So I’m reading a book. Yes. I do that, for books call to me and I love them, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to turn into a book or marry one someday or something – but alas, the union between Woman and Literature was clearly Not To Be.
But this book? Is brilliant. In many ways, most of which will only make sense if you understand boarding schools and South Africa and boys. and the impact that even one really brilliant teacher can have on one’s life, because you can’t just learn to love books by yourself. You have to be driven to it, shown how, led to them. Someone has to teach you how to find the good ones under all the dross, or just make you miserable enough that any other reality is better than the one you’re in. And this book is about other books, but not really.
It’s about a boy who goes to boarding school. He has Totally Embarrassing Parents, and a crazy grandmother called Wombat, for reasons which are not entirely clear.
He is called Spud Milton.
Read this book. You will love Spud. And you will love his friends. And you will love the story.
Seriously. Read this book!
