[OND]≡ PDF Gratis Spud John van de Ruit 9781595141705 Books

Spud John van de Ruit 9781595141705 Books

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Spud John van de Ruit 9781595141705 Books

Our narrator, Spud Milton, has just the right Dragnet-style deadpan delivery to make even the most demented school-daze humor work, and that may be the secret to why this is such an entertaining diary/journal.

There is a nice mix of realistic absurdity and over the top absurdity, all backed by the sobering reality of newly post-apartheid South Africa. Being in diary form, and almost manically episodic, we ping pong among Spud's school experiences, his wildly off kilter home life, his colorfully idiosyncratic friends, early stage girlfriend problems, insane classmates and school instructors, puberty, and banana based vandalism.

This sort of humor doesn't work, or at least doesn't work well, unless the author is insightful and observant enough to pick up the fine details and touches of authenticity that keep the humor grounded. This is where van de Ruit shines especially brightly. As manic, silly, or nutty as the events become, there is always just enough of the believable and the relatable to keep the reader invested in this hero kid narrator. Since our hero is fairly young, (thirteen), there is also a fair amount of humor arising from situations that Spud describes but doesn't understand even while the reader does. This slight touch of obliviousness makes Spud a more endearing character, and allows for some touching scenes that might otherwise seem out of place in a book like this.

A lot of the humor has to do with word play and, especially, timing, so I wasn't surprised to learn than van de Ruit is also an accomplished sketch comedian. The diary style also fits with an almost stand-up comedy sort of flavor that you occasionally get with the storytelling.

So, this was an entertaining book, headed by an engaging character who could stand up to Adrian Mole or Greg Hefley or similar befuddled young narrators, and it worked well on many levels. A nice find.


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Spud John van de Ruit 9781595141705 Books Reviews

This book was lent to me by a grandson who had enjoyed the tale. After the first few pages I began to wonder why the setting seemed so familiar and so checked-out the author to realise that the school was the one that I had been to in 1945! The author has captured so many of the activities and features of the place that I remember so well and had enjoyed. It is seldom that I laugh out oud when reading but I did quite often here. In one year of school life he had included most of the incidents that had taken place over the five years that I had been there.
Because of WW2 I was very fortunate to have been sent there from Rhodesia along with a great number of fellow countrymen; he could have incoporated many of the excitements that took place on the three/four day train journey at the beggining of terms
Bought used copy,surprised at near perfect condition.Was required reading for grandchild's class.Enjoyed reading will probably read others in series.
This is a fantastic book....was able to get it incorporated into the summer reading program where I teach English near Gettysburg, PA. While it is proper to categorize it as brilliant YA fiction, I especially enjoy all of the ways that the author brings in the classics as part of The Guv's attempts to educate the precocious protagonist, John "Spud" Milton alongside the silly pop mainstream allusions. There is some method to his scatterings.

Read and enjoyed the sequel every bit as much but am wondering about the follow-ups since they seem to be sold only in South Africa. And the film with the great John Cleese has never made it here yet.

What gives?
This is my all time favorite book. I read it in high school and enjoyed it because of the humor. I've read it over and over again since and find more and more depth to it each time. This is the kind of book I want to share with everyone I meet.
This book told a story from the point of view of a 14 years old boy living in a all boys dormitory in South Africa by the time Mandela was just released.
I totally loved it! Being a female adult, I had no idea this diary of a teenage boy would be so entertaining.
Funny and easy to read. A very nice summer reading. Thanks to my book club for recommending it! My husband saw me laughing so hard every time I open this book, he is reading it now.
If you are looking for laugh out loud funny this is the book for you. Spud by John van de Ruit is one of the funniest books I have read in a while.
The story comes from John "Spud" Milton who attends an all boys boarding school in South Africa set in 1990. His tale is written by way of journal entries which relate his various adventures, trials and humiliations.
John rooms with a group known at school known as the "Crazy Eight" and they never fail to live up to their name. These 13 year old boys are full of schemes and trouble galore. He deals with feeling home sick, the insecurities of not fitting in and being marked as a lowly freshman. Not only is John dealing with the insanity at school but on his breaks he puts up with his crazy family at home. Which includes his paranoid, bottle loving father, his always on the edge mother and stark raving mad grandmother he calls the wombat.
We follow John through his first year of boarding school where he bonds with his crazy roomies, has his first crush, deals with power hungry upper class men and drunken teachers.
I found this book hilarious, honest and surprisingly tender.
I'm happy to say that this is the first book in a series featuring John "Spud" Milton. I can't wait to catch up with him and the rest of the crazy eight again.
I would reccomend this book for readers 14 and up. It's about thirteen year old boys so know that the topic of sex will be brought up, there is crude humor and some rough language.
Excellent Book!
Our narrator, Spud Milton, has just the right Dragnet-style deadpan delivery to make even the most demented school-daze humor work, and that may be the secret to why this is such an entertaining diary/journal.

There is a nice mix of realistic absurdity and over the top absurdity, all backed by the sobering reality of newly post-apartheid South Africa. Being in diary form, and almost manically episodic, we ping pong among Spud's school experiences, his wildly off kilter home life, his colorfully idiosyncratic friends, early stage girlfriend problems, insane classmates and school instructors, puberty, and banana based vandalism.

This sort of humor doesn't work, or at least doesn't work well, unless the author is insightful and observant enough to pick up the fine details and touches of authenticity that keep the humor grounded. This is where van de Ruit shines especially brightly. As manic, silly, or nutty as the events become, there is always just enough of the believable and the relatable to keep the reader invested in this hero kid narrator. Since our hero is fairly young, (thirteen), there is also a fair amount of humor arising from situations that Spud describes but doesn't understand even while the reader does. This slight touch of obliviousness makes Spud a more endearing character, and allows for some touching scenes that might otherwise seem out of place in a book like this.

A lot of the humor has to do with word play and, especially, timing, so I wasn't surprised to learn than van de Ruit is also an accomplished sketch comedian. The diary style also fits with an almost stand-up comedy sort of flavor that you occasionally get with the storytelling.

So, this was an entertaining book, headed by an engaging character who could stand up to Adrian Mole or Greg Hefley or similar befuddled young narrators, and it worked well on many levels. A nice find.