Penrod and Sam

Rating:
Summary: A warm and funny picture of a boy's life in pre-WWI America.
Review: A warm and very funny picture of small town boy's life in pre-World War One America. It's told in a series of episodes that center around the two twelve year old or so boys of the title. It's not really a boy's book, despite its reputation. Tarkington's very interested in the psychology of Penrod's family as well as in the ways that kids relate to each other -- but it's all played for laughs. Also a clear picture of the mores of small-town America at a time when homes still had carriage houses in the back -- but no carriages or horses.

Rating:
Summary: Charming classical piece of literature from the early 1900s
Review: A wonderful classic and a prime example of literature in the early 19th century. Booth Tarkington explores the bumptious rambles of a youth from 1913 named Penrod. Penrod does not bump through life alone however, and he is accompanied by his loyal yet aging dog duke, his best friend Sam Williams, and two African Americans across the alley, Herman and Verman. I found this book to be a charming and hillarious classic and is a must for any serious bookworm.

Rating:
Summary: Good and Funny Book
Review: Another collection of tales about Penrod Schofield and his playmate Sam. Together, the two of them get into more trouble than Dennis the Menace and the Little Rascals combined.

The tales contained weren't as interesting as the original Penrod however I was laughing out loud a time or two. Tarkington has the mannerisms down pat for a twelve year-old boy living around the WW1 area.

This book is listed as a juvenile book, however, I wouldn't recommend it for children unless they weren't afraid of dictionaries and some politically incorrect references to African-Americans. There is also a chilling tale about Penrod and Sam finding an old gun in Sam's father's drawer and what occurred with it. Too real in today's world, however the result of the tale was sobering.

Rating:
Summary: More Penrod Schofield.
Review: Not quite up to "Penrod," but still a lot of fun. The ending lacks the satisfaction of that of its predecessor--but there's no way it could match THAT.

Rating:
Summary: More Penrod Schofield.
Review: Not quite up to "Penrod," but still a lot of fun. The ending lacks the satisfaction of that of its predecessor--but there's no way it could match THAT.

Rating:
Summary: excellent book
Review: This is a fine story about young boys growing up. There is a great deal of humor in it, much that is common to little boys. I think that is what makes a book like this so funny. I can relate to it.
However, the electronic version needs to be proofread to remove the countless spelling and punctuation errors. It is a shame that nowadays with all the tools available that editing of this kind is done. Whoever put the e-book together should be ashamed of their lousy work.