Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
4th out of 82 books
—
53 voters
The Diary of a Nobody
Weedon Grossmith's 1892 book presents the details of English suburban life through the anxious and accident-prone character of Charles Porter. Porter's diary chronicles his daily routine, which includes small parties, minor embarrassments, home improvements, and his relationship with a troublesome son. The small minded but essentially decent suburban world he inhabits is b...more
Paperback, 176 pages
Published
October 15th 1998
by Oxford University Press, USA
(first published 1892)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
11 April
Sat down to write a capsule review of The Diary of a Nobody. Interrupted by a loving thump at the door. It was Mark Nicholls from my review of Italo Calvino’s If on a Winter’s Night a Traveller, a piece of spoof metafiction that ranks as my most liked GR review. I studied my 23-year-old self carefully then looked at my 25-year-old self and noted nothing had changed facially in two years except I was even more handsomely bespectacled. “Would you like to buy a copy of . . . ?” he began, bu...more
Sat down to write a capsule review of The Diary of a Nobody. Interrupted by a loving thump at the door. It was Mark Nicholls from my review of Italo Calvino’s If on a Winter’s Night a Traveller, a piece of spoof metafiction that ranks as my most liked GR review. I studied my 23-year-old self carefully then looked at my 25-year-old self and noted nothing had changed facially in two years except I was even more handsomely bespectacled. “Would you like to buy a copy of . . . ?” he began, bu...more
Bumbling Charles Pooter's memoir of timeless suburban angst The Diary of a Nobody (1892) remains remarkably modern and amusing even a century after it was first printed in Punch. Pooter can't understand his son's slang or dismal work ethic ... his wife is spellbound by new age spiritualism ... his friends continually clean out his larder and drain his wine bottles without reciprocating ... the plumbing doesn't work ... the neighbors throw garbage into his garden ... and fate seems determined to...more
From BBC Radio 4:
Johnny Vegas and Katherine Parkinson play Mr and Mrs Pooter in Andrew Lynch's adaptation of the Grossmith brothers' comic novel of 1892.
Johnny Vegas and Katherine Parkinson play Mr and Mrs Pooter in Andrew Lynch's adaptation of the Grossmith brothers' comic novel of 1892.
1 like · like · see review
Thirty years before Sinclair Lewis published Babbit and set the standard for smug, self-important middle-class conformity, there was The Diary of a Nobody and Charles Pooter. Pooter, a senior bank clerk in the City renting a home in a London suburb of Holloway, encapsulates Victorian respectability, snobbery, and pretensions. Pooter nearly invariably gets the short end of the stick in his interactions with his two neighbors, Cummings and Gowings; his spendthrift, reckless son Lupin; and the vari...more
1 like · like · see review
Interesting read. It's not exciting or dazzling. It is "Seinfeld" in Victorian times. It is about nothing: just a man keeping a diary of his days. He and his wife live very ordinary, middle-class lives. He works for a financial firm. She keeps house. They live simply. Appearances are important to them, not only for his work but for their standing in the community. Their adult son moves back in with them (common in today's world), and his lifestyle, speech, and attitude is very different from his...more
"Why should I not publish my diary? I have often seen reminiscences of people I have never even heard of, and I fail to see - because I do not happen to be a 'Somebody' - why my diary should not be interesting."
And thank goodness that Charles Pooter, ordinary clerk and Victorian family man decided to follow this course. The humour is gentle but had me in stitches at times and is still as funny today as it must have been for its contemporary audience of Punch readers in the 1890s. One is torn bet...more
And thank goodness that Charles Pooter, ordinary clerk and Victorian family man decided to follow this course. The humour is gentle but had me in stitches at times and is still as funny today as it must have been for its contemporary audience of Punch readers in the 1890s. One is torn bet...more
Brilliant! A book filled with unimportant characters, not about anything in particular, in which nothing much happens. Well not exactly, this is a satire on being ordinary.
Admittedly modern readers may not find it as funny as when it was first published in Punch in the late 19th century, as the context and detail of Victorian middle-class values that it parodies are no longer an immediately understood reference point and tastes in, as well as expectations of, humour have moved on. What it pokes...more
Admittedly modern readers may not find it as funny as when it was first published in Punch in the late 19th century, as the context and detail of Victorian middle-class values that it parodies are no longer an immediately understood reference point and tastes in, as well as expectations of, humour have moved on. What it pokes...more
This book had me in stitches. Mixing the hilarity of puns (the BEST form of comedy) with the humorously uneventful diary entries of a Victorian Gentleman makes for terrific reading. Mr. Pooter is undoubtedly one of the best comic characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading about. His failed attempts at witticisms filled me with joy, for at least I found him funny, if no one else did.
How can you not love this man?:
“He said he wouldn’t stay, as he didn’t care much for the smell of the paint...more
How can you not love this man?:
“He said he wouldn’t stay, as he didn’t care much for the smell of the paint...more
The Diary of a Nobody is so self-effacing, unobtrusive and natural a piece of work, that missing it completely could be forgiven, well almost. It is a thoroughly obscure piece of writing armed with a unique format that provides for riveting comedy instinctive to the writer, which cannot but make this seem like a very peculiar achievement, a masterpiece nonetheless, albeit a seemingly accidental masterpiece. This idiosyncratic achievement that went horridly right is the diary of a Charles Pooter,...more
Funny enough to keep me reading it to the end, but not funny enough to make me do anything else except to occasionally smile to myself.
Originally published on instalments in a magazine from May, 1888 to May 1889 this is the diary of the fictional Charles Pooter who justified keeping and publishing it in an Introductions where he said:
"Why should I not publish my diary? I have often seen reminiscences of people I have never even heard of, and I fail to see--because I do not happen to be a 'Somebo...more
Originally published on instalments in a magazine from May, 1888 to May 1889 this is the diary of the fictional Charles Pooter who justified keeping and publishing it in an Introductions where he said:
"Why should I not publish my diary? I have often seen reminiscences of people I have never even heard of, and I fail to see--because I do not happen to be a 'Somebo...more
6 likes · like · see review
I'd had this for a while and thought it would make good paired reading with Three Men on a Boat, as they're both considered classics of British humor of about the same era. George Grossmith is perhaps best known as a long-time star of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, performing the comic baritone roles (Ko-Ko, Major-General Stanley, Sir Joseph Porter) in Gilbert and Sullivan's operas; his brother Weedon was largely an artist.
Their hero, Charles Pooter, is an ordinary middle-class clerk in London...more
Their hero, Charles Pooter, is an ordinary middle-class clerk in London...more
Well I have to say this book didn’t quite live up to Evelyn Waugh’s testimonial on the back cover: “The funniest book in the world”. Mind you, Waugh did write Brideshead Revisited, so he wasn’t exactly a laugh-a-minute kind of guy. Maybe he had lower standards when it came to humour than the rest of us. In fact, were Waugh still about today, I’d write him a terse but witty note and ask him to refund my purchase money. Not that it was a terrible book or anything, it was well-written, and somewhat...more
Meet Mr. Charles Pooter, perfectly average in everyway. In fact, he doesn't really like being average as he does have his snobbish moments, but he certainly isn't a 'nobody' either. He is rather just one of us, a person trying to get ahead in life and be as successful as he can be in the face of life's little embarrassing disasters. And believe you me there are plenty of those in this book!
This is his diary, wherein he faithfully records all of the aforementioned moments as well as the stress of...more
This is his diary, wherein he faithfully records all of the aforementioned moments as well as the stress of...more
Un libro del que se habla maravillas, que humor inteligente, que el libro más divertido según Evelyn Waugh y quién sabe qué tanto. Precisamente nunca me ha llamado la atención los libros de "Diarios", no sé, el formato se me hace tonto. Pero dije "vamos a leerlo", dicen que está gracioso. Pues bien, muy pocas veces si no es que ninguna me reí. El tipo de humor no va encadenado hacia el chiste fácil sino a la situación general —lo cual aplaudo— pero las situaciones son chistosas en lo mínimo. No...more
I think I tried to watch the relatively recent BBC adaptation of this, but gave up not long into it because nothing was happening. You’d think the title would give that away. The book is much better, however, because with the nice intervals that a diary style gives, you have more natural stops, starts and potentials for fun.
What struck me more than anything was the farcical nature of the piece – the slapstick moments reminded me so much of Miranda, it couldn’t fail to warm my heart. Trying to ma...more
What struck me more than anything was the farcical nature of the piece – the slapstick moments reminded me so much of Miranda, it couldn’t fail to warm my heart. Trying to ma...more
If you’re a lover of nature and enjoy watching snow melt or get excited seeing grass grow in the sun, you just might take pleasure in The Diary of a Nobody by George Grossmith. These words could possibly lead you to think that this narrative, in my opinion, isn’t worth the paper on which it is printed. Your impression would be erroneous. This diary has its value in relating Victorian middleclass life, relating their values, opinions and humor. It is, in short, no more or no less than a diary sho...more
I downloaded this to my Kindle kinda,sorta by accident, and when I started reading it I was pleasantly surprised at how well a contemporary author caught the colloquialisms, manner and speech of 1800's England ... then I felt like a bit of a fool when I found out it had been,in fact, written in the 1800's.
My bad.
That said (as the red begins to fade from my blush), this was a great book.. about relatively nothing ... by a supercilious ass ... with no great protagonist ... no overriding plot ... l...more
My bad.
That said (as the red begins to fade from my blush), this was a great book.. about relatively nothing ... by a supercilious ass ... with no great protagonist ... no overriding plot ... l...more
2 likes · like · see review
I love the premise, stated so aptly by the title. I appreciate how terribly self-important and ridiculous Pooter is. And indeed, there were some funny episodes along the way that made me think of this as a sort of Victorian sitcom. You can almost hear the laugh track as you read.
But... I dunno, I thought the book was just ok. I probably don't really "get" it--perhaps I needed a copy with extensive footnoting to explain the context. Or perhaps I don't get English humor of the era (almost certainl...more
But... I dunno, I thought the book was just ok. I probably don't really "get" it--perhaps I needed a copy with extensive footnoting to explain the context. Or perhaps I don't get English humor of the era (almost certainl...more
In George Grossmith's 'Diary of a Nobody', we encounter the trivial meanderings of one Charles Pooter. A lower middle class suburbanite whose main concerns centre around his city job, his London property and problematic son, Lupin.
In order to keep up appearances, Pooter's diary take us through his absurd anxieties and struggle to maintain status. While on basic description this sounds tedious and self-absorbed, the book is actually a comedic insight into how life was lived at the turn of the 20t...more
In order to keep up appearances, Pooter's diary take us through his absurd anxieties and struggle to maintain status. While on basic description this sounds tedious and self-absorbed, the book is actually a comedic insight into how life was lived at the turn of the 20t...more
Jul 30, 2010
Elizabeth (Miss Eliza)
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction
As Charles Pooter says: "Why should I not publish my diary? I have often seen reminiscences of people I have never heard of, and I fail to see - because I do not happen to be a 'Somebody' - why my diary should not be interesting. My only regret is that I did not commence it when I was a youth." And so begins a year in the life of Charles Pooter. From him and his wife Carrie dancing around the dining table. To guffaws with his dear friends Cummings and Gowings. To fracases with the obstinate Youn...more
Do you have trouble with servants and the grocer's boy? Do you find it difficult understanding the youth of today? What with their slang and modern approach to life. Do you find it difficult to adhere to the correct etiquette and find that you inadvertently offend everyone? Then you just might identify with the 'hero' of this satirical novel - Mr. Charles Pooter.
This novel is a mild satire of a Victorian lower middle-class clerk and is very readable - I read most of it on the bus to and from wo...more
This novel is a mild satire of a Victorian lower middle-class clerk and is very readable - I read most of it on the bus to and from wo...more
It's often difficult to read books that in their day were pioneers of certain forms of literature, because now they often feel dated. It's even harder with books that are pastiches when the things they are satirising are long forgotten.
But somehow the woes of Mister Pooter are still funny, even when the precise social nuances are almost meaningless to us today. I think that's partly because the characters are so recognisable (the social structures may have changed, but human nature hasn't) and w...more
But somehow the woes of Mister Pooter are still funny, even when the precise social nuances are almost meaningless to us today. I think that's partly because the characters are so recognisable (the social structures may have changed, but human nature hasn't) and w...more
"http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1305253.html[return][return]very much enjoyed it. Charles Pooter is a grotesquely comic creation, sometimes engaging our sympathy, sometimes the horror of recognition. He is a snob, a beast to his maid, certainly less clever than his wife or friends; he is boring and self-centred. But he is fascinating, and a brilliant window into the life of late Victorian London. [return][return]Incidentallly, George Grossmith was knocking this out for Punch while starring as the...more
I got interested in George Grossmith after seeing the 1999 film Topsy-Turvy--he created the comic baritone roles in almost all of Gilbert and Sullivan's celebrated operettas. I picked this book up from the library because a) it looked amusing and b) I recognized the author's name. It did not disappoint.
Diary of a Nobody tells the story of utterly ordinary, lower-middle-class clerk Charles Pooter. His adventures follow no particular story arc, but are episodic (due to its origin as a serial in P...more
Diary of a Nobody tells the story of utterly ordinary, lower-middle-class clerk Charles Pooter. His adventures follow no particular story arc, but are episodic (due to its origin as a serial in P...more
This was an interesting little book. I listened to it, read in a nice, stuffy English accent. All the time I was listening, I thought it must be a sort of spoof on the Dickens/Austen-type books that go on and on about the daily life of the gentry in England. At the end of the tapes, it explained that this was first published in 1852, so right at the same time as Dickens, and thus it really was a satire of the time, making fun of the stuffy "gentry" books by detailing the life of a humble middle-...more
1 like · like · see review
'I fal to see - because I do not happen to be a "Somebody" - why my diary should not be interesting'
Mr Pooter is a man of modest ambitions, content with is ordinary life. Yet he always seems to be troubled by disagreeable tradesmen, impertinent young office clerks and wayward friends, not to mention his devil-may-care son Lupin with his unsuitable choice of bride. Try as he might, he cannot avoid life's embarrassing mishaps. In the bumbling, absurd, yet ultimately endearing figure of Poter, the...more
Mr Pooter is a man of modest ambitions, content with is ordinary life. Yet he always seems to be troubled by disagreeable tradesmen, impertinent young office clerks and wayward friends, not to mention his devil-may-care son Lupin with his unsuitable choice of bride. Try as he might, he cannot avoid life's embarrassing mishaps. In the bumbling, absurd, yet ultimately endearing figure of Poter, the...more
What's a Pooter? A Pooter is an ineffectual family man, a Dagwod Bumstead, a Home Depot dabbler, a man with few and simple desires, mainly domestic desires, that are nonetheless continually thwarted by the indifferent and ordinary goings-on about him. How did Pooters become possible? Were there Medieval Pooters, classical Greek Pooters; are there Pooters in all countries around the globe? Should we celebrate or castigate them? Are they harmless, is their timidity contagious, or do they suggest a...more
The fictitious diary of a middle-class Victorian, who always puts his foot in his mouth, embarrasses himself, and is ridiculous. However, he tries to be dignified. This book is very, very funny.
This is good fun but the deus ex machina ending had me puzzled - reinforcing a sense that the authors had grown tired of their project and couldn't think of a cleaner way to "finish" it. Mr Pooter's many excruciating puns are very enjoyable - we howled - and his tragic lack of self-awareness seems ahead of its time.
I am still not sure if I had read this before... the scenes in which Pooter paints everything red, or black, were very familiar, particularly. Maybe I have seen part of a film/TV ada...more
I am still not sure if I had read this before... the scenes in which Pooter paints everything red, or black, were very familiar, particularly. Maybe I have seen part of a film/TV ada...more
Apparently this satire of late Victorian customs and mores among the middle-class that lived in what were considered the London suburbs in the 1890s was still knee-slappingly funny to aristocratic young ladies like Nancy Mitford being educated at home a couple of decades later (as I believe it was from her bookshelf that I first heard of it). To early 21st century eyes (even those, like mine, that enjoyed a decent chunk of the late 20th), the whole thing is a bit silly – not as much fun as Wodeh...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greatest parties in literature | 2 | 21 | Feb 12, 2013 12:30am |
George Grossmith was an English comedian, writer, composer, actor, and singer. His performing career spanned more than four decades. As a writer and composer, he created 18 comic operas, nearly 100 musical sketches, some 600 songs and piano pieces, three books and both serious and comic pieces for newspapers and magazines. Grossmith is best remembered for two aspects of his career. First, he creat...more
More about George Grossmith...
Share This Book
11 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
Eh?"
Ah, er.. I was confusing it with somewhere else, I think...more
Apr 25, 2012 02:05pm
May 02, 2012 10:40am