The Cappuccino Years [Import] [Paperback]

Sue Townsend (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd; Open Market Ed edition (October 19, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140292799
• ISBN-13: 978-0140292794
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,193,231 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, Fantatastic!, July 31, 2000

By 

Steve A. Fulton (Redondo Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ADRIAN MOLE -C (Hardcover)

Adrian's last outing ("The Lost Years", or "The Wilderness Years", depending on your geographic location and luck with bargain bins) was quite good, but seemed a bit disjointed and not alltogether familiar, unlike the first two books. Such was the nature of the subject, following Adrian through his college-age years and into early adulthood. It was an encouraging new beginning from Sue Townsend, but not completely satisfying.

The new book, "Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years" captures the spirit of the old Mole books perfectly. The reader will feel at home (albeit a completely disfunctional one) with the love(low)life shenanigans of Adrian's parents, his sister, and grandparents, as well as his many weird and wonderful friends.

Townsend's knack for identifying trends and pop-culture has been re-invigorated. For example: The appearance of another well-known diarist and its affect on Adrian and his writing is absolutely hilarious.

Adrian still does not "get it" all the time, and he is completely inept with his love-life. At some points you might get so mad at the characters that you want to scream at them. However the disarming, underlying sweetness of it all will catch you off-guard. You will soon find yourself laughing at it instead. It is over much to fast, leaving the reader begging for more (hear that Ms. Townsend...more!)

This is a wonderful book. If you are new to the series, I would suggest, that you read the other 3 books first, because it will make this one all-the-more enjoyable.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as Good as the Previous Mole Books, January 2, 2001

By 

Jane Pek - See all my reviews

This review is from: ADRIAN MOLE -C (Hardcover)

An easy and amusing read, but disappointing in its fluffiness. The record-in-full conversations and entries that spanned twenty-plus pages strained credulity. Also, this book seems to have lost its edge of cynicism, black humour and despair that made the earlier Mole books stand out so much. In fact, it's become - horrors! - rather feel-good, much in the vein of Bridget Jones (who makes a guest appearance); bouncing from one exaggerated situation to another. Why is this so?

For one, the tone of wide-eyed naiveity and complete self-absorption that worked when Adrian was a spotty teenager doesn't quite cut it as a thirty-something year old with two kids. For another, Adrian Mole is morphing into someone more human and more aware than ever before - he's actually turning *normal*, which takes a lot of fun out of it. He seems to have lost a certain zest, along with his youth and his hair - he's even coming to recognise his own failings. That's dangerous for someone who has failed as much as him. Lastly, even though he's still one of the biggest losers anyone can ever meet, he actually attains a certain measure of success this round (he publishes a book! albeit one written by his mother; a woman finds him attractive! albeit a psychotic stalker; he *almost* has sex with Pandora! but of course, not quite). Again, this completely goes against the grain of what it is to be *Adrian Mole*.

Still, I enjoyed Bridget Jones popping in (very apt, considering Adrian Mole was *the* diarist of the eighties while she's *the* diarist of the nineties); felt proud of myself when I got the Eric Blair/George Orwell reference; and chuckled at all the snide remarks made about Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars the more things change, the more they stay the same, August 22, 2000

By 

JACK C. BROWN - See all my reviews

This review is from: ADRIAN MOLE -C (Hardcover)

I dipped into the latest installment detailing Adrian Mole's chaotic life with the anticipation of his showing some growth, either socially, intellectually or professionally. Adrian, however, remains inept on all three fronts, yet still manages to survive. Rather than be frustrated with Mole's inability to learn from his past and to put hard-won life lessons to work for himself, author Sue Townsend may be subtly pointing out that we all, regardless of advancing years, repeat the patterns that we have established when we were also children.

It is also a great treat to have that other notorious British diarist, Bridget Jones, make a cameo appearance in Adrian's life.

Though the narrative retells a plot that is wearing thin (let's show just how big a screw-up Adrian is), it made me smile, even laugh aloud once or twice at Adrian's ineptitude. Read the book, for sheer fun, but don't expect to witness any growth or greater self-awareness come to Adrian. The ingenuousness displayed on a 13-yr-old Adrian does not wear well on a man in his 30s.