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Tom Brown's Schooldays

3.23 of 5 stars 3.23 · rating details · 727 ratings · 64 reviews

One of the classics of English children's literature, and one of the earliest books written specifically for boys, this novel's steady popularity has given it an influence well beyond the upper middle-class world that it describes. It tells a story central to an understanding of Victorian life, but its freshness helps to distinguish it from the narrow schoolboy adventures...more

Paperback, 466 pages

Published August 19th 1999 by Oxford World Classics (first published 1857)

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Jun 10, 2008 George rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Christian Soldiiers, and Defenders of the True Faith. Knights of the Bath

A must read for any of the legions of Flashman fanatics (like myself) if only for a better understanding of what George MacDonald Fraser was satirizing in his famous, and infamous Flashman, series. Of course, this was aimed at Victorian boys to inspire them to be better Victorian gentlemen and not to jaded, cynical world weary reprobates like myself. So, perhaps I'm not the most appropriate reviewer of this book. No doubt, Tom Brown, Arnold and the author himself would arm wrestle each other to...more

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May 29, 2010 Surreysmum rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1984, classics-british

[These notes were made in 1984:]. Despite the preachiness and rather offensive Toryism, I rather enjoyed this - really the grand-daddy of school-stories. The shape is so familiar - from new boy through various troubles to responsible upper-school-man, the whole thing ending with a gala of some sort: in this case, a cricket match. Hughes does not attempt to hide the fact that Tom's hero-worship of Dr. Arnold is autobiographical in origin. But I doubt if there was any real-life counterpart of the...more

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May 13, 2011 Bev Hankins rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, victorian

Tom Brown’s Schooldays by Thomas Hughes is one of the first (if not the first) books about boys and adventures in public school life. First published in 1857, Hughes was looking to write a novel for boys that would tell about the public school life “in a right spirit but distinctly aimed at being interesting.” In it, he introduces us to Tom Brown—first describing his home village and his life there and then following Tom through his years at Rugby under Dr. Arnold. We are given Tom’s experiences...more Tom Brown’s Schooldays by Thomas Hughes is one of the first (if not the first) books about boys and adventures in public school life. First published in 1857, Hughes was looking to write a novel for boys that would tell about the public school life “in a right spirit but distinctly aimed at being interesting.” In it, he introduces us to Tom Brown—first describing his home village and his life there and then following Tom through his years at Rugby under Dr. Arnold. We are given Tom’s experiences as a new boy with everything from his first football match to being tossed in a blanket. And then follow him through the rigors of learning Latin and Greek to learning what it means to be a true British gentleman. We are taken over the countryside to investigate kestrel nests and to fish in forbidden waters; we see Tom defend a younger boy’s honor in his first and last fist fight; and finally we see Tom at the end of his school days as captain of the cricket team and having learned all his lessons well.

This is a very interesting snapshot of life at the public school in early Victorian times. Dr. Arnold (a real personage) has recently taken over as the master of Rugby and is trying to instill the ethics of the good, Christian British gentleman while reining in the bullying and other nastiness that public schools have been known for. Most important of the lessons Tom learns is that of fighting the good fight—for what you believe in, for the good of a friend, for the underdog. I think this quote does a good job of exemplifying this:

...so bear in mind that majorities, especially respectable ones, are nine times out of ten in the wrong; and that if you see man or boy striving earnestly on the weak side, however wrong-headed or blundering he may be, you are not to go and join the cry against him. If you can't join him and help him, and make him wiser, at any rate remember that he has found something in the world which he will fight and suffer for....

After a difficult period of tricks and trouble, Tom is given a younger, new boy to take under his wing and it is then that he really begins to learn the life lessons that Dr. Arnold values.

The beginning drags on a bit. It takes quite a while to actually get Tom to school. Once there the story itself is interesting and very informative of this time period. We learn a lot about what a boy’s life in the public school of the time would have been like. It is perhaps idealized in part—it is obvious that Hughes, who really did attend Rugby under Dr. Arnold, has rosy memories and great respect for the master of Rugby. Hughes does tend to go on a bit with a preachy attitude about the moral of the story, but this is understandable given the time period.
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Jul 19, 2009 Jim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: this-sceptred-isle, fiction

This is the story of a boy, Tom Brown, and his years at Rugby school during the tenure of Thomas Arnold as headmaster, in the early Victorian era.

Unless you're a hopeless anglophile, you might prefer watching one of the dramatisations of this story. (The made-for-television film with Stephen Fry as Doctor Arnold is especially good.) The films tend to have more plot than the book, which is more a series of chronological anecdotes set amidst statements of philosophy than it is a novel. The philoso...more

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May 17, 2012 Ian rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've read all the Flashman novels so I was interested in going back to the original source. Also, having been to an English public school myself I was curious as to how things changed between the 1830s and the 1970s. I also have vague memories of a TV series from the 1970s, many of which appear to have been the product of the series' scriptwriters and not from the original source.

I found the book rather less enjoyable than I hoped, in part because Flashman himself is little more than a bit part....more

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May 24, 2011 William S. rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book. I read it for one reasons primarily, and that is that I so enjoy Fraser's Flashman series, that I wanted to read and discover where the bully got his start. And Flashman really is bad news! As a boys' school graduate myself, I enjoyed also taking a look at an early British school. It looks just ghastly, from the dismal food to the horrible bullying. As a resident of Maryland's Eastern Shore, I was taken aback to read the boys' singing about the British glorious campaign in t...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Skip Knox rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: literature

I must the the only person around who did not pick this up because of the Flashman series. Rather, I noticed it and the first thing that popped into my head was Tomkinson's Schooldays, from Ripping Yarns. So I was reading it for a lark. And because it was free on my Kindle.

To my surprise, I'm rather enjoying the book. I don't really need the insights into Victorian life or background for Flashman; in fact, I'm enjoying the writing itself. The tone is jovial and thoroughly modern (for the 19thc)....more

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Mar 14, 2012 Eric Thomas rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: engl-420

OLD TIME (PRE-1920) 'JUVENILE' FICTION

This is an incredibly slow story. While many claim it to be the "Grand Pappy" of all boarding school books, I had a hard time catching on. Make no mistake, this isn't any Harry Potter. It's definitely has young adults in mind as it was written to inspire men to bravery and gentlemanly behavior, attempting to get rid of bullying and other practices that would be contrary to those former principles. It's a bit didactic in that regard, which isn't a bad thing,...more

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Nov 23, 2009 Frightful_elk rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 19-c, autobiography, childrens, christian, classsics, english, essays-on-life, firm-favourites, five-star, life-story, religion, spiritual

I love this book.
A great coming of age story. For me this book is about learning to stand up for what's right, no matter how hard that is. The fact that Tom eventually accomplishes this through his Spirituality makes this a really unusual children's book. All the more unusual for the fact that the spiritual development is discussed frankly and not explored through metaphor or symbolism.
Add to that a beautifully real portrait of mid nineteenth century public school, and very real and naughty boys...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Adrianne rated it 4 of 5 stars

OLD-TIME (PRE-1920) 'JUVENILE' FICTION
This is the story of the coming of age of a young boy and his friends. We see the development of their social interaction, physical development, their boldness and the spirit that young boys contain. The novel maybe difficult for young adults to read today because the language does present a barrier. However it is a good novel in showing the development of young adolescent boys and the interactions they have with one another. I would recommend this to young...more

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Nov 06, 2009 Dave rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, literature

“Tom Brown’s Schooldays” by Thomas Hughes (1822 – 1896) was originally published in 1857, and clearly inspired other school novels for many years to come. One can see the impact it had on Wodehouse’s school stories, as well as “Goodbye, Mr. Chips”, and others as well. Add to that, the use of the character Flashman (the school bully in the first part of the book) by George MacDonald Fraser for his series of stories, and you begin to see just how much influence this book has had over the years. Th...more “Tom Brown’s Schooldays” by Thomas Hughes (1822 – 1896) was originally published in 1857, and clearly inspired other school novels for many years to come. One can see the impact it had on Wodehouse’s school stories, as well as “Goodbye, Mr. Chips”, and others as well. Add to that, the use of the character Flashman (the school bully in the first part of the book) by George MacDonald Fraser for his series of stories, and you begin to see just how much influence this book has had over the years. The novel centers on Tom Brown; from his childhood, through his attendance at Rugby, a public school and a bit beyond. The novel is divided into two books, the first deals with Tom’s early life and days in school and he is headed down the wrong path at the end. The second book is where things turn around and Tom starts to find his way down the right path.

Book one is an odd mix, with the early chapters dealing with Tom’s life before attending school. For me this was the most difficult part of the story to read, as it is the worst written part of the book, added to which I was adjusting to Thomas Hughes writing style, but these chapters help define Tom’s character and so they are important to the story. It is in this period where Tom first attends a private school, but when a fever hits the school the students are sent home, and as a result, Tom is sent to Rugby. Chapter four covers Tom’s journey to Rugby, including his building excitement of attending a public school.

Tom arrives and finds himself in very good circumstances; he is in School-house, the best of the houses; he is taken on as friend by East, who is the nephew of the friend of his family, and they become close friends. The house is led by Brooke, an older student who is admired by nearly everyone, and whose natural leadership abilities have united School-house like no other, and he keeps the bullying in check. Lastly, Tom arrives on the day that the School-house takes on all the others in football, and though not allowed a big part, Tom has one key play which catches the eye of Brooke.

Things change though, when Brooke moves on as do the other older boys who followed Brooke’s example of behavior, and so the house loses its united spirit, and the bullies start to create havoc. Chief among the bullies is Flashman, who has a sadistic streak, but is actually a coward, like many bullies. Unfortunately, he decides to pick on Tom and East. Eventually Tom and East stand together and defeat Flashman, but even after that Flashman manages to keep Tom and East as outcasts due to his rumor spreading. Their being outcasts results in Tom and East pretty much doing what they please, and deciding that rules don’t apply to them as they only can count on each other. This leads to a stern talking to by the headmaster, known as the Doctor just before the holiday, as he sees the two of them heading down the wrong path, and this is where book one ends.

Book two picks up with Tom and East’s return from the holidays. In the break, it has been decided to try to separate the two for their own good, and the method is in the form of George Arthur, a boy whose father has passed away. Tom reflects quickly on what this means to his plans, but quickly sets those aside and takes on this new responsibility. Tom takes care of George, but in fact George teaches Tom far more. The second book develops the strength of this relationship, including Tom’s continuing friendship with East, and the inclusion of Martin into their group of friends. Martin is known as “Madman” for his unusual behavior, involving a love a nature, which he passes on to George.
The other key events in book two include a fight between Tom and Williams, a boy from another house. The fight takes place because Tom defends George against a threat made by Williams. The narrator uses the fight to teach a lesson about fighting, but the chapter is a bit out-of-place for the most part. There is also a illness which nearly takes George Arthur’s life, and which inspires Tom to be a better student, and he takes East along with him on that road. Tom says goodbye to Rugby with a cricket match. Sporting matches became a fixture for Wodehouse’s school novels at the start of his career, and this is undoubtedly one source of inspiration for him. The closing chapter deals with a few years later, when Tom is at Oxford and learns of the death of his old Master and his return to Rugby to pay his respects, and reflect back on all he learned there.

The reader takes a long journey with this novel, both in terms of the story told, as well as the impression one has of the book itself. One starts with the difficulty of trying to deal with the poorly written early chapters, to enjoying the free-spirit adventures of Tom and East at Rugby, and then on into experiencing the growth of responsibility and maturity as they develop in Tom and his friends. Overall, it is a great experience, and though flawed, it is not too surprising that this novel survives on reading lists, as well as influences so many other works.
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Oct 29, 2012 Paul Foley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

The point of education is not to learn stuff, but to build character... according to this 19th century classic of a boy's life at an English public (that is, private) school. Character is of course built playing sports, like Rugby football, a sport which in this book resembles a kind of riot with rules, where small boys are pitted against large boys and little or no thought is given to the dangers of concussion, broken limbs, or death. It's a rough and tumble environment, great fun until someone...more The point of education is not to learn stuff, but to build character... according to this 19th century classic of a boy's life at an English public (that is, private) school. Character is of course built playing sports, like Rugby football, a sport which in this book resembles a kind of riot with rules, where small boys are pitted against large boys and little or no thought is given to the dangers of concussion, broken limbs, or death. It's a rough and tumble environment, great fun until someone loses an eye, and perhaps even after someone does lose an eye.

"Character" and "fair play" are much emphasized but remain forever fuzzy concepts in this book, which rather deflates its moral purpose. Jolly great fun is had by chucking stones at Irish laborers and otherwise tormenting the lower classes. "Fagging"--the practice of young boys having to fetch and carry for the older boys (and yes, that's where the word comes from)-- is an accepted and honored institution. That's different from bullying, at least in Thomas Hughes' ethic. Bullies are of course cowards, and standing up to bullies is another of the things that builds "character". Peaching on one's fellows does not build character, quite the opposite in fact, and boys must never go to the school authorities with tales of bullying. A lesson which makes me extremely thankful that we no longer live in the 19th century.

As a window on the past, Tom Brown's School Days is highly interesting. As interesting for what it leaves out as for what it includes. Most conspicuously left out is sex. Or not so much left out as sublimated, and in a manner that is startlingly obvious to the modern reader. Adolescent Tom Brown takes under his wing young Arthur, a "new boy" who is pale, sensitive, the very picture of an angel... or of a girl. Tom hovers over him, protects him, can't bear to be separated from him; all in a very Christian manly way of course. Right. When this most feminine of young boys falls ill, Hughes' narrative indulges in perhaps the most icky religious sentimentality that was ever penned. It's priceless.

I found Tom Brown's School Days a fun rewarding read. Though probably for none of the reasons Thomas Hughes intended.(less)

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Jul 29, 2011 Dave/Maggie Bean rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, british-and-irish-lit

I hate to admit it, but my introduction to young Master Brown was via George MacDonald Fraser’s Flashman series. Fraser’s anti-hero was based on Hughes’ school bully, Harry Flashman. I hate to admit it even more, but Fraser’s Flashman is such a likeable villain; I actually put off reading Hughes’ novel because of said character’s loathing for Brown.

Having since read it, I can honestly say that I find Brown even more likeable than his nemesis, as he was hardly the “goody two shoes” Fraser’s versi...more I hate to admit it, but my introduction to young Master Brown was via George MacDonald Fraser’s Flashman series. Fraser’s anti-hero was based on Hughes’ school bully, Harry Flashman. I hate to admit it even more, but Fraser’s Flashman is such a likeable villain; I actually put off reading Hughes’ novel because of said character’s loathing for Brown.

Having since read it, I can honestly say that I find Brown even more likeable than his nemesis, as he was hardly the “goody two shoes” Fraser’s version of Flashman made him out to be. As Clarence A. Andrews, in his introduction to the 1968 Airmont edition of Tom Brown…accurately states: “There are no really bad boys here, no saints. For the most part, these are boys who, while young, will violate seemingly every rule in the book of morals and manners – and then will grow up to be like their fathers – landed gentry, merchants, rectors and deacons, and members of parliament.”

I don’t know that this book will be everyone’s cup of tea. A typical Victorian novel for boys, it follows the protagonist’s education at Rugby from childhood until graduation. It’s a tad stuffy and moralistic in parts (Hughes himself admitted as much), but overall, it’s a good, fun read –even for an old fart like me. Perhaps I’m succumbing to a bit of nostalgic “phantom pain,” as it were, but (the fact that I’m an overgrown, Scots-Irish guttersnipe, myself, notwithstanding) I like the idea of an age in which men sent their sons to school to become “…brave, helpful, truth-telling Englishmen, and gentlemen, and Christians.”

I disagree with Hughes in many, many respects. His notion of the proper role of the State, for example, raises my Hillbilly hackles and sets my tobacco-stained teeth on edge. Be that as it may, there’s much to be said for _Tom Brown’s School Days_, and I recommend it highly.

I’d never heard of it (let alone considered reading it) until I encountered George MacDonald Fraser’s _Flashman_ series, while I was in college. Fraser (one of my favorite authors) had taken Hughes’s nastiest character and made him the protagonist in a hilarious Victorian series, relating Harry Flashman’s post-Rugby misadventures. As Fraser’s Flashman clearly loathed Brown (and I actually liked ol’ Flashy, despicable as he was) I opted to dig a little deeper. I purchased Hughes’s book when I was nineteen -- and let it sit on the shelf, gathering dust, until I was thirty-nine. Youth is truly wasted on the young…

Hughes’s novel – a quintessentially Victorian novel, at that – chronicles the education of Tom Brown, a middle-class English boy, at a thinly disguised version of Thomas Arnold’s Rugby. If nothing else, it proves that boys are boys – and that there’s truly nothing new under the sun. But there’s quite a bit else, as luck would have it. Unlike his proximate contemporary, Dickens (another favorite of mine), Hughes admits the English Public Schools’ shortcomings without "throwing the baby out with the bathwater." Ultimately -- to reiterate -- he portrays them as institutions which, when properly run, produce "brave, helpful, truth-telling gentlemen, and Christians."

My political and ideological disagreements with Hughes notwithstanding, I’d die happy if Post-American America could produce even one such boy – whether privately, publicly, or home-schooled.

And don’t even bother with BBC’s nauseating movie adaptation. It leaves only a vaguely urine-smelling stain upon Hughes’s literary legacy. The actor who plays Arnold gets it right (he’s the movie’s saving grace), but everything else is dead wrong.(less)

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Jan 09, 2011 A.J. rated it 2 of 5 stars

Downloaded this as an ebook from Project Gutenberg.

One of those books which is definitely 'of its time'. It was slow to start - about a fifth of it had gone by before Tom actually got to school - and then ponderous and moralistic as it went on. I can see that the description of the game of Rugby would be very interesting for historians of that sport, but the heavy-handedness of the religious and moral messages in the book made it hard to read for me.

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Jul 17, 2011 Edward Butler rated it 3 of 5 stars

(For the full picture, see my review of Alec Waugh's The Loom of Youth.) The shortcomings of Hughes as a novelist are largely compensated by his historical value as a sort of Victorian cosmogonist. He fashions an indelible image of school as a crucible for character formation, but character for Hughes is in no sense a private matter, but thoroughly religious and political. Hence it would be a mistake to treat this text as a Bildungsroman; it answers to completely different purposes. Hughes is qu...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Justin rated it 1 of 5 stars

I very very rarely put a book down without finishing it. I love Victorian novels, but I could not get into this one. I read about 150 pages and then called it quits. It was too preachy for me. It went into too much detail about how to play various rough games and sports, none of which I am the least bit interested in. I suppose it is a good snapshot of public school life, but there are many other, and better, novels that are capable of accomplishing the same. I did, however, enjoy Hughes' conver...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

The joy of being a boy shines through in this book in a way it doesn't in the film versions. Descriptions of social hierarchy and Saxon vs. Norman traditions are pedantic but instructive and this novel has influenced writers (like Rowling, Harkaway and, I am told, Fraser.); sports (Rugby), and fashion (same, via Ralph Lauren). Caveat: This is not exactly Harry Potter. It's completely male oriented. Having raised two boys, I enjoyed this book very much. But if I hadn't, I might feel otherwise.

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Apr 09, 2012 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: engl-420

PRE-1920S BOOK CATEGORY
Naturally a book written so long ago is not anything like the style of young adult books written now. In some ways this made it more difficult to read, simply because the language and way of telling the story feel so old and, in some ways, obsolete. However, the basic story of "Tom Brown's Schooldays" is interesting and can be to any reader willing to put in the effort to read it.

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Aug 06, 2010 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hallway

This is among the first (if not the first) novel written for and about English schoolboys. Though not a bad novel, its chief value is probably historical. You can see the ideology of the English public school system (both at its best and through dark hints at its worst). Readers of later works (P. G. Wodehouse's cricketing stories come to mind) will certainly see the legacy of this book.

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Sep 22, 2011 Chris Bullock rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: classical, books-reviewed, memoir, british-writers

I quite enjoyed this book - a classical tale of school life with its ups and downs. I found it quite entertaining how the author explains himself on occasions during the story. Although written in the 19th Century, some of the anecdotes and situations do easily relate to the 20th Century when I was at school.
I found the first chapter rather heavy going, and decided to omit most of it. I therefore started at Chapter 2 which is the story itself.
Generally a good light read.

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Oct 15, 2011 Ross rated it 3 of 5 stars

Because I have been reading Victorian novels GR recommended this book for me as one of the classics of the era. The book was written for an audience of British public school boys around 1850. Although some 150 years distant in time and 65 years older than the intended audience I enjoyed the book as an example of its type. The writing is very earnest and quite touching in places.

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Nov 13, 2012 Becky rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There was nothing I really disliked about this book, but also nothing that stood out strongly to me. The story was engaging enough, more interesting than some, but a bit long-winded in places. Hughes loves England. A lot. And Public Schools. A lot.
All in all, while I have nothing to say against it, my feelings towards this book are summed up in the phrase, "meh. It was good."

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Nov 23, 2008 KT rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: victorian-child

Deadly dull until maybe halfway through, and the slang leaves this book open to a LOT of homoerotic innuendo -- and then you hit the part where it kind of isn't innuendo, and Hughes is actually trying to say that sometimes boys screw other boys, but he's doing it in his staunch British way and it's just awkward on all levels.

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Jul 26, 2012 Kristen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-lit

It's good as far as Christianized boarding school stories go. I read it because it is considered to be the predecessor to Harry Potter. It was interesting to read for similarities to the Harry Potter series (headmaster as God, homosocial bonding/transference, school as true home, etc.)

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Mar 02, 2009 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I absolutely adore this book even though it chronicles the coming of age of a young boy in Britian. I feel its a book that every young man/boy should read that will give him a sense and understanding of loyalty, brotherhood, character, and fortitude.

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Aug 07, 2012 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Victorian or children's literature lovers

Shelves: for-classes

I made a lot of connections between this 1857 English novel and Robert Cormier's 1977 novel The Chocolate War. I wrote a 20 page paper comparing the two and how they portray Catholic schools negatively, and are really novels for adults, rather than children.

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Sep 27, 2012 Simon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Read because CLR James reckons this has as much to tell us about how English sport developed as any book. I can see the argument. I also enjoyed the book, despite it representing a set of values I don't over admire, far more than I expected to

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Sep 18, 2012 Daniel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Crashing into October

Shy when making demands
Disappointed by a show of hands

Tears with all advances
Legal grounds block my second chances

Saner thoughts were lurking
But it was good when mine were working

Mademoiselle hides well
Hey big spender all I remember

Here it is tomorrow
On a Greyhound home looking toward Rome

Quick judger, long-time begrudger
Dialed into the pyramid structure

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Feb 17, 2009 Nikki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-books, fiction, guardian-1000-novels

I've always been fascinated by books set in boarding schools, since I never went to one. This book is based on the educational theories of Arnold of Rugby (still an important British public school, I believe) and is a ripping yarn to boot.

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Jul 03, 2009 Ellie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-for-exams, children, would-not-recommend, books-i-borrowed, read-2007, library-books

This book was written for soley for boys and I don't think the author could have made himself sound more patronising if he tried. The story lacks any real excitement unless you enjoy 4 page descriptions of cricket matches.

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About Thomas Hughes

Librarian note: There is more than one author by this name on Goodreads.

Thomas Hughes was an English lawyer and author. He is most famous for his novel Tom Brown's Schooldays (1857), a semi-autobiographical work set at Rugby School, which Hughes had attended. It had a lesser-known sequel, Tom Brown at Oxford (1861).

More about Thomas Hughes...

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Tom Brown's Schooldays & Tom Brown at Oxford

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“He who has conquered his own coward spirit has conquered the whole outward world;” — 5 people liked it

“I want to leave behind me the name of a fellow who never bullied a little boy, or turned his back on a big one.” — 5 people liked it

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