The Harpole Report
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The third novel by J. L. Carr, published in 1972. The novel tells the story mostly in the form of a school log book kept by George Harpole, temporary Head Teacher of the Church of England primary school of "Tampling St. Nicholas". The novel has attained a minor cult status within the teaching profession. The characters George Harpole and Emma Foxberrow reappear in Carr's eighth and final novel, Harpole & Foxberrow General Publishers.
The Harpole Report | |
Dust jacket of first edition - 1972 |
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Author | J.L. Carr |
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Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Genre(s) | Fiction |
Publisher | Secker and Warburg |
Publication date | 1972 |
Media type | Print (Hardback) |
Pages | 164 |
ISBN | 436086107 |
Preceded by | A Season in Sinji |
Followed by | How Steeple Sinderby Wanderers Won the F.A. Cup |
Like all of Carr's novels, it is grounded in personal experience. Carr was a Primary School teacher for almost 40 years, including 15 years spent as Head Teacher of Highfields school in Kettering. [1] The novel is now published by The Quince Tree Press, which was established by Carr in 1966 to publish his illustrated maps and small books.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Characters
- Mr. Pintle: "one of the old school", who insists on imposing on his pupils antiquated maths problems about coal deliveries.
- Mrs. Grindle-Jones: prim and proper advocate of lower middle class respectability, who has "never been spoken to like this in all my thirty years' experience". Harpole replies "You have not had thirty years' experience. You have had one year's experience thirty times."
- Mr. Croser: young, cocky teacher whom Harpole dislikes.
- Miss Grace Tollemache: spinster from prominent local family, who regards all her hopes as buried since she was condemned to teach "The Backwards" class.
- Miss Emma Foxberrow: attractive blonde Cambridge graduate and feminist, under whose influence Harpole gradually changes from a buttoned-up typically "English" admirer of Sir Henry Newbolt to a crusading maverick.
- Mr. Theaker: caretaker, intent on building his private administrative empire.
- The Widmerpools: the local problem family, with innumerable and determinedly illiterate children.
- Mr. Tusker: bureaucrat, determined to frustrate any new initiative
- Councillor Mrs Blossom: libidinous mayoral candidate, who engineers disciplinary proceedings against Harpole when he rejects her advances.
- Alderman Tollemache: eccentric member of local education authority with a private vendetta against "percussion" who acts as deus ex machina in the disciplinary proceedings.
[edit] Reviews
Frank Muir described The Harpole Report as "the funniest and perhaps the truest story about running a school that I ever have read" and chose it as his book to take to a desert island on the BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs.
The Times described it as "An assortment of memorable characters lurking in the English educational undergrowth."[3]
[edit] Editions
- Secker and Warburg (1972) Hardback. ISBN 436086107
- Quartet Books (1973) Paperback. ISBN-13: 9780704310520 ISBN: 070431052X
- Penguin Books Ltd (28 June 1984) Paperback. ISBN-13: 9780140069204 ISBN: 0140069208
- The Quince Tree Press (20 May 2003) Paperback. ISBN-10: 1904016065 ISBN-13: 978-1904016069
[edit] Broadcasts
An abridged version of the book was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1981, read by Martin Jarvis[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Rogers, Byron (2003). The Last Englishman. The Life of J.L. Carr. London: Aurum Press.
- ^ Carr, J.L. (1987) An inventory and a history of the Quince Tree Press to mark its 21st year and the sale of its 500,000th small book. August 1987. Kettering: The Quince Tree Press.
- ^ "Kettering; the workaday town that takes pride in its modest achievements", The Times, July 5, 1972, p. 14.
- ^ "Radio", The Times, September 12, 1983, p. 23.