History

by Miles Jupp

A satirical, tragicomic story about a man on the edge from actor and comedian Miles Jupp. For readers of Jonathan Coe, Mark Watson, Michael Frayn and David Nicholls.

Clive Hapgood is feeling stuck. The private school he teaches at is consuming his life, no thanks to wretched headteacher Julian Crouch. The gentle country life Clive envisaged has stifled him and left his marriage on the brink. What he needs is a holiday - something to remind him and Helen what life used to be like. But when things don't go to plan, and an incident at school begins to weigh heavy on his head, Clive's life starts to unravel in front of him. Has he got it in him to turn things around, whatever the cost? After all, it's his own time he's wasting...

Genres: Fiction, Comedy, Humor, Audiobook

320 pages, Paperback

Published November 22, 2022

About the author

Miles Jupp (born 8 September 1979) is an English comedian and actor, probably best known as Archie in the children's television series Balamory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_Jupp

Reviews

[Sid Nuncius · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Miles Jupp’s work as a comedian very much, but I didn’t enjoy History nearly as much as I expected to. This is partly because it isn’t what I expected, but I think the book does have weaknesses, too.

Clive Hapgood is a history teacher in a minor public school. The book is really a character study of Clive, a decent, well-meaning but unhappy and rather hapless man on whom life’s difficulties keep piling. The plot is largely a series of his frustrations, embarrassments and humiliations as things in his professional and family life keep going wrong.

In some ways it’s decently done; Jupp writes well and has a penetrating eye for Clive’s lack of self-awareness, the petty annoyances of life, the sort of vacuous blether many of us have to put up with from managers with little experience of the job people actually do and the way in which a seemingly sound marriage can go wrong. The thing is, I don’t find awkwardness and embarrassment funny, so the book was actually rather a depressing read for me. By half way I was hoping for some sort of a change and possible beginning of redemption, but it’s more of the same almost throughout. For me, this was a flawed structure and I struggled and eventually skimmed my way through the second half.

I’m sorry to say this of an author whom I like very much as a comedian, but I can’t recommend History. It has its merits and others may enjoy it but I’m afraid I didn’t.

(My thanks to Headline for an ARC via NetGalley.)

[Lynsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Miles Jupp usually but this isn't great. I got this as an audio book for a car journey, expecting a lighthearted comedy type of thing. I found the odd line/incident funny but on the whole, it's just quite a sad tale. The sarcastic humour hasn't really worked for me with it and the pacing/structure didn't help much either. There was quite a lot of dull storytelling in the middle and then the ending was fairly grim.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

'History' is comedian and author Miles Jupp's 2021 debut novel.

Jupp tells the story of Clive Hapgood's challenging life and his seemingly daily trials and tribulations as a teacher at a middling private school, a husband and father to two girls.

Jupp is a great comedian and comic actor, but sadly 'History' just didn't cut it for me. It's not a bad book, it just all feels somewhat predictable and almost like we've read this type of gently amusing plod through a troubled individual's life so many, many times before.

Therefore, nothing else to add really - fair to middling.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Miles Jupp so had high hopes for this, and while I laughed out loud in places, I didn't like the ending.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clive Hopgood teaches at a private school and is not happy with his life, either at the school or at home with his wife and two children. Miles Jupp uses his comedic talent to good use throughout, although some of set pieces you can see coming.
The family holiday to France is a particularly entertaining part of the novel. It would make for a good TV adaptation especially given some of the comedic set pieces. As for the main character Clive at times you feel empathy for him and other times you think he reaps what he sows! In academic terms a sound effort with some room for improvement. C-

[Pettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointingly dull. It is set in a minor public school in the 1990s (not sure why) and follows the tedious life of a teacher. But the story never really gets to anything - long descriptions of nothing very interesting happening, pretty obvious stuff about public school life, and a distinct lack of anything funny happening - perhaps it isn't meant to be a comedic novel, in which case it's just a bit mundane.
Feels like a lockdown hobby book, which wouldn't have been published if it wasn't by Miles Jupp

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly a very mediocre, middle class, first world problems book about a man going through midlife angst, and finding it hard to take responsibility for very much in his life.

Mildly witty, very dispiriting and lacking in positive anything really.

I expected better from Jupp, who seems to be a smart man

[Susan Potts · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but the main character Clive was quite tedious in his constant feeling that the whole world was against him. It was only Miles Jupp's humour that kept the book going, but quite a full read with a very unlikeable main character.

[Catherine Gilman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Miles Jupp is clever and funny but this book feels like he is either writing the script for a sitcom or working through his own issues. Hard to find empathy for any of the characters but just for once an author who had the courage not to fix everything with a happy ending so that's one positive!

[Sam Aird · Rating 2 out of 5]

Surprisingly depressing for a book with "Very funny" quoted on the cover. Essentially a collection of embarrassing and pathetic events, and inexplicably unpleasant or pig-headed characters. Not badly written, but I didn't enjoy it.

[Rachel Galbraith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately not the best, it was a mediocre book about a mediocre teacher with a mediocre life, was an easy read & slightly amusing at times but that’s about it! Definitely not as good as I expected from Miles Jupp.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Miles Jupp esp as Archie the inventor from Balamory. I was interested when i saw that that he had written a fiction book, having high hopes but fearing that he couldnt match the heady success of Richard Osman with his Thursday Club Murders. The premise of Hostory is a little suburban, Clive Hapgood as a history teacher will never set the world on fire, Teaching in a private school in Wiltshire, both he and his wife had felt that this move to the countryside and a private school was the answer to their problems. Clive is feeling disalusioned and feels that the world is against him, you can only cringe at the embarrassing and humiliating things that happen to him at school, the scrapes that he gets himself into, are all of his own doing.

His wife has little sympathy for him, and his domestic life is on the same track as his professional life. The book has some funny moments, and whilst you feel sorry for Clive you hope that he can pull his life round. This book wont set the world on fire, and i suspect it will sell better in paperback as i think the price tag is too high and priced on the basis of Miles Jupps name.

[Edwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Miles Jupp is a fun and smart English comedian, so I was excited to start his novel. This story turned out just okay though: it wasn't particularly smart, funny, insightful or beautifully written, it was just okay.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️ hard to really enjoy an ending when the loose ends are tied up in like 4 pages

[Mark Harper-Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and tragic. The protagonist is hopeless from start to finish and for some reason I loved that about him. He also shares the career transition with me and a lot of the points about private Vs state ring very true.

[Helen the Bassist · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5%
I'm a big Miles Jupp fan and did enjoy this gentle, mostly harmless, very British book although its ending seemed a cynical ploy to force a sequel deal.

Clive is a Reggie Perrin for the public school system (I can't really call him 'modern day' as the book is set in the '90s) but there are fewer belly laughs and no catchphrases. I didn't get where I am today without appreciating catchphrases!

Cricket inevitably made an appearance but didn't hog the limelight.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good put down and reflection on the private school system of England, but as a story it's quite self deprecating and the convoluted. Enjoyable nonetheless

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable meander through the frustrations of Clive Hapgood’s seemingly perfect life.

This is a subtle novel where the protagonist battles with everyday annoyances, their own insecurities and their dreams of a better life.

There are no car chases, mysteries or puzzling scenarios here, just comic interludes and relatable observations leading to a final payoff.

Hats off to Miles Jupp.

[Max Parkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read, just not my cup of tea. I do think Clive becomes quite an amusing character as the book progresses, although I have to say the ending was a little lacklustre!

[Kieran Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Big fan of Miles Jill’s comedy. His writing, not so much. Only at the last chapter did it turn around enough to avoid a single star.

[Stephen Wood · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. I highly respect Miles Jupp as a comedian and presenter, and so expected more from him as an author. I was wrong. Clunky, uninspiring writing and a plot that didn't get going. Stick to the day job, Miles.

[Alastair Hill · Rating 2 out of 5]

History is a novel in which nothing much of note happens. And that's probably as much as I can say, it's relatively clear what's going to happen from the start, the writing is sometimes a little awkward and the sex scenes in particular seem out of place and pop up seemingly out of nowhere.

It's more a series of incidents which all happen to the same person than anything else, and I don't think the idea is necessarily a bad one but it just seems a little bland. I appreciate that it's looking at finding self worth and the helplessness of a midlife crisis, but it lacks the necessary character to make a real impact.

I really enjoy Miles Jupps work, but unfortunately I think he missed the target with this. Not by much, the skeleton of a good novel is there, but it just never really gets out of first gear.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read from Miles Jupp. It told the story of a teacher at a boarding school who realises that being a teacher, and life more widely, wasn't quite working out as he had hoped.

The main character, Clive, was a figure who at times I felt sympathy for, but at other times frustration. He often had good intentions but his inability to stand up for himself or his failure to communicate with his family often got in the way. If he were to write his own school report, Clive would probably say of himself "could do better". A readable book.

[abi · Rating 1 out of 5]

i will say i don’t think i was the target audience for this book - that said, i didn’t warm to any of the characters, and couldn't find myself relating to them at all. although the book is described as funny and comedic, i struggled to find the humour in the main character's mishaps, and instead found them a bit dull?? this is why i get wary of books that describe themselves in this way!! either way, i'm not sure i'll be reading anymore from this author in the near future.

[Simon Rowan · Rating 1 out of 5]

So disappointing. That’s a lesson buying books written by to and radio personalities. Miles comes across well as someone quick witted and with a dry sense of humour. Never have guessed it from this novel. Certainly is no Tom Sharp. Is it even supposed to be funny? Quite the dullest uninteresting read in a long time

[Kendra Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If it wasn’t a good book, I couldn’t have blitzed it in one day but it was quite a stressful read after a humorous start… and the ending was pretty bleak, although I was actually expecting slightly worse than the last page turned out.

Thought-provoking and well written. I don’t think it was what I expected and it probably wasn’t what I was looking for but nonetheless worth reading.

[Simon Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm so effing gutted I didn't like this. On paper it was perfect, but on, er, actual paper the execution fell apart.

No momentum. No characters you could connect to. It had a beginning. It was ALL beginning. No middle. No end.

Consign your copy to History.

[Emandtheboys · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such a shame as I think Miles Jupp is great! Not funny, quite tedious but kept going because I wanted to see if anything happened. It didn't. The very abrupt end annoyed me more than it should have done.

[Keith Mcmanus · Rating 1 out of 5]

Depressing

[David Luckwell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dreary, patronising and pejorative. Jupp creates a bleak and irritating life for what he sees as a pitiable job. Don’t bother.