Home School (novel)

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Home School is a novel by Charles Webb that is the sequel to The Graduate. It was published by Random House in the United Kingdom in 2007.[1]

Background

In the 1970s,[2] Webb himself had fought to have his boys homeschooled. The sequel was written about 40 years after the original book.[3]

Webb completed writing the book around January 2005. Originally he stated that he would not have the entire book published while he remains alive, because Canal Plus would have published an unauthorized sequel to the book.[4]

However Webb arranged to have the book published after his financial situation had deteriorated; his family was facing the threat of eviction.[1] Due to the situation, he could not continue negotiations over the book.[5]

Random House published it in the United Kingdom.[2] The book deal was worth £30,000 (US$56,000, €44,000).[3] As part of the deal Random House was going to negotiate the sale of United States rights and other non-UK rights of the book. Due to the deal, Webb paid a French lawyer to check if he could retrieve the publishing rights.[5]

On May 2, 2006 The Times published an extract of the book.[6]

Plot

In Home School Benjamin "Ben" Braddock and Elaine, now married and living in Westchester County, New York, are fighting to allow for their children to be homeschooled. They turn to Mrs. Robinson to help them. The novel is set in the 1970s.[3] Webb stated that Ben chose to do homeschooling because he felt disenchanted with education, a message that was in the previous novel.[1]

Characters

  • Benjamin "Ben" Braddock
  • Elaine Braddock
  • Jason and Matt - Ben and Elaine's children.[7] They were previously students of Hillside Elementary School but had been withdrawn by their parents.[6]
  • Mrs. Robinson - She is nicknamed "Nan" instead of "Grandma".[7]
  • Mr. Claymore - A school principal who Mrs. Robinson blackmails.[7]
  • Garth and Goya - Hippies who homeschool their children. Both had been educated at Ivy League schools. Their children are Aaron and 7-year old Nefertiti. Nefertiti is still breastfeeding while Aaron had breastfed up to age 9.[7]
  • Frank Anello - The school district superintendent[6]
  • Ralph Champion - The principal of Hillside Elementary School[6]

Reception

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. David L. Ulin of the Los Angeles Times wrote that Ben, Elaine, and Mrs. Robinson "are just names, for the people here bear virtually no relation to the ones in The Graduate."[8] Ulin also described the three in Home School as "flat and lifeless, caricatures with no heart." [9] Ulin stated that Home School "is such a bad book on so many levels", a "failure",[8] and that it was a book which does not give reasons for the readers to care about the characters.[9] Ulin concluded, "After reading Home School I wish we'd never seen Benjamin and Elaine get off that bus."[9]

Kirkus Reviews wrote that Home School is "A bit of fluff sure to satisfy those clamoring for a Graduate sequel."[10]

Favorable reviews included those of Dennis Lythgoe, in Deseret News, describing the book as "very well-written and very funny".[11] Jonathan Beckman reviewed the work for the Daily Mail, describing it as a "witty and bitingly accurate tale of suburban frustration whose slightness is integral to its charm."[12] Jerry Dowlen, writing for Books Monthly, opined that "The story gives us two "families from hell" who defiantly insist upon normalising their cranky lifestyles and behaviour. It's a recipe once again for bittersweet comedy and edgy tension."[13]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "'Graduate' author to write sequel." CNN. Wednesday May 31, 2006. Retrieved on December 20, 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Garrett, Diane. "‘Graduate’ back in ‘School’." Variety. June 1, 2007. Retrieved on December 21, 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Glitz, Michael. "Charles Webb writes 'Graduate' sequel." New York Daily News. Saturday January 5, 2008. Retrieved on December 18, 2014.
  4. ↑ Smith, David. "What happened next? (the author will let you know after he dies)." The Guardian. March 27, 2005. Retrieved on December 20, 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Malvern, Jack. "At last, Mrs Robinson is getting her groove back" (Archive). The Times. May 30, 2006. Retrieved on December 20, 2014.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Webb, Charles. "Mrs Robinson returns." The Times. May 2, 2006. p. 1 (Archive). Retrieved on December 20, 2014.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "HOME SCHOOL by Charles Webb." Kirkus Reviews. November 1, 2007. Posted online on May 10, 2010. Retrieved on December 20, 2014.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Ulin, David L. "Post 'Graduate' work is a failure." Los Angeles Times. p. 1. Retrieved on December 20, 2014.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Ulin, David L. "Post 'Graduate' work is a failure." Los Angeles Times. p. 2. Retrieved on December 20, 2014.
  10. ↑ https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/charles-webb/home-school/
  11. ↑ http://www.deseretnews.com/article/695245032/The-Graduate-sequel-funny-and-well-written.html?pg=all
  12. ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-461713/New-Fiction.html
  13. ↑ http://www.booksmonthly.co.uk/cwebb.html

External links

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