiting Adrian's hilarious formative years. It's like a halfway house that takes you from cringey teenage boy to insufferable young adult male. It's also a great book to read in one sitting.

[Brigita Soldo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve missed laughing out loud to Adrian’s antics!

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adrian Mole and the Small Amphibians is a short 46-page add-on found only in the Minor to Major omnibus edition (books 1-3), which is what I have. It immediately follows from True Confessions, with a letter from his father revealing that his mother has been having an affair with Martin Muffet, one of the 23-year-old engineering student lodgers. She then marries him! There is also more tumult with Pandora and her relationships with any man who is not Adrian, and a question over whether Adrian had impregnated Sharon Botts.

Dear Adrian Mole,

Have you gone off your head, boy? You clogged my fax machine up for eight solid hours. You do not fax 739 pages of manuscript. You parcel it up nicely and send it through the post.

Either you or my fax seems to have gobbled up the vowels of your novel, Lo! the Flat Hills of My Homeland. Your manuscript is awash with consonants, but vowels are very thin on the ground, thin to the point of non-existence. You expect a thousand pounds! This made me laugh quite a lot.

I do not adapt plays, my role at the BBC is Head of Drama. I dictate policy and encourage new writing etc. If you wantyour voweless novel adapting, you must do it yourself.

Yours (but only just)

John Tydeman

PS I am going to Australia. I shall be gone for some time.

The best part of this short story is Adrian faxing 730-odd pages of his experimental poetry novel Lo! The Flat Hills of My Homeland, to John Tydman at the BBC and blocking up his machine for 8 hours. Also, there are only consonants in it, no vowels! This really made me laugh!

Another major development is that Barry Kent, his old illiterate bully, turned friend, and local poetry award winner, is released from prison (in for damaging a privet hedge) and also moves in with Pandora. Adrian had encouraged him to work on his poetry while in prison, and now Barry starts to get in with the Oxford literary set, and gains acclaim and fame as a working-class writer. Poor Adrian!

In Small Amphibians, Adrian does go back to dated dairy entries and attempts to write every day again, mostly with failure. This was very relatable for the state of my own journal at the moment! (Somehow I only get to it on Tuesday?!). It is also mentioned that he subscribes to The London Review of Books, which cracked me up. Now I’m also being an intellectual it seems Adrian and I have lots in common!

Mr Patel left, but not before I had cancelled the majority of our magazines and papers: the Spectator, the Economist, the Listener, Body Builder, The Stage, Punch, Vogue, Elle, Fast Car, the Guardian, the Sun, the Daily Mail, Interiors. They have all gone. We are left with the Independent, the Mirror, the London Review of Books, Viz and Private Eye. Pandora agreed to read Marxism Today, Interiors and Vogue in W. H. Smith.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was happy to discover an Adrian Mole booklet unknown to me;)

[Megan ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adrian Mole continued to make me laugh in this short addition to the series.

[Lucas Ladeia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not so funny as the previous. But I've had a good laugh still.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adult Adrian is still funny… ish. But his adult life is so depressing - I wonder if I should stop reading the books.

[Tasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Same review as True Confessions, 3.5 stars! Loved this book but definitely not as funny as adrian mole in his teen years! But still very enjoyable! I loved how he blamed his instructors on why he isn’t improving in driving. Adrian, everyone learns at their own paces. Another funny book!!!! Definitely recommend this series to anyone aged 13 and over, brilliant book! Can’t wait to finish the series!

[Sadie-Jane Huff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt it didnt add much to the Adrian mole series... what ive read so far. still ok story

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adrian's exploits in driving lessons ring uncomfortably true to the reason I have never got behind the wheel...

Hadn't read this one before - good to get some context to the Glenn stuff in book #5.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice to revisit Adrian in his youth.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with all the Adrian Mole books, this is an engaging combination of humor and charming British quirkiness.

[Jake Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Getting back up to form.