I was pleased to find a fair-condition paperback (different cover than shown) copy of this book at the local Used Book Superstore. I'd "read" this book some time ago, via audiobook from Audible.com (read wonderfully by Martin Jarvis), and recently read it in print via a bookring, and was glad to find this copy to release.

The book introduces us to protagonist/narrator Mr. Pooter, with his over-enthusiastic home improvements, domestic problems, easily-bruised (but highly resilient) ego, and charmingly affectionate (if occasionally fed-up) wife and friends. His relationship with his friends Gowing and Cummings reminds me of Jerome's Three Men in a Boat, and his occasional social ambitions (and the ensuing hilarity/disaster) have echoes of Benson's Miss Mapp, foil and rival of Lucia - and also of the TV series Keeping Up Appearances, though Hyacinth's social-climbing is much more aggressive and malevolent than anything Pooter ever dreamt of.

There are places where the humor's on the painful side; while I think I'm a little more sensible and less touchy than Pooter, I've had my share of embarrassing moments! But I find it charming that for the most part our hero is quite content with his little home, his job, and his family - and that, for the most part, his little pleasantries amuse his family as much as they amuse himself. And when he indulged in an impromptu polka with his wife upon receipt of the invitation to the Mansion House, it was quite delightful - even though the affair itself wasn't what he'd expected.

But he's funniest when he's getting his ego punctured, as when, during the affair of the missing diary pages, he tells his wife and son:

'I was in hopes that, if anything ever happened to me, the diary would be an endless source of pleasure to you both; to say nothing of the chance of the remuneration which may accrue from its being published.'

Both Carrie and Lupin burst out laughing - as did I.

Gentle humor about everyday things - I enjoyed it.

[I found three film/TV adaptations: a 1964 made-for-TV movie, a 1979 version, and a 2007 one-man-show version starring Hugh Bonneville. The last one is the only one I could find available on DVD, but I did get that from Netflix and enjoyed it very much.]

This book's going into my Based on the Book bookbox, with this book serving as the bookbox journal. The box will be on the way to the first participant soon. Enjoy!

Found in the "Based on the Book" bookbox.

To be released as part of the "Based on the Book" bookbox. Sending it off!

Chosen from GoryDetails' Based on the Book bookbox

Once again, I find myself reading through one of GoryDetails' insightful and comprehensive Journal Entries, wondering if I can think of anything to add. In lieu of writing "How true!" in the margins, I'll just agree that this would have been a wonderful audiobook, probably even better than the print version (maybe it wouldn't have taken me so long to get the point of the two friends' names, Cummings and Gowing). And "gentle humor" is really the best and maybe only phrase to describe it.

There are no LOL moments here, although the illustrations help, but there are plenty of nice moments. Mr. Pooter is so very earnest and oblivious, and so completely fascinated by the minutiae of his life, I can't imagine anyone living like that today. My favorite bit was when he explains that he's glad they don't "go into society" so he doesn't have to send so many Christmas cards.

But that's just one person's opinion. Future readers, what do YOU think of this book?

On bookshelves in donor waiting area