Porterhouse Blue
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Porterhouse Blue is a novel written by Tom Sharpe, first published in 1974. A satirical look at Oxbridge life and the struggle between tradition and reform, it tells the story of Skullion, the head porter of a fictional Cambridge college, Porterhouse. There is a sequel, Grantchester Grind, but Porterhouse Blue is complete in itself. The name is probably inspired by Peterhouse.
Synopsis
For the first time in five hundred years, the master of Porterhouse fails to name his successor before dying. He succumbs to a Porterhouse Blue - a stroke brought about by the over indulgence in the college's legendary cuisine. The college visitor, the Queen, takes the Prime Minister's advice in appointing Sir Godber Evans as his successor. Sir Godber, having been egged on by his zealous wife, Lady Mary, announces sweeping changes to the centuries of college tradition, much to the concern of Skullion and the Fellows, who plan a counter attack to the proposed contraceptive machines, women student, and a canteen. Meanwhile student Zipser visits the hard of hearing Chaplain and explains his fixation for Mrs Biggs, his bedder, through a megaphone (which is heard by anyone and everyone within distance).
While Sir Godber congratulates himself on having the traditionalists over a barrel, investigative journalist Cornelius Carrington is brought in on the pretext of helping both parties, while secretly having his own agenda. Having been advised to pick up a foreign student Zipser visits an array of public houses in search of a condom and later wakes from his stupor in possession of two gross of condoms. He tries many ways to get rid of them and eventually inflates them with gas from the gas fire in his room and floats them up the chimney, not realising that some get stuck in the chimney and the rest float down into the college court. Fearing for the good name of college, Skullion spends the night bursting the inflated condoms and Mrs Biggs makes an early morning call on Zipser to confess her desire for him. Undressing, she lights the gas fire which takes a short while to ignite the inflated condoms stuck in the chimey, causing an explosion that demolishes the Founder's Tower and kills Zipser and Mrs Biggs in their moment of passion. When Skullion refuses to open the main gates of college to let the fire engines in and continues to burst the inflated condoms, he is fired. He plans to take his revenge by making a shocking reveal-all appearance on Carrington's live television show and partially succeeds. After the new master refuses Skullion's pleas to let him keep his job, Skullion offers shares a former master left him, Sir Godber refuses him flat out and has a fatal accident, Skullion, not being entirely responsible quickly leaves. Two senior academics find the dying Sir Godber who whispers them one word...Skullion, they agree that, in accordance with college tradition, Skullion has been named the new Master of Porterhouse.
When Skullion is visited by the college officals with the good news, he thinks they have found out his involvement with Sir Godber's death and whilst they are telling him about his great fortune, he has a debilitating Porterhouse Blue himself. None the less, he is installed as the Master and the college find that the shares he'd offered to Sir Godber are worth more than the cost of rebuilding the Founder's Tower, so Porterhouse's traditions are firmly re-established.
ISBN
- ISBN 0871132796 [isbndb entry] Hardback
- ISBN 0436458020 [isbndb entry] Hardback
- ISBN 0330246674 [isbndb entry] Paperback
Adaptations
Porterhouse Blue was adapted for television by Malcolm Bradbury for Channel 4 in four episodes. It starred David Jason as Skullion, Ian Richardson as Sir Godber Evans, Charles Gray as Sir Cathcart D'Eath, and John Sessions as Zipser.
- The title song "Dives in Omnia" ("There's Money in Everything") was sung by a cappella group The Flying Pickets.
There have also been two audio book versions;
- 1992 Porterhouse Blue, read by David Jason, published by HarperCollins. ISBN 0001046357
- 1993 Porterhouse Blue: Complete & Unabridged (Word for Word Audio Books)', read by Griff Rhys Jones, published by BBC Audio and Chivers. ISBN 0745128173
External links
- [Fantastic Fiction] - for a fuller publication and ISBN listing.
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