No, it’s not a typo. Nor is it a Moleskine. My mother introduced me fairly early on to the four Molesworth books, brought together in this compendium. It was the easiest way to reference it here – and an early example of kill yourself laughing funny.
Humour is obviously a personal business. So Molesworth may not be your thing, but I’ll explain anyway, because hopefully at least one of you might give it a try.
If I say that it’s based on 1950s prep schools, that may instantly turn you away. If I say it is about the familiar battles between kids and teachers, between kids themselves, between kids and their parents, that may help.
Add in that the pictures are by Ronald Searle, and that takes it up a level. ‘Creative’ spelling, Gothic-style illustration, and plenty of dry wit: we’re getting closer.
My parents each went to boarding school. I didn’t. But it didn’t stop me reading about boarding schools – whether the Enid Blyton worlds of Mallory Towers or St Clare’s, or the extensive Chalet School series by Elinor Brent-Dyer. (Harry Potter clearly came quite a bit later.)
From said reading, I knew that there was a world in which there were midnight feasts, adventures and even escape from the Nazis (the Chalet School series is set in the 1930s). A world of tuck boxes, and possibly dares involving swimming pools at night.
My mother informs me it was rather more mundane than this, but did include fishing hedgehogs out of cattle grids with lacrosse sticks. It is up to you which world sounds more adventurous from these descriptions.
But still: school stories are generally intended to excite, to offer adventure. Nigel Molesworth, main protagonist of the Molesworth books, looks on at a similar world, and offers biting, and incisive comments.
Molesworth spends much of his time looking to get out of algebra, school dinners, runs around the playing fields, and much else that is still familiar in a school setting. Like the best of teens (or tweens), he dismisses what is expected of him – but always with humour.
His letters home cover only the week’s rugby scores, and whatever contraption he wants to wangle from his parents. His parents’ letters gush back in return.
If nothing else, read the books to find out about Fotheringham-Thomas, the cherubic character who wanders around saying ‘Hello clouds! Hello sky!’ He could give Perfect Peter a run for his money – and, similarly to Peter, is trampled by the anti-hero at every opportunity.
Whatever your take on what makes you laugh, there is always room for a book (or several) that can be guaranteed to make you laugh. And I mean the kind that are almost impossible to read aloud without weeping with laughter, and becoming so incoherent that you can’t continue speaking.
That kind of book – seek it out at all costs. Whether it made you laugh when you were 8, or 38, go back to it. You knew that books could make you cry, swoon, flinch, cheer – but don’t forget the ones that make you explode with laughter.