The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole: Summary and Key Events of the Novel

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole: Summary and Key Events

The book is the diary of Adrian Mole, which starts on January 1. He makes some resolutions for the New Year.

Adrian's Life at Home

Adrian is angry with his mum because she doesn't give him healthy food. In January, his parents get ill, and Adrian feels sorry for himself because he has to take care of his parents. The neighbour, Mr. Lucas, visits Adrian's mother very often, even when she has recovered.

School and Romance

Adrian decides to become an intellectual, and he writes poems to the BBC. At school, there is a new girl, Pandora, and Adrian is in love with her. He joins a group called the Good Samaritans, who do all sorts of social work.

Caring for Bert Baxter

Adrian has to take care of an 89-year-old man, Bert Baxter. When he visits him for the first time, he is very disappointed, because Bert is a dirty old man with a very dirty house and a big, scary dog.

Friendship and Heartbreak

When Adrian finds out that his best friend Nigel is going out with Pandora, he feels very depressed.

Family Breakdown

Meanwhile, Adrian's mother visits Mr. Lucas very often, and a few days later she gets a job at the same office as Mr. Lucas, and she rides to work with him every day. Because of this, Adrian's parents argue a lot.

Money Problems

Barry Kent, a classmate of Adrian, demands money. Adrian cannot pay him, so he takes a paper round.

In March, his father tells him that he and his mother are splitting up. At the end of the month, his mother leaves with Mr. Lucas after his father and Mr. Lucas have had a fight.

April and the Worsening Situation

In April, things do not go much better: Adrian's father has money problems, Pandora is dating another boy, and his father is dating an awful woman from work, Doreen Slater. A month later, it gets worse: there is no food left in Adrian's house, and the electricity is cut off.

However, there is one good thing: his grandmother hears about the situation with Barry Kent, visits him, and returns with all the money Adrian has paid so far.

Summer Events

In June, Adrian's father loses his job and starts smoking and drinking. Adrian and Pandora fall in love. Bert Baxter has to go to the hospital, but after a few weeks he escapes and wants to stay in Adrian's house. Eventually, he moves into the house of the neighbours of Adrian, an Indian family.

In June, Pandora goes on holiday, the Royal Wedding takes place, and Adrian goes on holiday to Scotland with his mother and Mr. Lucas. After this holiday, Bert Baxter returns to his own house, and Pandora and Adrian clean his house.

Autumn and Winter

In October, Bert has to move to an old people's home because of leg trouble. At first he hates this, but a month later he is very happy because he is in love with Queenie, a woman who also lives in the home.

Adrian and Pandora make a school magazine, but nobody wants to buy it. In November, his mother sends a telegram saying she is coming home, and his parents fall in love again.

The Ending

In January, Bert Baxter marries Queenie. His father finally finds a job. Adrian and Pandora have a fight, but after a few days, they make up again.

The diary ends on April 3, the day after Adrian's birthday, which is also the day the Falklands War begins.