David Nobbs (1935–2015)

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.… (more)