There comes a book in everyone's life which is totally different from all the books s/he has ever read. And there comes a book which brings out a beautiful smile and at the same time a pang of nostalgia and memories of a time when all was so peachy, innocent, silly and yet beautiful. For me, this book was that.There is no complex plot. There are no edge-of-the-seat dramatic moments. No tragic romantic moments, in fact nothing called a conventional plot. It is a fictional memoir of a school inspector (author himself) in rural countryside of Yorkshire. What works for this book is the witty situations, the humorous one liners and most importantly, the belief it reinforces that every child should have a beautiful, innocent and happy childhood filled with love and laughter. The characters are pretty lovable, be it the old school Mr. Frobisher, the old school teacher who had to retire due to the author's scathing report, but eventually makes peace with him in a surprising way, or the kid who writes, amusingly, about his holiday trip when asked to write about the importance of prayer, or a nosy neighbor who gives author a big scare, or a snooty official aptly named Brenda Savage. The book is interspersed with brilliantly funny scenes, like the one where Savage is mistaken for a nude model, or the one with children screwing up Jesus in the manger. The kids, though, steal the show. Utterly lovable, cute and different from each other, they will bring up the memories of the beautiful phase that was the childhood. And yes, you will fall in love with children.There are some great insights on education and parenting and teaching, explored through a wide variety of them. You will find yourself nodding in agreement with the author throughout.So ahead, and pick up this book for a change, be amused and enriched. Or gift it to a teacher as a big thank you for the impact s/he made on your life.
Again, up to his usual humorous style of writing, but without being full of double entendres.I did laugh a lot. Only Gervase could manage to arrive at his son's birth in full Nazi regale.
