The Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith

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Rating: 5/5

Summary:

The diary records the daily events in the lives of Charles Pooter, his wife Carrie, his son Lupin, and his friends and colleagues. Living in late Victorian-era England, Pooter and his wife are stuck deep into middle class society. But Pooter knows his place and he seems quite happy to make the best of it. He appreciates his modest home and his life. The diary is helped along by his two neighbors and friends, Gowing and Cummings, who are always popping in, always going and coming- If you get that little joke, then you will get the spirit of this story and the spirit of Charles Pooter.

Strengths:

I liked how George appreciated his life and had a weird sense of humor. The fool lifestyle was fascinating and quite amusing to follow and the ending left me satisfied and happy! A great quick read that took me far too long.

Weaknesses:

There's barely a story to this. A ridiculous middle class Victorian man decides to write a diary. His problems are dull. Conflict with friends, troubles with his son, an obsession with promotion. The humour is sometimes outdated, relying too much on repetition, but most of the time it is genuinely funny. The ending is also clearly an attempt at agreement, which the story was never supposed to have. I would probably make the book/diary a bit more interesting with a lot of interesting and fun storytelling and events. They also care a lot about appearances, which is a weakness in my opinion.

My Opinion:

I actually did enjoy the diary, its funny, interesting and you could explore the life of late 19th century lower middle class life. I really like Pooter’s terrible jokes, its interesting, as I said, but not that exciting. You can download it and read it for free on "books".