The Harpole Report
Encyclopedia
The Harpole Report is 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
and more briefly, What Hetty Did
.
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
. Carr described it as "an evangelical tract that got away". 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.
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."
in 1981, read by Martin Jarvis
J. L. Carr
Joseph Lloyd Carr ; who called himself "Jim" or even "James," was an English novelist, publisher, teacher, and eccentric.-Biography:...
, 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
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
within the teaching profession. The characters George Harpole and Emma Foxberrow reappear in Carr's eighth and final novel, Harpole & Foxberrow General Publishers
Harpole & Foxberrow General Publishers
Harpole & Foxberrow General Publishers is the eighth and last novel by J.L. Carr, published in 1992, just after his 80th birthday. The narrator of the story is Hetty Beauchamp, the heroine of What Hetty Did, who describes how George Harpole and Emma Foxberrow returned from working at a...
and more briefly, What Hetty Did
What Hetty Did
What Hetty Did is the seventh novel by J.L. Carr, published in 1988 when he was 76 years old. The novel describes the experiences of an 18 year old girl...
.
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
Kettering
Kettering is a market town in the Borough of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It is situated about from London. Kettering is mainly situated on the west side of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene which meets at Wellingborough...
. Carr described it as "an evangelical tract that got away". The novel is now published by The Quince Tree Press
The Quince Tree Press
The Quince Tree Press is the imprint established in 1966 by J. L. Carr to publish his maps, pocket books and novels. The Press is now run by his son Robert Carr and his wife, Jane.- History of the press :...
, which was established by Carr in 1966 to publish his illustrated maps and small books.
Characters
- Mr. James Albert Pintle: "one of the old school", who insists on imposing on his pupils antiquated maths problems about coal deliveries.
- Mrs. Rita 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 NewboltHenry NewboltSir Henry John Newbolt, CH was an English poet. He is best remembered for Vitaï Lampada, a lyrical piece used for propaganda purposes during the First World War.-Background:...
to a crusading maverick. - Mr. Edwin 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: Grace's father, eccentric member of local education authority with a private vendetta against "percussion" who acts as deus ex machinaDeus ex machinaA deus ex machina is a plot device whereby a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object.-Linguistic considerations:...
in the disciplinary proceedings.
Reviews
Frank MuirFrank Muir
Frank Herbert Muir was an English comedy writer, radio and television personality, and raconteur. His writing and performing partnership with Denis Norden endured for most of their careers. Together they wrote BBC radio's Take It From Here for over 10 years, and then appeared on BBC radio...
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
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
programme Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs is a BBC Radio 4 programme first broadcast on 29 January 1942. It is the second longest-running radio programme , and is the longest-running factual programme in the history of radio...
.
The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
described it as "An assortment of memorable characters lurking in the English educational undergrowth."
Publication history
- 1972 Secker and WarburgSecker and WarburgHarvill Secker is a British publishing company formed in 2004 from the merger of Secker and Warburg and the Harvill Press.Secker and Warburg was formed in 1936 from a takeover of Martin Secker, which was in receivership, by Fredric Warburg and Roger Senhouse...
, ISBN 0436086107 - 1973 Quartet Books, ISBN 070431052X
- 1984 Penguin BooksPenguin BooksPenguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
, ISBN 0140069208 - 2003 The Quince Tree PressThe Quince Tree PressThe Quince Tree Press is the imprint established in 1966 by J. L. Carr to publish his maps, pocket books and novels. The Press is now run by his son Robert Carr and his wife, Jane.- History of the press :...
, ISBN 1904016065
Broadcasts
An abridged version of the book was broadcast on BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
in 1981, read by Martin Jarvis