Review of Mrs. Pooter’s Diary by Keith Waterhouse

Review of Mrs. Pooter’s Diary by Keith Waterhouse
Reviewed by Fiza Pathan

After reading the classic novel The Diary of a Nobody by the Grossmith brothers, I was very keen to read Keith Waterhouse’s take on the book through the eyes of Mrs. Pooter and her diary. I ordered the book from Amazon, and I was lucky to get one of the last few copies of the book, which was originally published in 1983. Mrs. Pooter’s Dairy is a very meticulous and well-crafted book which gives honour to the original classic The Diary of a Nobody. The book is funny, easy to read, and a must have for all those who have read and enjoyed The Diary of a Nobody. I found that the book was as enjoyable as the classic, and that it stayed true to the original. It is entertaining and enjoyable. Keith Waterhouse, despite sticking to the same plot, has managed to add a number of other subplots using entertaining characters like Darwitts, Misses Tipper, Oliver Tipper, Mrs. Shrike, etc. I especially liked the way the author has given importance to certain characters mentioned in the Grossmith classic, which readers may have overlooked, and are now shown in a very important and humorous light. I loved the way the author has used his imagination to interpret how a huge mark of a port glass managed to stain the invitation card to the Mansion house. The incorrigible character of Mrs. Shrike and her “weak blood” which caused so much of havoc in the few instances she was introduced in the plot, amused me to a great extent. There is also a very different side of Mrs. Pooter that we see in this book compared to the Grossmith classic which should induce readers to defiantly pick up this book to read. The illustrations are hilarious and well done. For a rather ancient book the font is gorgeous and the plot gripping. I would however recommend that the reader should first read The Diary of a Nobody and only then read Mrs. Pooter’s Diary otherwise the good old humour may tend to get lost on the reader of an otherwise very hilarious book. If you loved reading The Diary of a Nobody then this is a book that you’ve just got to read. Keith Waterhouse is a wonderful writer and I hope to be reading his Billy Liar series of the 1960s as soon as I finish the other books on my TBR list
Copyright © 2017 Fiza Pathan