Book Review – the Diary of a Nobody
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Book Report : The Diary of a Nobody
The greatness of George and Weedon Grossmiths masterpiece of comic irony ,The Diary of a Nobody ,was first published in 1892.It presents the details of English suburban life through the protagonist Charles Pooter diary. The small-minded but essentially decent suburban world he inhabits was both ordinary and interesting, or to be precise, he found interesting things from the ordinary life and that is why I enjoy this book. The author makes me understand the true meaning of life —- life is never short of beauty, but an eye of notice.
It is said that Victorian literature, in general, truthfully represents the reality and spirit of the age. The high-spirited vitality, the down to earth earnestness, the good-matured humor and unbounded imagination are all unprecedented. I think this book The Diary of a Nobody which was published in Victorian times
is just a good example.
The “nobody” of the title is a city clerk Mr.Pooter who, inflated with pomposity well above his top hat, decided to record the daily routine of his family and friends for posterity. His diary began one week after he and his wife Carrie moved into their new house. Though it consists of mundane mishaps and misunderstandings and looks disorganized, we still can find the thread of the story through the whole reading. I make some collations: Settling Down in New Home (daily life, making new friends, attending the ball, working and interpersonal relationship), The Arrival Home of his Son Lupin ( worring about sons job, Lupin finding a job, Lupins secret engagement, Lupin getting a new job), Promotion and an Increase in Salary (his devotion to his company, reward of getting a house). After all the ups and downs of the life of a nobody, alls well that ends well, as Mr.Pooter writes in the last capture of the diary —- One of the happiest days of my life. In that capture, Mr. Perkupp, his boss, said: “Mr. Pooter, I will purchase the freehold of that house, and present it to the most honest and most worthy man it has ever been my lot to meet.” Mr.Pooters lifes goal is to become a gentleman, and I think, of course, he finally reached, not in vain.
Pooter is house-proud, scrupulous in duty, alive to social niceties and given to the occasional punning witticism. The last trait I think is the most outstanding and absorbing. Pooter makes the occasional joke–usually unappreciated by others. A time or two Pooter laughs so hard at his own merriment, for example, he once made a joke which he thought was one of the best jokes he has ever made. He said “Gowings always coming and Cummings always going” ( Gowing and Cumming are his friends).This is the word play, a kind of “English Sense of Humor”. Humor has infiltrated every aspect of English peoples life, so two overwhelming themes in English comedy are word play and self-depreciation, and the word play in this book is everywhere. In addition, the humor of this book endures because there are so many people like Mr.Pooter in this world.
The another reason why I like this book and Mr. Pooter so much is that he is really a nobody like us and he also has shortcomings, but whats the most important, he makes no disguise of his embarrassment and is so unpretentious. Here is a dialogue from Mr. Pooters diary:
–“Hulloh, Pooter, why your trousers are too short!” (Gowing, who, with his usual taste, greeted Pooter .)
–“Very