''The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole'', is an
epistolary novel
An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of letters. The term is often extended to cover novels that intersperse documents of other kinds with the letters, most commonly diary entries and newspaper clippings, and sometimes considered ...
by
Sue Townsend. It is the second in the
Adrian Mole series. It focuses on the worries and regrets of a teenage aspiring intellectual and, like its predecessor, takes the form of a diary. The story takes place from 1982 to mid-1983. Prominent events in this volume are the breakup and later reconciliation of Adrian and Pandora, Adrian's attempt to run away from home and subsequent breakdown, the birth of his sister Rosie Mole, and Adrian's general worry about his
O levels
The O-Level (Ordinary Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education. It was introduced in place of the School Certificate in 1951 as part of an educational reform alongside the more in-depth ...
and nuclear war.
Plot summary
Adrian Mole is an outsider who feels the reason he can't quite fit in with "regular" society is that he is an intellectual. Evidence from his diary entries include a precocious interest in literature, in
left-wing politics
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soc ...
, a desire to have his own poetry show on the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
and his frequent critiques of his less-refined schoolmates and family. Adrian's
, as in ''The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole'', is one of the focal points of the book.
Although portrayed as somewhat vain and self-centred, Adrian is the only friend and frequent caretaker of the
Bert Baxter, and also shows a great deal of concern and compassion for the misfortunes of his parents and respect for the authority of his grandmother.
This book continues the theme from the first book of Adrian's growing frustration with his body. He constantly writes about the "spots" that mar his complexion, and he also has self-esteem issues about his height and physical maturity.
As his frustrations mount, Adrian decides to run away to
but then decides that would be the first place his parents would look and so runs away instead to
'', Martin Seymour-Smith wrote that it was "quite as classic" as its predecessor.