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History

The hilarious, unmissable novel from the brilliant Miles Jupp

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History

By: Miles Jupp
Narrated by: Miles Jupp
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The brilliant debut novel from acclaimed comedian, writer and presenter Miles Jupp.

Clive Hapgood is feeling stuck. The private school he teaches at is consuming his life, no thanks to wretched headteacher Julian Crouch. The gentle country life Clive envisaged has stifled him and left his marriage on the brink. What he needs is a holiday - something to remind him and Helen what life used to be like. But when things don't go to plan, and an incident at school begins to weigh heavy on his head, Clive's life starts to unravel in front of him. Has he got it in him to turn things around, whatever the cost? After all, it's his own time he's wasting....

For fans of Jonathan Coe, Mark Watson, Michael Frayn and David Nicholls.

©2021 Miles Jupp (P)2021 Headline Publishing Group Ltd Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Satire Comedy Funny Witty Heartfelt Hilarious History
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Critic reviews

"The funniest man in Britain has written a wonderful novel. Rejoice!" (Richard Osman)
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A very funny and moving story about a public school, a marriage, and a bang on the head.

Loved it.

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I had the Audible version of this book, but if I'd had the Kindle, or actual book, I think I would've abandoned it. I imagined, having been written by Myles Jupp, that there would be a lot of wry humour. There was plenty of 'wry ' but not very much 'humour'. It is, however, a brilliant observation of a man in the wrong place, in every sense, but much too much pathos for me.

I really struggled

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Perfect insight into the pathetic world of Private Schools and all who are connected to them.

Excellent

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I love Miles Jupp - his stand up comedy is great and enjoyed him in a one-man show a few years ago.

Sadly, this is paralytically dull. I could never have got through it on the page. The audiobook format rescues it thanks to his gentle and skilled narration by the author but crikey…45 minutes spent on a domestic about finding a parking place in the rain and another 20-30 minutes on blowing up a paddling pool. When it finally gets a little bit of dramatic tension at the very end, you no longer really care. Sorry Miles.

Lovely narration, dull story

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I am disappointed by this story. The plot is worthy of a sixth form essay but I expected more whit and some originality from Miles Jupp.
The ponderous manner in which the story limped from cliche to cliche would have had me tossing the book aside unfinished if I had the printed version
Miles's gentle reading of the tale did make it bearable to endure to the end.
Had I been the main protagonist's partner I suspect I would have sued for a divorce. "Clive" is a self obsessed, disillusioned teacher. But the school and the other staff members seam to be lost somewhere in a time warp that reflects the educational models of the 1950's rather than the contemporary age, Any criticism of the class structure and elitism of the private education sector has all been said before and with greater conviction.
I was left with the sense that Miles Jupp was a sixth former who had put up his hand to make a bold statement about the inequity of the private sector but having risen to his feet he simply made a statement that was uninspiring, unoriginal and left one wishing he had remained seated.

By no means the worst book on the shelf but like an essay submitted moments before the homework deadline it just about gets a pass mark but the potential for greater reward has been forfeited by lack of adequate research and understanding of the reality of modern education and the safeguarding policies which would have negated one of the main plot lines. C- Mr Jupp, I expected better.

Disappointing, cliche based story

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