The Teenage Textbook (MEMORIAL EDITION)
by Adrian Tan
When The Teenage Textbook was first published in 1988, it became an instant bestseller. Since then, the novel and its sequel, The Teenage Workbook, have become recognised as popular and classic titles in the canon of Singapore literature, appealing to generations of Singaporean readers. Both books have sold close to a total of 90,000 copies in regular reprints.
Attesting to its appeal, The Teenage Textbook has been adapted as a movie, stage plays and a television series. In 2015, it was listed by The Business Times as one of the top 10 Singapore books in English from 1965 to 2015.
This memorial edition contains tributes to Adrian Tan and an essay which examines the novel in social and literary frames by Gwee Li Sui.
When I ran MPH Parkway from 1987, I happened to come across a book called The Teenage Textbook by a then unknown author, Adrian Tan. I was immediately hooked by the sheer freshness and humour I found. Straightaway, I added a couple of zeroes in the quantity placed by the buyer on the purchase order for the book and the rest is history. It happened again in 1989 when the sequel was released. – Kenny Chan, Former Senior Director, Asia Pacific Books Kinokuniya
Size: 115 x 180 mm
Extent: 204 pages
Binding: Paperback
Weight: 271 g
ISBN: 978-981-18-7857-2
Reviews
Heartbreak humour guaranteed to appeal to anyone who’s ever been a teenager at some point of time. Achingly funny.
– Michael Chiang
From Goodreads
It's quintessentially Singaporean - the best parts of it. We thrive in the cheesy, the nostalgic, toe-ing the line of tacky (stay within it and we're safe). Teenage Textbook is your JC puppy love condensed into a slim one-sitting novel. The style is tongue-in-cheek, stripped of its pretension.
It was hilarious and so lighthearted… 10/10 would recommend for a good laugh and a bittersweet teen romance.
One of the very few books I have read more than once. Light and funny Singapore teenage romance novel.
It gave me all kinds of nostalgic feels as I felt like I went back to school. Read this in one sitting and I laughed at the cheesiness and clichés but that is what makes this a classic, right?
This book had a hey-day in the late 1980s-early 1990s, bringing up a possible generation of Singaporean youths. The school principal was called Elvis, and the two teenagers in love kept saying "QED - Quite Easily Done".
An excellent read for secondary school students and JC students, or any adult who wants to reminiscence their bashful teenage years.
Puns aside, the book is actually hilarious in a delightfully quirky way. The author frequently breaks the fourth wall and in a very self-assured, engaging voice he pokes gentle fun at the world's source of entertainment: teenagers.
Teenage Textbook is a zesty, grubby, refreshing and playful ode to Singaporean school days that don't seem to exist anymore.
As long as you're a product of the Singaporean public school system, this book and its sequel will bring on heaps of nostalgia and fun. Love it.