Penrod and Sam

Description

In 1916, Newton Booth Tarkington was one of the most renowned novelists of his time, as well as a skilled dramatist. Today, he is mainly known for writing outstanding books like The Magnificent Ambersons and Alica Adams, as well as for the feat of being one of only three novelists who have won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than a single time.

Written in 1916, this book is the sequel to Tarkington’s Penrod – a novel that was penned two years earlier and that became quite popular in America. Like Penrod, Penrod and Sam also takes place in Indiana, this time the young Penrod being accompanied by his best friend Sam Williams. With his dog Duke and two African Americans, the two boys embark on their journeys and adventures in a humorous and delightful tale that will shape your sense of adolescence in early 1900s’ America.

With a merry attitude and finding himself in many more hilarious situations than one could even care to count, this is one story where there will never be a dull moment in sight. Fast-paced, engaging and complete with interesting characters that will definitely strike you as believable, Penrod and Sam is one of those tales that will make you long for the lost years of childhood, when everything seemed so much more simple and fun.

The humor is mainly found in the hypocrisy of adults, and will leave you surprised that any book can actually be this entertaining to the modern reader – especially one written more than a century ago.

The beauty and innocent mischief of childhood, as well as the psychological aspect of the interaction between adults and children make this book an even more insightful and interesting story than you may first assume. Far from being just mindless entertainment, Penrod and Sam is a true testament to the skills of a great writer, as well as a delightful glimpse of America’s past.
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