Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction (Adrian ... (ISBN 1569474389)

Great series.:
Firstly I wanted to clarify for people that might want to know, exactly how this series runs. I have bought and read all the books in the Adrian Mole series and I was dissappointed not to find anywhere to tell me which ones to get. So as a result I have them all. US Versions The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole Adrian Mole: The Lost Years Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction British Versions The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole True Confessions of Adrian Albert Mole Adrian Mole: From Minor To Major Adrian Mole: The Wilderness Years Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction So, as for the review these books are great. I love the entire series and I just couldn't stop reading them all the way to the end. The one thing I might suggest is to keep in mind that with most series of books the first is always the best, which is probably the case here too, but if you like it and are a fan of Adrian Mole, there is no reason why you wouldn't want to read the rest. I like the fact that is it written in diary form for easy reading and it is very clever how the story is told from the point of view of Adrian himself but you can see things about his life that he cannot. Overall an excellent read for all ages from teen to adult.

I couldn't put this one down all day...:
Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction by Sue Townsend was one of those library books that attracted me due to the quirky title and unusual cover. Having no background with Townsend's work or any other Mole novels, I really didn't know what to expect. What I found was an incredibly funny English novel that I was unable to put down until I was finished. Adrian Mole is a 34 year old single guy living with his parents and working in a second-hand bookstore. He has a couple kids by different women, but the relationships didn't work out in the long run. In order to live the style of life he envisions for himself, he buys a flat on Rat Wharf and proceeds to spend himself into an incredible crushing load of debt using credit cards. His life starts to spiral downhill when he dates a mousey "organic" lady by the name of Marigold Flowers. Her parents are into "natural living" to the extreme, and he quickly figures out that this is not the family and lady he wants. But he has a hard time saying no, and pretty soon he's engaged to be married to a woman he doesn't love and that is apparently with child. To complicate issues further (as if they weren't already warped), he's madly in love with Marigold's sister, a fashionable public relations woman who is as wild as Marigold is sedate. He knows what he needs to do, and everyone else can see what he should be doing. But knowing and doing are separated by an ever-widening gap... This story is told in diary fashion, with Mole writing in the first person. In many ways, it's like watching a reality TV show. Mole has a much more important view of himself than what really is the case, and it's a hoot watching the train wreck unfold. There are a number of current event themes running through the couple of years covered by the diary, mainly centered around the start of the Iraq war. I'm sure having a good grasp of British life would make a few of the things more clear to this American reader, but it really doesn't matter. It was all too funny and felt all too real... My next step is to check out the first four Adrian Mole novels... If they are anything like this, I'll be losing a couple more weekends to these pages.

He's baaaa-aaaack....:
I was in high school (in London) when the original "Adrian Mole" books came out. In fact, we read them in English, went to London's West End to see the play etc etc. The books were original. The sequels worked, at least for a while and I don't believe that there is anyone who was a teenager in the UK in the 1980s who doesn't remember Adrian Mole. It was by chance I came across this latest addition to the collection while browsing in a very well-known bookstore. I was further surprised to find it here in the US. I'd always thought that the situations and characters were very "English" and wouldn't translate well. Besides, I'd read the original book as a teen, so why buy this one? But the book was on sale so I picked it up...and devoured it, quite literally and found that Adrian had grown up too. Adrian is now in his 30's. He's a little more worldly-wise but still has the air of "naive nerd" about him that we knew two decades ago. Ms. Townsend has worked in all the characters from books past so, if you're looking for a little trip down memory lane, welcome back. Pandora, Adrian's only true love is now a successful politician, his mother and father...heck even Nigel is back! The political overtones are there for all to see and the author makes no attempt to hid them. The book is titled "Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction" and the underlying current in the book is Adrian's devotion, continually tested and challenged to "New Labour" and Tony Blair. He firmly believes that the "coalition" will find the WMDs as they prepare to invade Iraq. Perhaps this undertone is a reflection of Ms. Townsend's personal beliefs. In previous books she brought current events and figures into play and relevent as part of the background. In this book, she seems to be trying to make a bigger statement, while "keeping it funny" and I'm not sure it works this time because it's a little too close to be comfortable. However, that doesn't detract from the story. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself chuckling as I reminisced with an old friend who I'd left in the UK many years ago. I found that I wasn't out-of-touch and many of the stereotypes, situations and characters were as relevant today as they were back then. If you're an A.M. fan then you should definitely read this one. It's nice to find a book you don't have to think too hard about. So, why only 3 stars? Because it's an "okay" book. Perhaps I'm being a little harsh, but I don't think I'd have bought it if it weren't on sale. Maybe I'm not such a great friend after all... Dave

This is a masterpiece of naive common sense:
Is it the last volume of the Adrian Mole saga? Of course not. I doubt it very much. There is no end to a good recipe, a ratatouille or a beef and kidney pie. But we'll see. This volume is extremely interesting. For our Adrian Mole is still Adrian Mole. He is naïve and he is sending to us a very simple-minded vision of the world that is absolutely disarming - a must with the title we know - in naivety and vanity. This vain naivety or naïve vanity is his trademark and it is marvelously refreshing. It could probably not break a man's arm, but it can break, even smash, a man's despair. And this here volume is still a perfect example, at the age of 35, nearly middle-aged, of this entertaining village philosopher from Leicester. The book is also fascinating because we are in 2002-2004 and the central problem is the war on Iraq and Blair's support, till the day when he acknowledges there were no WMDs. The political question is systematically shown through the opinions of various people. Adrian is pro-Blair and he supports his own son when he is sent to Iraq, though he is frightened by the prospect of his son's death for and with no cause, and actually the son's best friend is killed by shrapnel. Pandora is against the war and she resigns from Blair's government. And between the two we find all kinds of shades. The dramatic dimension of the problem is strong because of the son's position in the armed forces. At the same time the book criticizes all kinds pf shortcomings of Blair's policy and of capitalistic greed. Adrian and his father are confronted to the National Health Service, and Adrian is suddenly thrown into bankruptcy by greedy banks and various store- or credit-card providers as well as by his vain desire to live over his means. The book is also fascinating because of the love life or rather non-love and/versus love lives of Adrian. He finds himself trapped by a false pregnancy and ends with a real third child born in love. Finally the book is fascinating because of the numerous vignettes it provides on various characters and situations: the independent bookseller, the local would-be or wanna-be writer, the protection of Her Majesty's swans, the Koran, Chinese restaurants, baby-boomers, vegetarian or bio-friendly people, etc... There you feel a high level of irony, humor, sarcasm, and that is so English, so brilliantly English. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

Great book!:
This was the first Adrian Mole book I read. I loved it! I went on to read all the others, and still think this one was among the three best ones.