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Diary of a Somebody
Hardcover with jacket in good condition. First edition. Illustrated by Peter Brookes. Jacket is marked, worn and nicked. Hardcover leading corners, edges and spine are lightly bumped, worn and sunned. Page block and endpapers are tanned and marked. Pages are clean and text is clear throughout. Spine is cocked but binding remains intact. HCW
- GenresComedy
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1980
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 1, 2019
I took this book up to Norfolk with me to try and cope with extreme dizziness that has plagued me since early February.
I was thinking I wouldnt have to put in much effort to read it, and it would make me laugh, which sounded a good combination.
'Diary of a Somebody' is based very loosely around 'Diary of a Nobody'. In short, it's just a funny diary about a man named Simon who shares a flat in West London, is very unlucky in love, and finds his job completely unappealing.
It's funny and rather quaint ( it was published in 1978) and it did provide me with plenty of laughs, which was just what I needed.
I was thinking I wouldnt have to put in much effort to read it, and it would make me laugh, which sounded a good combination.
'Diary of a Somebody' is based very loosely around 'Diary of a Nobody'. In short, it's just a funny diary about a man named Simon who shares a flat in West London, is very unlucky in love, and finds his job completely unappealing.
It's funny and rather quaint ( it was published in 1978) and it did provide me with plenty of laughs, which was just what I needed.
January 18, 2012
This is an old book in itself yet it is based on an even older book, The Diary of a Nobody which is a classic. I found this to be very funny and very of its time i.e the late 1970s Very unPC in places which is always refreshing!!!
January 3, 2019
I've always had a soft spot for novels in diary format. This is a witty little book and I enjoyed it.
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October 25, 2025From the cover; 'This is his diary. It curiously resembles that classic of ninety years ago, The Diary of a Nobody. Especially in one respect: Simon never sees the joke.'
This was OK, not very funny, but then I found the 'original' mixed as well - i'm sure fans will love the parallels of this homage ... Simon Crisp is Charles Pooter, but bought into the 1970's. He is pathetic in his seriousness and pomposity, lack of self awareness, prejudice and general naivety. Maybe the language and middle-class mores didn't quite work in the period (ed. Adrian Mole is better at capturing the 80's and beyond) because I could neither laugh at or with Crisp, which is surely the point of a comic novel? Anyhoo, I know someone who might like this, for curiosity value.
This was OK, not very funny, but then I found the 'original' mixed as well - i'm sure fans will love the parallels of this homage ... Simon Crisp is Charles Pooter, but bought into the 1970's. He is pathetic in his seriousness and pomposity, lack of self awareness, prejudice and general naivety. Maybe the language and middle-class mores didn't quite work in the period (ed. Adrian Mole is better at capturing the 80's and beyond) because I could neither laugh at or with Crisp, which is surely the point of a comic novel? Anyhoo, I know someone who might like this, for curiosity value.
February 6, 2017
Makes for an easy breezy read. Quite funny. Glad I chanced upon it :)
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews