Penrod

Eleven-year-old Penrod Schofield isn't really a bad kid. But circumstances and timing conspire in such a way that he manages to leave a trail of destruction everywhere he goes. This book chronicles Penrod's adventures with his buddy, Sam, his dog, Duke, and his new neighbors, brothers Herman and Verman. It's a hilarious, madcap romp that quickly covers a lot of ground and frequently leaves Penrod's backside smarting at the hand of his exasperated father. If you enjoyed Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn, then do yourself a favor and read Penrod. It's a page-turner, laugh-out-loud funny, and a classic in its own right. For decades, Penrod was very popular novel. But it fails today's litmus test of political correctness, so it is probably doomed to be forgotten. And that's a real tragedy. Penrod is beautifully written. It is filled with love, wit, and charm. And ninety years after it was written, most of what it has to say about people still rings true. Whenever I need a dose of innocence, humor, and insightful commentary on the human condition, I know I can rely on Tarkington to deliver the goods. It's a cliche, but they don't write them like this anymore. Too bad for us.

In Penrod, Booth Tarkington tells the story of 11-year-old Penrod Scofield in early 20th Century America. Some things about the book are certainly dated, such as stereotypes about and the language used to refer African Americans, but others are timeless. Penrod tries to spend his entire life having what he thinks is harmless fun with his friends and neighbors and learning about the amazing world in which he is living. Unfortunately, everything he does gets him in trouble with the adults around him--teachers, parents, parents of neighbors. And Penrod is always bewildered about the fact that he is in trouble, bewildered by the fact that he takes a beating at punishment, and equally bewildered by the times he escapes punishment. Of course, as a preteen, he is also bewildered by girls. He has a crush on a girl living in his neighborhood, but is completely unaware of how to get him to like her. She refers to him as the worst boy in town, and demands that he never speak to her. Interestingly she angers him even more by calling him a "little gentleman" than she does by ignoring him and calling him the worst boy in town. Of course, all this leads to Penrod falling deeper in love. You will certainly enjoy this gentle book about the life of a charming and smart boy.

The Penrod series of novels is one of the most effective evocations of the experience of being a child ever written. They deal with the daily life and trials of a boy of eleven and twelve in turn of the century (1900) Indiana. The humor is found in the petty hypocrisies of the adults and the naivete of the children and how those two things intertwine. If you have ever day-dreamed in school or yearned for the favor of the prettiest girl in your class, you will appreciate these stories. NB. They are period pieces of the purest kind, so you should expect terms and attitudes to reflect the age from which they come.

"Penrod" is a great novel -- interesting, enlightening, profound, grandiloquent and one of the most hilarious books ever written.Aspects of the subject matter, however, while generally accepted in the early 1900s and treated kindly herein by the author, would simply not fly under today's political-correctness coercion. As far as popular literature is concerned, it is effectively a banned book. Consequently, "Penrod" eventually will fade from general literary consciousness, and linger only in the memories of those who truly appreciate a fine novel.

Penrod is a warm and humorous depiction of a young boy (around 12) and his life with his friends and family. He has a tendency to get into trouble which he never seems to see coming. While set in pre-World War I America, it is as pertinent today as it ever was.