Second from Last in the Sack Race

Henry Pratt #1

by David Nobbs

Born into poverty, saddled with a born loser and parrot-strangler for a dad, short sighted and ungainly, young Henry Pratt doesn't exactly have a head start in life.But in David Nobbs's brilliantly funny evocation of a Yorkshire boyhood, unathletic and over-imaginative little Pratt proves he can stick up for himself with the stoic good nature of the great British underdog

Genres: Fiction, Humor, British Literature

Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel covers the first 18 years of the life of Henry Pratt from his birth to his doing his National Service in the British Army.

Born into poverty in 1935 in the fictional Sheffield mining suburb of Thurmarsh, Henry is short-sighted, ungainly and un-athletic. When his parents die when he is a young boy Henry is passed around various relatives and is educated in various school environments ranging from local primary and grammar schools alongside local youths to two years at a fee-paying all boys boarding school mixing with the sons of well-to-do toffs where because of his working-class roots he is a complete fish out of water. Henry hasn't exactly been been dealt a very favourable hand of cards but he is first and foremost stoic.

David Nobbs was one of British television's most successful comedy series scriptwriters and his credits include 'The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin' and 'A Bit of a Do', programmes from my childhood.

A lot of the dialogue is written with a Yorkshire accent and I found it a quirky and mildly amusing evocation of Yorkshire life during a certain period of British history. Despite the book's blurb describing it as being "noisily funny" I cannot in all honesty say that I ever actually laughed out loud but I did read it with a fixed smile on my face which is no bad thing. Consequently I found it something of an unexpected surprise and will be looking out for the next book in the series.

[Peter Cockerell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly Nobbs' best

I first read Sack Race in 1983, when I was only a couple of years older than Henry is at the end the book. At the time I found it one of the most affecting books I'd ever read, and was inspired to write the only fan letter I've ever written. Having just read it for probably the 5th time, on my Kindle, 35 years after the first time, I find that feeling of connection with Henry, and the empathy that Nobbs always did so well, affects me even more.

I won't go into characters and plot and all that. Suffice it to say that I think this is one of the most rewarding books you could ever read, especially for Brits, but also for Americans who are prepared to put in a little extra work to bridge the slight language gap caused by a lot of the characters' Yorkshire dialect. Highly recommended!

[Edward Champion · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Nobbs tries swinging for the Bildungsroman fences in the 1940s and early 1950s, but with decidedly mixed results. Nobbs is a rock-solid comedy writer, but he's clearly not Thomas Wolfe, J.D. Salinger, or even David Mitchell (in BLACK SWAN GREEN). There are some entertaining episodes, such as the young Pratt winning over his schoolmates with his flatulence, but I thought that Pratt's family was underdeveloped and one-dimensional. This also falls into a laundry list of "We had all this back in my day" sentences in lieu of character depth. Somewhat entertaining, but forgettable.

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Early life/coming-of-age of a Yorkshire lad (Henry Pratt), with emphasis on humour/comedy. Well-written/observed; starts/finishes well, but sags a little in the middle section, so 3.5 stars, but rounding up for all its good points.

[Mark Nunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third David Nobbs book I've read and I'm not disappointed. It has all the warmth, humour and humanity I expected after reading "Going Gently".

You can find yourself laughing out loud and wiping away tears all within a few paragraphs, which certainly gets you some odd looks when reading on the train. The story charts the Life of Henry Pratt from birth to young adulthood and his struggle to fit in despite a world that does it's most to make him an outcast. It details his struggles with class, sex, religion and friendships with great affection. A very compelling read absolutely brimming with wonderful, believable and well written characters. I can't recommend this highly enough.

Need to find the rest of the books in the series now :-)

[Adrian P · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very funny and very poignant story. I love his technique of bringing in (sometimes absurd) factual events to set each part of the story in its historical context. The very best of British irony is present throughout, and each character's flaws only serve to make him or her more sympathetic to the reader.

[Turnip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it. Very very funny book

[David Short · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugely evocative and funny account of life in mid-20th century northern England. Some of the childhood events are universally recognisable, in England at least

[Alistair Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suddenly I cannot go to the library, so I have scanned my bookshelves for things to re-read. My memory is so poor that it's generally like reading for the first time. I also wanted something light and humorous. I thought I remembered this as quite funny.

It is in places, but it is also a bit depressing: the main character is SUCH a loser. I suppose that if he had turned himself around and walked away with the fame and the girl in the last reel I would have complained at its unreality, but some glimmers of positivity would have been nice. Ah, well, at least he [spoiler alert!] lost his virginity.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first of a series, it tells the frequently humorous story of Henry Pratt from his birth in poverty. Despite this humour, his is often a hapless life and some sections are certainly moving. The author reflects Henry's (and probably his own) love of post-war British radio in the writing.

[Melanie Briggs · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my bag. Enjoyed this at first but became bored with it - didn’t know where it was going.

[Susan]

1936-1954 boys life in Yorkshire

[TreforL · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was poignant more than humorous, a very readable fictional biography that seemed to ring true.

[Janet Bird · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining read.

[Marie Bouteille · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really funny coming of age story about a young boy in Yorkshire starting just before WW2. I loved it and enjoyed the humour a lot

[Steven Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The first few chapters are probably the best: Henry’s dad and the birth, the parrot, the 'bedroom scene,' "the greatest moment in English cricket history ruined," and Henry’s adventures as a small boy." "very funny at times" "characters jump to life" full review at: http://stevek1889.blogspot.co.uk/2014...

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best out of the series of 4 in the full life of Henry Pratt. I picked this up in the London airport and laughed all the way home.

[Sugar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting. Sad in parts. Quite clever.

[James Bridges · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read and enjoyed, keep meaning to re-read it, never seem to find the time.

[Rosemary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this but maybe I didn't relate to the character of Henry Pratt very well. I didn't find it that funny and I was probably expecting something different from the author of Reginald Perrin.