Reading order · 7 books · 1982 to 2009 · Set in Leicester
Adrian Mole Books in Order
Adrian Mole keeps a diary from the age of thirteen and three-quarters, recording his spots, his parents’ marriage, his poetry and his love for Pandora Braithwaite. The series follows him from Thatcher’s Britain into middle age. Very funny and quietly moving.
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Series facts
- Books
- 7
- Published
- 1982 to 2009
- Latest
- Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years (2009)
- Setting
- Set in Leicester
The reading order
Every Adrian Mole book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
7 books · Set in Leicester
- 1The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾1982With Adrian MoleAdrian Mole, aged thirteen and three-quarters, records his worries about his spots, his parents’ crumbling marriage and his love for the beautiful Pandora in his secret diary.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole1984With Adrian MoleAdrian’s diary continues, as his mother is pregnant, his father is out of work and Pandora tests his devotion.Buy on Amazon
- 3The True Confessions of Adrian Albert Mole1989With Adrian MoleA miscellany of Adrian’s diary entries, alongside other pieces.Buy on Amazon
- 4Adrian Mole: The Wilderness Years1993With Adrian MoleAdrian, now twenty-three, works in a government office in Oxford, writes a terrible novel and still pines for Pandora.Buy on Amazon
- 5Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years1999With Adrian MoleIn 1997, Adrian, now thirty and a single father, is head chef at a fashionable London restaurant.Buy on Amazon
- 6Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction2004With Adrian MoleAdrian buys a loft apartment and believes the Prime Minister about weapons of mass destruction.Buy on Amazon
- 7Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years2009With Adrian MoleAdrian, nearly forty, lives in a converted pig farm with his wife and daughter, and faces a health scare.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Adrian Mole | Pandora Braithwaite | Pauline Mole | George Mole | Nigel Hetherington | Bert Baxter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 2 The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 3 The True Confessions of Adrian Albert Mole | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 4 Adrian Mole: The Wilderness Years | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 5 Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 6 Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 7 Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor |
Characters in the Adrian Mole books
6 characters from Sue Townsend’s chart, with the number of Adrian Mole books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Adrian MoleAnxious diarist and poet | 7 | The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ 1982 |
| Pandora BraithwaiteAdrian's great love | 7 | The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ 1982 |
| Pauline MoleAdrian's mother | 7 | The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ 1982 |
| George MoleAdrian's father | 7 | The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ 1982 |
| Nigel HetheringtonAdrian's best friend | 7 | The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ 1982 |
| Bert BaxterCantankerous pensioner | 4 | The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ 1982 |