A menudo he visto memorias de personas de las que nunca había oído hablar, y no acierto a comprender -por la mera razón de que yo no sea alguien- porque mi diario no habría de ser interesante. Así empieza este relato divertido de quince meses en la vida del señor Charles Pooter, un empleado de la City londinense, de clase media y con aspiraciones sociales. Van apareciendo personajes inolvidables como su esposa Carrie, o su hijo Lupin, sus amigos el Sr. Cumming y el Sr. Gowing, y la novia de Lupin, Daisy Mutlar. Registra anécdotas en este diario llenas de inocencia y de la alegría de la vida de este empleado medio y su gusto porlos juegos de palabras y los chistes. Sin pretenderlo es también un registro exacto de los modales, costumbres y experiencias de los londinenses de la época victoriana.
Esta novela cómica se imprimió en forma de libro en 1.892. Se la considera como obra de humor clásica. ( )

"The Illustrated Diary of a Nobody" by George and Weedon Grossmith takes the classic comedic narrative of Charles Pooter's daily life and elevates it to a new level with the addition of Weedon's illustrations. The result is a delightful and entertaining reading experience that combines wit and visual charm. A quite silly book. ( )

Got to read after listening to the BBC adaptation. Good fun, but the edition I read had some typographical issues that detracted from the text. ( )

Diary of a Nobody was originally written in the late 1800s as a serialisation in Punch magazine, before becoming a book. It's a comedy with a city clerk who clearly has some delusions of grandeur as the narrator, and desbribes the minutiae of his every day life. It is made funnier by the various social faux pas that he inadvertently commits and his frustrations over his son's lack of ambition. The descriptions of social gatherings are amusing if unavoidably and understandably outdated.

It's an easy quick read, and one I would probably pick up again in the future. It's not the funniest book I've ever read and rarely hilarious but often amusing. ( )

An amusing read - possibly funnier at the time it was published - this is the diary of Charles Pooter telling stories of himself, his friends and family.

He's a middle class banker with little ambition, who is constantly being insulted and taken advantage of by the servants and tradesmen, and does not understand his son. He attempts to show his sense of humour frequently fail as many people dont find the same things funny.

Short little read, amusing enough, not entirely sure I understood the ending (but then it was early in the morning).

( )

Quirky British Victorian era humor. I enjoyed this book and I think it was made better by having the audiobook form to read along with the book. I think the reason I didn't love it was that it ended so abruptly and never really felt like it was going anywhere specific. It is written in the form of a diary. I know it is a humor book but I found myself feeling sorry for poor Mr. Pooter all the way through. He seemed oblivious and was oft times treated badly by his so called friends. It ended hopeful and that was a plus. If you love Victorian humor you might really enjoy this one. I am glad I read it. ( )

Mr. Pooter decides to keep a diary in the hopes of one day becoming the Pepys of the late Victorian era. He is a clerk of a somewhat stuffy and pompous nature but with a love of bad puns and jokes (luckily for him his wife shares his sense of humor!).

I found him a little reminiscent of "The Irish R.M." in his never-ending series of domestic mishaps - both of these books amuse yet puzzle me. As a person who has never even seen a domestic servant much less employed one, the battle of control between master & servant baffles me to some extent. It clearly baffles Mr. Pooter as well! He persists in thinking that he is the master and so is deserving of respect despite the fact that he rarely gets that respect even from his own son.

Grossmith's satire has captured the beginning of the end for the middle-class Victorian way of life with Pooter and his son. Pooter's worries about his son Lupin's future could be seen as a reflection of a greater concern about security and expectations for the middle-class workers and their families if the rigidity of the old-fashioned methods gives way, while Lupin's attitudes point up the impatience of the rising generation with the adherence to outmoded ideas and practices. ( )

This is a strong contender for funniest book ever written and Mr Charles Pooter, the quixotic Victorian suburban nobody of the title, a comic creation of unalloyed genius. The older I get the more I identify with Mr Pooter, the middle aged city clerk and resident of The Laurels, Brickfield Terrace, Holloway. He represents everything I dread becoming and yet secretly know I already am: his self-delusion and pomposity; his habit of making appallingly bad jokes which only he laughs at; his unfailing knack of thinking of a brilliant rejoinder five minutes after the conversation has ended. Only the irredeemably self-deluding and pompous could fail to catch at least a partial reflection of themselves in this irredeemably self-deluding and pompous man. Wanting only to maintain his dignity he is ruthlessly stripped of it at every unfortunate turn. He is forever outwitted by tradesmen, whom he naturally regards as his social inferiors, and sent up by junior clerks at the office. A slave to etiquette and ‘doing the right thing’ his own stupidity ensures that he never fails to do the wrong thing. His life is a never-ending succession of social embarrassments. As John Lennon once sang of his own Nowhere Man - ‘isn’t he a bit like you and me?’

It’s often accused of snobbery, of course; the fashionable Grossmith brothers, stars of D’Oyly Carte Opera Company and the Victorian stage, glancing down with sneering condescension at the lower-middle classes in their sprawling suburbs. This, I think, underestimates the subtlety of the writing in addition to ignoring the glaring fact that Pooter is one of the most sympathetic characters in all fiction. Who could fail to love this gentle and well-meaning man? Pooter may be a pompous ass but he is a thoroughly decent pompous ass; a loving husband and father (to the unflappable Carrie and wayward yet clever son Lupin) and loyal friend to Mr Gowing (who ‘is always coming’) and Mr Cummings (who ‘is always going’). He works hard and his heart is always in the right place even if his brain isn’t. The Grossmiths, like all great comedians, triumphantly have it both ways, simultaneously satirising and celebrating their subject matter. They capture the stultifying boredom, conformity and small-mindedness of suburbia while making you envy it’s satisfying completeness and self-assurance.

The Diary of a Nobody first appeared in Punch between May 1888 and May 1889. It was in many ways topical humour and perhaps not designed to last. When published as a book, in extended form in 1892, most of the the critics certainly displayed little recognition that they were witnessing the birth of a classic. One reviewer, sounding uncannily like Pooter himself, disapproved of its ‘vulgarity’ and ‘tastelessness.’ That it has endured is no mystery. It’s a deeply humane and insightful comedy which provokes superior laughter while making you squirm inwardly with excruciating self-recognition. All human aspiration, pretension and vanity - in both senses of that word - is here; the whole world in an unfashionable suburb. Truly life-enhancing stuff. ( )

It was mildly amusing, but not interesting enough to keep me reading - and I love British humor. ( )

It was mildly amusing, but not interesting enough to keep me reading - and I love British humor. ( )

I got more out of this than I expected. It's the diary of a middle class, middle aged, ordinary man. He takes himself pretty seriously, is always impressed by his own moments of wit, and gets stressed out over minor things. It would be easy to laugh at his own self-importance, until you realize your own internal commentary would probably be the same! He is Everyman.
What really won me over was partway through the book when he describes his moment of perfect happiness. His dreams were so modest but he was extraordinarily happy about them. This book, in the end, is a tribute to a mediocrity that is, in fact, totally meaningful. ( )

I can imagine that this book was an absolute banger when it was first written and as considered by its target audience. I found it quite humorous and fun, but not being a middle class English suburbanite in the late 1800's, I'm sure that a lot of the humor was lost on me. It was a nice little diversion nonetheless. ( )

The keeper of the Diary of a Nobody is Charles Pooter, a married, middle-aged, lower-middle-class clerk in 1890s London who leads an entirely mundane life. I can see how the style of gentle, slightly sentimental observational comedy that George and Weedon Grossmith pioneered here would have been successful, even innovative, at the time of its first publication. I have slightly more trouble understanding how it's still in print today as anything other than a bit of social history. I could see where the jokes were, I just didn't find them particularly funny. ( )

I don't fancy let's condescend to be amused at the clueless narrator approach to humor. At least it was short. ( )

Not sure I'd have read this if it hadn't been a gift, but this is a re-read, and it's great for filling a gap. Pooter's a suitably embarrassing pair of eyes to see through, though the Grossmith brothers do let him end his and his wife Carrie's tale well, and take you with him on your way. A delightful humble paddle in suburban England towards the turn of the century. Who needs Jerome K Jerome... ;-) ( )

Captures the obsessions and anxieties of the Victorian middle-class very well, but its humour now seems too earnest and dated - a little like the works of Samuel Clemens. ( )

A very funny book and one that offers an insight into the social life of the times. One of very few good books written by more than one person. ( )

The diary of a nobody is a work of the collaborative effort of the Grossmith brothers, George Grossmith(1847-1912) and Weedon Grossmith (1854-1919).

George Grossmith wasa singer, comedian and an actor who shone in many principal roles in the light operas of that other artistic pair Gilbert and Sullivan light operas at Savoy Theater. Weedon Grossmith was an a painter, playwright, actor and writer. Together they wrote the comic Victorian novel The diary of a nobody.

While in contemporary literature mock or even fully serious biographies of insignificant persons is a standard feature of literary output, spoofing the genre back then created an hilarious uproar. Published in 1892 it established a whole new genre of humorous fiction.

The diary of a nobody contains illustrations made by Weedon Grossmith.

I am not such a great fan of humorous fiction, but as a classic of Victorian literature, I thought is was still quite worthwhile. ( )

4.5 stars ( )

I’m dithering! How many stars does this diary deserve? I really enjoyed the reading. The language was perfect for the narrator. The characters well rounded. The humour very much in the ilk of P.G. Wodehouse. The story however, wasn’t ground breaking or earth shattering or instructive. It was however, an excellent, quite ridiculous, utterly charming diary of a nobody! Dither no more girl..... I’ve changed my rating from 3 to 4 stars. ( )

Un libro comico, primera edicion en 1892 y desde entonces se ha reeditado sin parar.
Lei esto y pense que este libro tenia que ser la risa total. Pero la mayor hilaridad parece provenir de que el protagonista que es de clase media-baja se las quiere dar de altivo y tener los modales y vida de gente de mas alta alcurnia no llegando a conseguirlo
Y no es mi humor, ademas que como el titulo indica, no pasa nada destacado, algun cambio de trabajo, algun amigo que se enfada, un cambio de pintura, etc.
Es interesante para comprender la sociedad y modales de la epoca pero no me lo volveria a leer. ( )

A classic which I first read as a teen, surprising my then English teacher when I chose it from the school library. Loved it then, adored it now. Perhaps surprisingly, it first appeared in Punch magazine in the late 1800s. Though simplistic — a middle-class gentleman seems to think his diary has as much chance to see publication as anyone else’s — it’s an exaggerated, humorous look at society and social observations, yet contains an underlying sadness. Part of the fun (and less cheery tone) comes from the things Mr Pooter finds so amusing and which plainly are not. The tale remains charming, and the illustrations delightful. ( )

A comic fictional diary with charming illustrations featuring a vain and petty protagonist diarist's home and social life in just over a year in late 19th century England. Gaffes and pretensions run rife in the text and the subtext. This is a light meal with hidden depths, fulfilling my love of the super mundanities and slow pace of everyday life. ( )

Diary of a Nobody was written by two brothers, George and Weedon Grossmith. It is Victorian England in the late 1880s. Charles Pooter has decided to share his everyday life as recorded in his diary.

It starts with the Pooter’s move to their newest residence at The Laurels in Brickford Terrace. Charles Pooter is married to Carrie and they have a son, 20-year-old William Lupin. Pooter is a City of London clerk at Perkkups. Carrie runs the household. William is a bank clerk. There are also other characters that appear in his comments.

Pooter is a bit of a snobbish and proper man, with set ideas and an image of himself. His recounting of events shows that he doesn’t always come out on top of what happens. Perhaps his standards and expectations are a little too high?

When Pooter and his wife are invited to the Mayor’s Mansion House for a formal social event, they find that it is a gathering more of local trade and business people and not the upper echelon of people he was expecting. His disappointment, and Carrie’s, is made worse when he falls on the dance floor, taking Carrie with him, due to a little too much champagne.

Another instance of things not going as it should is when his son moves back home. It seems that the son was let go due to his laziness on the job. Also the son has decided to go by his middle name, Lupin, rather than William. Pooter is now concerned with finding Lupin another job and Lupin is not the least bit worried.

I did some research on the book and found that it has never been out of print! It was initially published in Punch as a serial in 26 installments. It was added to a published in book form in the 1890s. It wasn’t a sell-out, but over time it has been available and still is!

It was interesting to get a glimpse of Victorian life and writing style. Something I enjoy is reading books from various eras. This was good and entertaining! ( )

"Some people seem quite destitute a sense of Humour."

The Diary of a Nobody was originally intended as a spoof against all the diaries that were being published and serialised at the time of writing yet today in the age of Blogs, Facebook and Twitter, where celebrity status can be gained seemingly without an awful lot of talent, it seems even more relevant.

The book centres around Charlie Pooter (the Nobody), his wife Carrie and their son Lupin. Charlie Pooter is a City clerk who lives with his wife in Holloway. Their son Willie initially works for a bank in Oldham but early in the diary returns home after being dismissed announcing that he wants to be known by his middle name Lupin henceforth. Lupin is a chancer and everything that his father isn't.

Mr Pooter has a strong sense of his own worth yet every-time he finds himself in a position that might work to his advantage some social gaffe means he misses out on the opportunity. The Pooters’ life is therefore made up of small pleasures and modest social occasions, many of which end embarrassingly and usually also involve his close friends Mr Gowings and Mr Cummings. Yet despite it all he ultimately triumphs.

Sadly the world of Charles Pooter, a world of simple pleasures and of lifelong loyalty to one employer, has long disappeared yet there will probably be opportunities for people like Lupin. Yet it could be argued that the literary influence of this book, (Adrian Mole and Bridget Jones for example) can still be seen today. In fact many of the embarrassing misunderstandings that afflict Mr Pooter are directly reflected in these much later characters and afore mentioned Bloggers etc.

When Mr Pooter tells Carrie and Lupin that, “I was in hopes that, if anything ever happened to me, the diary would be an endless source of pleasure to you both; to say nothing of the chance of the remuneration which may accrue from its being published”, both “burst out laughing”. But by way of an apology Carrie states; "I did not mean to be rude, dear Charlie; but truly I do not think your diary would sufficiently interest the public to be taken up by a publisher."

There is a brief preview before each chapter which gives a tantalising outline of what is to follow without giving away too much detail. This is not a book that will make you laugh out loud, rather it has a gentle absurdity about it. I ended up feeling a great empathy for staid old Charlie hoping that his loyalty and sense of duty would ultimately prevail, as such I felt that the author's writing style set exactly the right tone. It is a book that has withstood the test of time, one that you read with a smile on your face and as such it deserves to be regarded as a classic. ( )