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Jennings #1
Jennings Goes to School
When Jennings arrives at Linbury Court Preparatory School as a new boy, he soon discovers how much he has to learn, especially when the other boys seem to be talking in a different language! Spivish ozard! But it is not long before Jennings becomes a celebrity, following an intrepid escape from the school grounds and a riotous attempt to enliven a fire practice, which leaves Old Wilkie literally climbing the walls! From then on, every time Jennings gives trouble the elbow, a new disaster trips him over. But only one thing really matters to J C T Jennings – his First Eleven debut. When the long-awaited match arrives, Jennings certainly uses his head.
226 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1950
About the author
Anthony Buckeridge
100 books43 followersAnthony Malcolm Buckeridge was born in London but following the death of his banker father in the First World War he moved with his mother to Ross-on-Wye to live with his grandparents.
At the end of the war they returned to London where he developed a taste for theatre and writing. A scholarship from the Bank Clerks' Orphanage fund permitted his mother to send him to Seaford College boarding school in Sussex. His experiences as a schoolboy there were instrumental in his later work, particularly in his famous Jennings series of novels.
Following the death of his grandfather, the family moved to Welwyn Garden City where his mother worked in promoting the new suburban utopia to Londoners. In 1930 Buckeridge began work at his late father's bank but soon tired of it. Instead he took to acting including an uncredited part in Anthony Asquith's 1931 film 'Tell England'.
After marrying his first wife, Sylvia Brown, he enrolled at University College London where he involved himself in Socialist and anti-war groups and he was later to become an active member of CND. Unfortunately at university he did not take a degree after failing Latin.
By then the couple had two children and, with a young family to support, he found himself teaching in Suffolk and Northamptonshire, which again provided further experiences for his later work. During the Second World War, he was called up as a fireman and wrote several plays for the stage before returning to teaching in Ramsgate.
He used to tell his pupils stories about the fictional character Jennings, who was based on an old school chum of his, Diarmid Jennings. Diarmid was a prep schoolboy boarding at Linbury Court Preparatory School, where the headmaster was Mr Pemberton-Oakes.
After World War II, he wrote a series of radio plays for the BBC's Children's Hour chronicling the exploits of Jennings and his rather more staid friend, Darbishire. 'Jennings Learns the Ropes', the first of his radio plays, was broadcast on 16 October 1948. And then in 1950, the first of 26 Jennings novels, 'Jennings Goes to School' was published.
'Jennings Follows a Clue' appeared in 1951 and then Jennings novels were published regularly through to 1977 before he reappeared in the 1990s with three books that ended with 'That's Jennings' in 1994. The books were as well known and as popular as Frank Richards' Billy Bunter books in their day and were translated into a number of other languages.
The stories of middle class English schoolboys were especially popular in Norway where several were filmed. The Norwegian books and films were rewritten completely for a Norwegian setting with Norwegian names and Jennings is called "Stompa". And in France Jennings was, rather oddly, known as Bennett!
He also wrote five novels featuring a north London Grammar School boy, Rex Milligan, one other novel, 'A Funny Thing Happened: The First [and only] Adventure of the Blighs' (1953), wrote a collection of short stories, 'Stories for Boys' (1957), his autobiography, 'While I Remember' (1999) and edited an anthology, 'In and Out of School' (1958).
In 1962 he met his second wife, Eileen Selby. They settled near Lewes where he continued to write and from where he also appeared in small (non-singing) roles at Glyndebourne.
He was awarded the OBE in 2003.
He died on 28 June 2004 after a spell of ill health with his second wife Eileen and three children, two from his first marriage, surviving him.
Gerry Wolstenholme
September 2010
At the end of the war they returned to London where he developed a taste for theatre and writing. A scholarship from the Bank Clerks' Orphanage fund permitted his mother to send him to Seaford College boarding school in Sussex. His experiences as a schoolboy there were instrumental in his later work, particularly in his famous Jennings series of novels.
Following the death of his grandfather, the family moved to Welwyn Garden City where his mother worked in promoting the new suburban utopia to Londoners. In 1930 Buckeridge began work at his late father's bank but soon tired of it. Instead he took to acting including an uncredited part in Anthony Asquith's 1931 film 'Tell England'.
After marrying his first wife, Sylvia Brown, he enrolled at University College London where he involved himself in Socialist and anti-war groups and he was later to become an active member of CND. Unfortunately at university he did not take a degree after failing Latin.
By then the couple had two children and, with a young family to support, he found himself teaching in Suffolk and Northamptonshire, which again provided further experiences for his later work. During the Second World War, he was called up as a fireman and wrote several plays for the stage before returning to teaching in Ramsgate.
He used to tell his pupils stories about the fictional character Jennings, who was based on an old school chum of his, Diarmid Jennings. Diarmid was a prep schoolboy boarding at Linbury Court Preparatory School, where the headmaster was Mr Pemberton-Oakes.
After World War II, he wrote a series of radio plays for the BBC's Children's Hour chronicling the exploits of Jennings and his rather more staid friend, Darbishire. 'Jennings Learns the Ropes', the first of his radio plays, was broadcast on 16 October 1948. And then in 1950, the first of 26 Jennings novels, 'Jennings Goes to School' was published.
'Jennings Follows a Clue' appeared in 1951 and then Jennings novels were published regularly through to 1977 before he reappeared in the 1990s with three books that ended with 'That's Jennings' in 1994. The books were as well known and as popular as Frank Richards' Billy Bunter books in their day and were translated into a number of other languages.
The stories of middle class English schoolboys were especially popular in Norway where several were filmed. The Norwegian books and films were rewritten completely for a Norwegian setting with Norwegian names and Jennings is called "Stompa". And in France Jennings was, rather oddly, known as Bennett!
He also wrote five novels featuring a north London Grammar School boy, Rex Milligan, one other novel, 'A Funny Thing Happened: The First [and only] Adventure of the Blighs' (1953), wrote a collection of short stories, 'Stories for Boys' (1957), his autobiography, 'While I Remember' (1999) and edited an anthology, 'In and Out of School' (1958).
In 1962 he met his second wife, Eileen Selby. They settled near Lewes where he continued to write and from where he also appeared in small (non-singing) roles at Glyndebourne.
He was awarded the OBE in 2003.
He died on 28 June 2004 after a spell of ill health with his second wife Eileen and three children, two from his first marriage, surviving him.
Gerry Wolstenholme
September 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
April 15, 2012
Jennings Goes to School is the first in a popular series of boarding school adventures featuring the boisterous Jennings and his slightly more sober sidekick, Derbishire. I went to a very old-fashioned boarding school myself, and our headmaster would occasionally read us extracts from the Jennings books as a treat. I remember the whole class howling with laughter at Jennings's exploits and I used to wear out the copies in the school library when I had some free time. I was intrigued to see if Jennings was as funny to me as an adult as he was when I was 11.
In this first book, we follow Jennings as he arrives at Linbury Court for the first time, is installed in Dormitory 4 with his new cronies, and begins to get to grips with the peculiar world of the English prep school. Jennings and Derbishire's adventures over the course of their first term include a daring bid for escape, a call to the fire brigade for assistance during a fire drill and a possibly poisonous spider let loose in the dormitory.
The Jennings books are an absolute joy to read, providing a hilarious window into the mind of a lively group of 10 year old boys. Though no date is given, they appear to be set in the 1950s, and the ridiculous old-fashioned slang and pre-decimel currency is all part of their charm. Whatever you do, don't be tempted to buy a copy of the "updated" version released a few years ago - you'd be missing out on half the fun.
If you want to instill a love of P.G. Wodehouse into your children, then Jennings is the perfect start, as Buckeridge uses exactly the same kind of wonderfully silly humour as Wodehouse (you could imagine Bertie Wooster being almost exactly like Jennings as a child). Jennings has the most marvellous hare-brained schemes which he carries out with gusto (dragging his friend Derbishire along with him), and it's usually up to the sensible master, Mr Carter, to try and find his way through the mire of these schoolboy thought-processes and sort out the well-meaning havoc he creates.
While it didn't provoke quite the same volume of laughter as it did when I was a child, there's still an lot of amusement here for an adult reader. It's definitely worth a few quid on Ebay to find an old copy and lose yourself for a few hours in childish glee
In this first book, we follow Jennings as he arrives at Linbury Court for the first time, is installed in Dormitory 4 with his new cronies, and begins to get to grips with the peculiar world of the English prep school. Jennings and Derbishire's adventures over the course of their first term include a daring bid for escape, a call to the fire brigade for assistance during a fire drill and a possibly poisonous spider let loose in the dormitory.
The Jennings books are an absolute joy to read, providing a hilarious window into the mind of a lively group of 10 year old boys. Though no date is given, they appear to be set in the 1950s, and the ridiculous old-fashioned slang and pre-decimel currency is all part of their charm. Whatever you do, don't be tempted to buy a copy of the "updated" version released a few years ago - you'd be missing out on half the fun.
If you want to instill a love of P.G. Wodehouse into your children, then Jennings is the perfect start, as Buckeridge uses exactly the same kind of wonderfully silly humour as Wodehouse (you could imagine Bertie Wooster being almost exactly like Jennings as a child). Jennings has the most marvellous hare-brained schemes which he carries out with gusto (dragging his friend Derbishire along with him), and it's usually up to the sensible master, Mr Carter, to try and find his way through the mire of these schoolboy thought-processes and sort out the well-meaning havoc he creates.
While it didn't provoke quite the same volume of laughter as it did when I was a child, there's still an lot of amusement here for an adult reader. It's definitely worth a few quid on Ebay to find an old copy and lose yourself for a few hours in childish glee
May 3, 2013
I totally loved the adventures of John Christopher Timothy Jennings when I was young, and on a recent reread this book managed a rare feat - rather than my jaded adult sensibilities seeing flaws I hadn't originally noticed, I actually found it funnier than on first reading.
My own childhood in working class London should, logically, have given me nothing to reference in Buckeridge's work, yet somehow his ability to set a scene, draw a picture, and slowly inveigle you into the lives and mindset of his characters won me over and have stayed with me ever since.
Set in a boarding school in the 1950s, the book (as it says on the tin) tells of an eleven year old boy who starts as a boarder at Linbury Court Preparatory School, and learns the lore, rules and norms of school life, including what amounts to a new language ("Ozard, for instance, is the opposite of "Wizard"), the rules as to whom gets which washbasin, and just why confectionery from a particular shop tastes better than an identical product purchased elsewhere.
Along the way, Jennings (and his readers) meet Charles Edwin Jeremy Derbyshire, the well-meaning but cautious son of a clergyman, Atkinson, Temple and Venables, his dorm mates, Lancelot P "Old Wilkie" Wilkinson, the conscientious but strict Master, Mister Carter, his sympathetic colleague, Mr Hind, the music teacher, who polishes his pipe on his nose, Binns and Blotwell, the two youngest boys in the school, and a host of other intriguing characters through a long series of books.
These works are utterly hilarious, most of the humor coming from the weird but strangely satisfying logic of the juvenile characters. Furthermore, it's a gentle humor, free from the nastiness and pseudo-cleverness that pervades some modern "comic" works - the phrase "festering fishooks" is about the nearest you'll get to profanity! Reading these books is like being transported back to some kind Eden where politeness and consideration rule, law is respected, and there's nothing a good midnight feast or hard game of football won't put right.
Highly enjoyable.
My own childhood in working class London should, logically, have given me nothing to reference in Buckeridge's work, yet somehow his ability to set a scene, draw a picture, and slowly inveigle you into the lives and mindset of his characters won me over and have stayed with me ever since.
Set in a boarding school in the 1950s, the book (as it says on the tin) tells of an eleven year old boy who starts as a boarder at Linbury Court Preparatory School, and learns the lore, rules and norms of school life, including what amounts to a new language ("Ozard, for instance, is the opposite of "Wizard"), the rules as to whom gets which washbasin, and just why confectionery from a particular shop tastes better than an identical product purchased elsewhere.
Along the way, Jennings (and his readers) meet Charles Edwin Jeremy Derbyshire, the well-meaning but cautious son of a clergyman, Atkinson, Temple and Venables, his dorm mates, Lancelot P "Old Wilkie" Wilkinson, the conscientious but strict Master, Mister Carter, his sympathetic colleague, Mr Hind, the music teacher, who polishes his pipe on his nose, Binns and Blotwell, the two youngest boys in the school, and a host of other intriguing characters through a long series of books.
These works are utterly hilarious, most of the humor coming from the weird but strangely satisfying logic of the juvenile characters. Furthermore, it's a gentle humor, free from the nastiness and pseudo-cleverness that pervades some modern "comic" works - the phrase "festering fishooks" is about the nearest you'll get to profanity! Reading these books is like being transported back to some kind Eden where politeness and consideration rule, law is respected, and there's nothing a good midnight feast or hard game of football won't put right.
Highly enjoyable.
July 30, 2018
Jennings and Darbishire were two of my best childhood friends, and I absolutely delighted in these books. Crow has never read them, so we have taken a break from Jeeves and Wooster whilst I rectify that by reading them to her.
This one, I realised, a few paragraphs in, was one of the first places I discovered Stephen Fry, for he did the audiobook. I found myself constantly slipping into his intonations, which is amusing, given our differences, and the fact that I can't have listened to it in a decade. Still, as I read, it all came flooding back.
I was so struck by the language used, and the complete lack of...childishness - these books assume a marvellous fluency in the reader, and I'm sure I must've learnt a lot from reading these as a five or six year old, and that, looking back, they have a lot to do with just how much I continue to enjoy the written word, in all its forms.
Delighted to make Jennings' acquaintance once more, and already well into the next in the series.
April 18, 2020
Some books take you right back to your childhood. For me, Jennings Goes To School is one such book. His hilarious adventures, with cautious sidekick Darbishire in tow, firmed my belief that his schooldays were so much better than mine. His intentions are noble but the outcome always disastrous, and hilarious for the reader. I know it’s a bit dated now, but so are a lot of us. If you’re at school, or attended one in the last fifty years, you’ll enjoy this book.
October 4, 2012
I absolutely devoured this series as a child. I must have been about 7 or 8 and was given these by my uncle, who had also loved them as a boy. I was completely obsessed with the idea of going to boarding school at that time, (I think it was all to do with midnight feasts), so pretty much read anything that took place in one.
Set in the 50's (I think) the books centre around Jennings, a prep-school boy and his hapless sidekick, Darbyshire. Predictably, they get into all kinds of scrapes with hilarious results. I cried with with laughter reading them.
It has been a very long time since I've looked at these books, so I can't remember any of the details, but what I do remember was the impression the language had on me. The boys use all kinds of slang and expressions I was unfamiliar with, but was instantly gripped by. Buckeridge is a superb comic writer and I think it was these books, more than any other once I'd moved away from picture books, that made me fall in love with humorous writing. Still today, I find that the written word is more likely to make me laugh out loud than any other art form.
Of course, the books would be considered very dated now and I'm not sure how much they would appeal to the current generation. My parents grew up in the 50's and so I think the rather posh, upper middle-class and pure Englishness of it was just about close enough to a world I could recognise when I was a child to be able to engage with it. One unfortunate side-effect of the books was my appropriating much of the language, saying things like 'Crumbs!' and 'Crikey!' which was very much out of place in working class Leeds in 1982.
Even though I wouldn't use it with a class of children now, it is useful as a reference point for finding books with rich and sometimes difficult vocabulary as this can be a real point of interest that can hook a reader in.
Set in the 50's (I think) the books centre around Jennings, a prep-school boy and his hapless sidekick, Darbyshire. Predictably, they get into all kinds of scrapes with hilarious results. I cried with with laughter reading them.
It has been a very long time since I've looked at these books, so I can't remember any of the details, but what I do remember was the impression the language had on me. The boys use all kinds of slang and expressions I was unfamiliar with, but was instantly gripped by. Buckeridge is a superb comic writer and I think it was these books, more than any other once I'd moved away from picture books, that made me fall in love with humorous writing. Still today, I find that the written word is more likely to make me laugh out loud than any other art form.
Of course, the books would be considered very dated now and I'm not sure how much they would appeal to the current generation. My parents grew up in the 50's and so I think the rather posh, upper middle-class and pure Englishness of it was just about close enough to a world I could recognise when I was a child to be able to engage with it. One unfortunate side-effect of the books was my appropriating much of the language, saying things like 'Crumbs!' and 'Crikey!' which was very much out of place in working class Leeds in 1982.
Even though I wouldn't use it with a class of children now, it is useful as a reference point for finding books with rich and sometimes difficult vocabulary as this can be a real point of interest that can hook a reader in.
December 23, 2010
This, and the subsequent series of books about life at Linbury Court Preparatory School, was an unalloyed delight to the ten-year-old me. Quite how the author could write with such insight into the minds of boys of my age I found amazing. I read and re-read all the adventures of John Christopher Timothy Jennings, C.E.J. Darbishire, Selbanev, Retsim(s) Retrac and Snikliw (see "Jennings' Diary") & co. My best friend liked the books too and when I told him I thought of myself as Jennings with him as the hapless but loyal Darbi he said he thought the same (except I was Darbi). This led to arguements about relative sporting prowess and leadership qualities that remain unresolved.
Although not as widely remembered by many as Richmal Crompton's revered William books I prefered these stories at the time and was often reduced to helpless laughter. Jennings, like William, tended to take things literally and to their logical conclusion. Calling out the fire brigade to make a fire drill more authentic turned out - as so often was the case - to be an inspired decision and not only kept him from the clutches of Old Wilkie but gave him a briefly enhanced reputation. These days he'd be referred to the Ed. Psych. as a probable Asperger's.
What slightly puzzled me was how poor these middle class boys seemed to be, forever needing to survive on very little money while banking on the arrival of a postal order from absent-minded aunt Agatha to repay debts. A useful plot device though as well as a reminder of post-war austerity. Try and read the earlier books of the series if given a choice but they are all good.
Although not as widely remembered by many as Richmal Crompton's revered William books I prefered these stories at the time and was often reduced to helpless laughter. Jennings, like William, tended to take things literally and to their logical conclusion. Calling out the fire brigade to make a fire drill more authentic turned out - as so often was the case - to be an inspired decision and not only kept him from the clutches of Old Wilkie but gave him a briefly enhanced reputation. These days he'd be referred to the Ed. Psych. as a probable Asperger's.
What slightly puzzled me was how poor these middle class boys seemed to be, forever needing to survive on very little money while banking on the arrival of a postal order from absent-minded aunt Agatha to repay debts. A useful plot device though as well as a reminder of post-war austerity. Try and read the earlier books of the series if given a choice but they are all good.
January 4, 2014
Used to love these books when I was younger and it's nice to find that this stands up to the passage of time, both personally and in a more general sense. What is strange is that, although clearly written by somebody with experience and understanding of children, it's as much from the teachers' point of view as it is from the pupils', if not more. Cringe final chapter where Mr Carter is revealed as the book's author aside, this isn't a problem - it's just curious that this appeals to children when they are observed from a slightly condescending perspective. Perhaps the appeal is partly that it gives a glimpse into the teachers' minds as well. In any case, it makes for an equally enjoyable read for grown ups.
August 30, 2014
At their best, the 'Jennings' books are side-splittingly hilarious. At their worst, they provide a fun and insightful look into boarding school life alongside a slightly misguided look at life in the local community.
This is a strong start to the series, but the very best is yet to come.
Highlight: Darbishire's postcard home.
This is a strong start to the series, but the very best is yet to come.
Highlight: Darbishire's postcard home.
May 27, 2022
Jennings nih lucu, kocak, ada aja jawabannya. Mengingatkan akan adikku yg tiap ditegur ada aja jawabannya kek Jennings. Jadi wajarlah kalau dia pun suka sama Jennings. Baca Jennings kalau di catatan baca lama banget, karena setelah baca setengah, bukunya nyelip. Tapi langsung mengalir begitu kulanjutkan!
Selamat Jennings atas Golmu!
Selamat Jennings atas Golmu!
October 19, 2022
What a delight! I had to read pieces to my husband because I was laughing so hard. Jennings is a wonderful character! This is a boarding school story and a terrific one at that. The last chapter says it all. I'm reading this for my Vintage Book Circle group which have taken on the task of selecting books from a series to read and review. I'm considering similarities and differences in this and Just William! by Richmal Crompton. Jennings is a more likeable character. Just William seems to be trying to punch adult buttons. I'll be curious to know if others in my group would be interested in comparing the two.
September 19, 2017
In the quest to introduce my kids to children's books they wouldn't dream of reading themselves I decided on Jennings after the success of Just William. I'd never read any of the Jennings books as the "Naughty-Boy-in-Posh-School" formulae had never appealed to me. In fact the whole children at boarding school idea had always seemed totally dull... but that might have been due to the Lothsome Enid B. But I went hunting second-hand book shops for a suitably aged copy from which to read. The hint that this would be a good book lay in the fact that it took a long time to find any of the Jennings books second-hand. After reading the first chapter I knew why; even after 60 years of quietly ageing this is still comedy gold and obviously no one relinquishes a brilliant book.
The comedy was undoubtedly helped by the "Super Spiffing" schoolboy expletives. These were so alien to my littles that they needed some explanation and the opening chapter explaining the strange slang created by boys-in-dormitories had them somewhat bemused. But they got the hang of it quite quickly and I imagine that for some public schools this sort of language is still completely normal. Surprisingly this was really the only cultural barrier to them; once going everything has a comfortable familiarity which makes this still shine.
The situations that Jennings and Darbishire create are lovely, the caricatures are still fresh and there are plenty of jokes for the adults to enjoy... (kids that know latin would enjoy them too of course...)
The whole spider tale is brilliant and this book is perfect for reading allowed - in fact even better when you put on "Splendid-Posh" accents for dithering, apoplectic or self-important characters.
It's certainly tempting to read a few more books in the series (which I think my boy will) but next up is high victorian adventure; Jules Verne beckons...
The comedy was undoubtedly helped by the "Super Spiffing" schoolboy expletives. These were so alien to my littles that they needed some explanation and the opening chapter explaining the strange slang created by boys-in-dormitories had them somewhat bemused. But they got the hang of it quite quickly and I imagine that for some public schools this sort of language is still completely normal. Surprisingly this was really the only cultural barrier to them; once going everything has a comfortable familiarity which makes this still shine.
The situations that Jennings and Darbishire create are lovely, the caricatures are still fresh and there are plenty of jokes for the adults to enjoy... (kids that know latin would enjoy them too of course...)
The whole spider tale is brilliant and this book is perfect for reading allowed - in fact even better when you put on "Splendid-Posh" accents for dithering, apoplectic or self-important characters.
It's certainly tempting to read a few more books in the series (which I think my boy will) but next up is high victorian adventure; Jules Verne beckons...
August 16, 2011
Entahlah udah keberapa kalinya saya baca buku ini... Sekarang baca ulang lagi, karena ngeliat buku ini pas lagi beresin lemari buku.
Ceritanya kocak... lucu, saya senyam senyum sendiri. Yah, karena ini buku pertama dan mengisahkan tentang Jennings dan Darbishire yang baru masuk preparatory school, belum banyak kehebohan yang dibikin ma Jennings.
Well sebenernya, kasus kasus di buku pertama ini lebih banyak terjadi karena kesalahpahaman aja sih. Atau lebih tepatnya keluguan dan ketidaktahuan seorang Jennings. Tapi ya itu tadi... Kocak!
Ceritanya kocak... lucu, saya senyam senyum sendiri. Yah, karena ini buku pertama dan mengisahkan tentang Jennings dan Darbishire yang baru masuk preparatory school, belum banyak kehebohan yang dibikin ma Jennings.
Well sebenernya, kasus kasus di buku pertama ini lebih banyak terjadi karena kesalahpahaman aja sih. Atau lebih tepatnya keluguan dan ketidaktahuan seorang Jennings. Tapi ya itu tadi... Kocak!
November 12, 2017
I came across my old Jennings books while rooting through stuff stored in my recently-deceased father's attic, and, having finally got around to re-reading the first volume, I am very glad neither he nor I threw them away. It holds up exceptionally well - funny, charming, and endearingly eccentric. It is above all written with huge affection for its characters, and Buckeridge's optimism and kindness really shines through. I'm looking forward to my daughter being old enough so that she can enjoy it.
November 3, 2017
I read the Jennings books as a child and loved them. I feel a lot of nostalgia for the books I loved as a child, and was pleased to discover that new editions of the Jennings books had come out. This is the first in the series when Darbishire and Jennings first arrive at Linbury. I laughed out loud at some of the funny incidents and the schoolboy 'logic'. A great thing to read if you need cheering up.
March 31, 2016
So atrociously funny that I kept being told off as my endless fits of laughter kept waking up various baby cousins.
December 1, 2016
Aku berani bertaruh sejuta, orang yang masih ada akal sehatnya takkan mau menulis cerita tentang anak-anak seperti kita!
Ah, (*seperti kata Pak Carter) siapa bilang...
Buku pertama dari seri si anak asrama Jennings. Sebenarnya saya sudah membaca & menikmati beberapa buku Jennings lainnya sebelum baca yang ini... pada dasarnya seri ini memang bisa dibaca dari yang mana saja (*sangat gampang memahami situasi dan hubungan antar tokohnya), tapi menyenangkan juga akhirnya bisa mengetahui awal hubungan Jennings dengan guru-guru, anak-anak asrama lain, dan sobat kentalnya Darbishire.
Yang membuat Jennings itu unik adalah cara kerja otaknya yang misterius. Kalau orang biasa menyusun rencana untuk mengatasi suatu masalah, ia akan buat Rencana A, Rencana B, dst.--nah, si Jennings ini main lompat saja ke Rencana Z yang rasanya tidak akan terpikirkan oleh orang waras. Apalagi kalau sudah dikombinasikan dengan Darbishire yang juga hobi berimajinasi liar, selalu gemparlah sekolah dan orang-orang di sekitar mereka...
Momen-momen terbaik dari buku ini:
Ah, (*seperti kata Pak Carter) siapa bilang...
Buku pertama dari seri si anak asrama Jennings. Sebenarnya saya sudah membaca & menikmati beberapa buku Jennings lainnya sebelum baca yang ini... pada dasarnya seri ini memang bisa dibaca dari yang mana saja (*sangat gampang memahami situasi dan hubungan antar tokohnya), tapi menyenangkan juga akhirnya bisa mengetahui awal hubungan Jennings dengan guru-guru, anak-anak asrama lain, dan sobat kentalnya Darbishire.
Yang membuat Jennings itu unik adalah cara kerja otaknya yang misterius. Kalau orang biasa menyusun rencana untuk mengatasi suatu masalah, ia akan buat Rencana A, Rencana B, dst.--nah, si Jennings ini main lompat saja ke Rencana Z yang rasanya tidak akan terpikirkan oleh orang waras. Apalagi kalau sudah dikombinasikan dengan Darbishire yang juga hobi berimajinasi liar, selalu gemparlah sekolah dan orang-orang di sekitar mereka...
Momen-momen terbaik dari buku ini:
November 29, 2018
The first of a long series of boarding school comedies, Jennings Goes To School tells the story of a 10-year-old boy, Jennings, who is sent to boarding school. Separation from his family at such an early age could be a bit traumatic, but Jennings is too high-spirited to be brought down. His school life is a succession of incidents that I found quite funny because of how his well-meaning childish logic causes havoc around him. It's children's literature but can very easily be enjoyed by adults. In that sense, it reminded me of the Le Petit Nicolas (Little Nicholas) books by René Goscinny and of the Just William series by Richmal Crompton.
Jennings' best friend, Darbishire, is the perfect companion for him, slightly more sensible and sober but always willing to be dragged into Jennings' schemes. We have Mr. Carter, the housemaster, friendly and with a good understanding of boys, but consequently difficult to fool. There's Mr. Wilkins, much less deft in managing the young boys and with an explosive temper, redeemed by a hidden heart of gold. There's Venables, Atkinson, Temple and Bromwich Major, the other boys in Jennings and Derbishire's dormitory... The chapters in this book read like short stories with a few common plot threads. The incidents include Jennings' difficult first days as he learns the ropes and gains acceptance from his new school mates, a fire-drill filled with incidents, Jennings' bewildering letters home to his parents, a big spider on the loose that terrifies the dormitory, Jennings and Derbishire's literary efforts when they write a story for the school magazine, Jennings' long struggle to earn a place in the school soccer team, and his first match, and so on.
A light, gentle and surprisingly funny read, full of charm and fondness for its characters, both children and adults.
Jennings' best friend, Darbishire, is the perfect companion for him, slightly more sensible and sober but always willing to be dragged into Jennings' schemes. We have Mr. Carter, the housemaster, friendly and with a good understanding of boys, but consequently difficult to fool. There's Mr. Wilkins, much less deft in managing the young boys and with an explosive temper, redeemed by a hidden heart of gold. There's Venables, Atkinson, Temple and Bromwich Major, the other boys in Jennings and Derbishire's dormitory... The chapters in this book read like short stories with a few common plot threads. The incidents include Jennings' difficult first days as he learns the ropes and gains acceptance from his new school mates, a fire-drill filled with incidents, Jennings' bewildering letters home to his parents, a big spider on the loose that terrifies the dormitory, Jennings and Derbishire's literary efforts when they write a story for the school magazine, Jennings' long struggle to earn a place in the school soccer team, and his first match, and so on.
A light, gentle and surprisingly funny read, full of charm and fondness for its characters, both children and adults.
August 22, 2023
The Jennings stories were my absolute favourite reads when I was eight or nine years old, and it was a red letter day indeed whenever I came across a new one in the town library. Revisiting one's childhood favourites can be a risky business, so it was with real pleasure that I discovered how well this one stood up.
This is the first in the series, and we are introduced to the irrepressible Jennings and his best friend, the solemn and literal minded clergyman's son Darbishire in their first days at Linbury Court, a prep school in Sussex, along with classmates Venables Atkinson, Temple and the rest, as well as masters Carter and Wilkins.
The humour is gentle, often reminiscent of Wodehouse, and Buckeridge, a former schoolmaster himself, has a real ear for the turns of phrase and peculiar logic of his eleven-year-old characters. There is not the slightest attempt to talk down to his young readers - indeed, Buckeridge pays them the compliment of assuming an almost adult-sized vocabulary, another reason why they can still be enjoyed by readers whose childhoods are long departed. Jennings himself "as highly strung as a shrimping net and as delicate as a bulldozer" in the immortal words of Mr Carter, is an unforgettable creation and Darbishire a worthy sidekick. 4 stars
This is the first in the series, and we are introduced to the irrepressible Jennings and his best friend, the solemn and literal minded clergyman's son Darbishire in their first days at Linbury Court, a prep school in Sussex, along with classmates Venables Atkinson, Temple and the rest, as well as masters Carter and Wilkins.
The humour is gentle, often reminiscent of Wodehouse, and Buckeridge, a former schoolmaster himself, has a real ear for the turns of phrase and peculiar logic of his eleven-year-old characters. There is not the slightest attempt to talk down to his young readers - indeed, Buckeridge pays them the compliment of assuming an almost adult-sized vocabulary, another reason why they can still be enjoyed by readers whose childhoods are long departed. Jennings himself "as highly strung as a shrimping net and as delicate as a bulldozer" in the immortal words of Mr Carter, is an unforgettable creation and Darbishire a worthy sidekick. 4 stars
December 27, 2020
This series was a childhood favorite, endlessly reread, but I abandoned the books during one of my moves. So for Christmas my wife got me an omnibus of the first four books. They hold up well: hysterically funny and Buckeridge is a deft writer reminiscent of Wodehouse:
"To be or not to be, that is the question."
"What's the question?"
"To be or not to be."
"That's not a question!"
Jennings and his perpetual sidekick Darbishire are 10 year olds at Linbury Court Preparatory, a boarding school. Jennings is bright and enthusiastic, usually for ideas that don't work out; Darbishire is a proto-nerd, bespectacled and knowledgeable but not quite as much as he thinks. In this volume they spend their first term at Linbury, which includes running away, learning schoolboy slang ("We had ozard of wiz for tea."), trying out for soccer, calling in a false fire alarm (but with the best of intentions!) and writing a detective novel (Agatha Christie can sleep easy).
It's good to revisit old friends and find they're as fun as I remember them.
"To be or not to be, that is the question."
"What's the question?"
"To be or not to be."
"That's not a question!"
Jennings and his perpetual sidekick Darbishire are 10 year olds at Linbury Court Preparatory, a boarding school. Jennings is bright and enthusiastic, usually for ideas that don't work out; Darbishire is a proto-nerd, bespectacled and knowledgeable but not quite as much as he thinks. In this volume they spend their first term at Linbury, which includes running away, learning schoolboy slang ("We had ozard of wiz for tea."), trying out for soccer, calling in a false fire alarm (but with the best of intentions!) and writing a detective novel (Agatha Christie can sleep easy).
It's good to revisit old friends and find they're as fun as I remember them.
November 27, 2022
Fossilized fishooks! What a gift to the young reader. Or older. I'm 61 and I've just picked tgis out from my collection. They're all brilliant but this one has a special place in my affections because our teacher Mr Strand recommended we start with it, as it introduces the four main characters: the irrepressible JCT Jennings, his boon companion the far more timid Derbyshire and those two polar opposite school masters, the intuitive empathetic Mr Carter and the irascible Mr Wilkins- corwumph. Buckeridge deliberately made up all the slang so it wouldn't date, but of course this idyllic prep school in leafy Sussex has dated purely because it sounds so improbable. No Ofsted, Sexting, Covid tests or Trans pupils, what was the author thinking? Mind you, the first story is about bullying, a very mild bullying compared to the nightmare scenarios we read about today, but nevertheless Jennings through a mixture of ingenuity and luck usurps C.A.T Temple as Top Dog. Once he realised what he was onto, Jenning ceased to age in real time and remained a third former forever, praise be
April 13, 2019
Luin tämän kirjan viimeksi ala-asteikäisenä, vuosikymmeniä sitten, nyt uudelleen nostalgiasyistä, kun löysin tämän kirjaston kierrrätyshyllystä. Jennings koulussa aloittaa kirjasarjan, jossa seurataan Jenningsin ja hänen kaverinsa toilailuja 60-luvulla englantilaisessa sisäoppilaitoksessa. Aikanaan Jennings-kirjat olivat suunnilleen hauskinta mitä tiesin, ja olisin ehkä nytkin hyvin voinut antaa tälle täydet viisi tähteä mutta kuvastakoon kolme tähteä nyt lukukokemusta näin aikuisena. Toimii kyllä edelleen pakokeinona nykyajan karusta todellisuudesta jonnekin viattomaan, kilttiin lapsuuden aikaan.
July 12, 2020
Just joyous. Hadn't looked at Jennings for - oo, I dunno, half a century. Yes, it's all middle class white boys at a prep school in Sussex, but it's also a hoot. Episodic, for which we deduct one star, but a gloriously self-contained and sustained world that's often laugh-out-loud funny. Sharply written (Jennings is 'as highly strung as a shrimping net and delicate as a bulldozer'), with brilliant school slang dialogue ('the spotted dick is spivvy ozard') and lovely slapstick plotting. Next stop, Billy Bunter.
August 8, 2021
This is my first introduction to Jennings and his sidekick Darbishire. I can’t quite believe the author wrote these book’s just for children. This is laugh out loud humour from start to finish , with the fire drill episode being the absolute star of the the whole book. I will now be searching second hand book stores for more vintage copies from the 1950’s to read.
January 31, 2022
I picked this up to read in a quiet moment at work as a piece of nostalgia. My brother had these books in the 1960s or 70s and I used to enjoy them almost as much as Enid Blyton's similar stories of mid-century girls' boarding schools.
A quick read and a lot of fun, as Jennings gets into endless scrapes and his friend Darbishire anxiously tries to keep out of them.
A quick read and a lot of fun, as Jennings gets into endless scrapes and his friend Darbishire anxiously tries to keep out of them.
August 2, 2020
I devoured and thoroughly enjoyed the series as a child and enjoyed this no less as an adult. Such entertaining observations of young boys, it is genuinely laugh out loud funny. The language and vocabulary really does highlight how far children's fiction has fallen in the last 50 years.
November 25, 2022
Had to laugh aloud while reading alone! Most entertaining. Great imagination. The very best prescription for many ailments...
I do recommend it. I have read a few other Jennings installments and this one might be the best.
I do recommend it. I have read a few other Jennings installments and this one might be the best.
January 5, 2018
Great read
June 19, 2020
So good.
October 20, 2020
I love these books, they are so much fun, very wittily and affectionately written. This one does slow down a couple of times but in general it's a lot of amusing fun.
November 28, 2020
Such a classic obviously. Just couldn't quite get past the constant reference to a spider being an insect???
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