Books › John Patrick Norman McHennessy
John Patrick Norman McHennessy
The boy who was always late
First published 1990 · 40 pages
A masterclass in deadpan absurdity where a child's wild reality quietly triumphs over rigid adult skepticism.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like sharing a brilliant, quiet inside joke. The experience is built on a delightfully frustrating rhythm: the wild, imaginative encounters on the way to school contrasted sharply with the stark, oppressive reality of a rigid classroom and an unyielding teacher. The spare, deadpan prose works in perfect harmony with the escalating absurdity of the boy's excuses, creating a brisk and engaging pace. It is a mood of quiet rebellion, where the reader is entirely on the side of the child facing down the brick wall of adult disbelief. When the inevitable twist arrives, it delivers a profound sense of poetic justice. It is an absolute delight for anyone who appreciates dry wit, subversive humor, and the ultimate triumph of a child's perspective over stubborn authority.
- Mood
- whimsical
- ironic
- quietly rebellious
- Tone
- deadpan
- wry
- subversive
- absurd
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- absurdity of adult authority · poetic justice · power of imagination · childhood resilience
- The writing
- Spare, rhythmic, and masterfully deadpan, using repetition to build comedic tension.
- The arc
- Begins with the frustrating repetition of being disbelieved and unfairly punished, building to a perfectly timed, deeply satisfying moment of ironic vindication.
- Who it's for
- Readers of all ages who delight in dry humor, quiet rebellion, and seeing rigid authority figures get their comeuppance.
Content notes
- unfair punishment
About the book
A teacher regrets his decision to disbelieve a student's outlandish excuses for being tardy.
Translation of: John Patrick Norman McHennessy: the boy who was always late.
Text in simplified Chinese.
Description from Open Library.
Books like John Patrick Norman McHennessy
See why they match
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald PartridgeMem FoxA tender exploration of memory and friendship that bridges the gap between the very young and the elderly.
Would You Rather?John BurninghamA delightfully interactive gauntlet of absurd dilemmas that burns off bedtime energy before tucking the reader in.
Mr. Gumpy's OutingJohn BurninghamA sun-dappled, cumulative river journey where polite boundaries inevitably give way to joyful, splashing chaos and warm forgiveness.
Marvin K. Mooney, will you please go now!Dr. SeussA delightfully exasperated, rhythmically escalating plea for someone to just leave already, by any absurd means necessary.
Not now, BernardDavid McKeeA brisk, highly visual exploration of childhood imagination where everyday parental distraction gives way to monstrous encounters.
Never spit on your shoesDenys CazetA playful, ironic look at the hilarious gap between a child's calm recounting of their day and the actual chaos that ensued.