Helpful Score: 1
This is a really hilarious book about a teacher, I'm assuming during the 1950s, of adult English Language Learners at a night school in New York. Mr. Parkhill's most enthusiastic student is Hyman Kaplan. If only Mr. Kaplan were Mr. Parkhill's most accomplished student...but that is definitely not the case.
For example, in learning superlatives, Mr. Kaplan's declension of "bad" is "bad, worse, rotten." He says his doctor "insulted" him instead of "consulted" him. And his ubiquitous "Ho-kay!" when corrected makes you love this horrible student. It's hard to not feel for Mr. Parkhill (or "Pockheel" as Mr. Kaplan calls him) as well, who definitely loves teaching, but not this particular group of misfits.
Each chapter is its own episode, so you can pick this book up and put it down, which I recommend. Reading too many chapters at once will make you laugh and cry at the same time: laughing over the odd ways the students speak and understand English, and cry about it all the while.
A rare 5-star book for me!
For example, in learning superlatives, Mr. Kaplan's declension of "bad" is "bad, worse, rotten." He says his doctor "insulted" him instead of "consulted" him. And his ubiquitous "Ho-kay!" when corrected makes you love this horrible student. It's hard to not feel for Mr. Parkhill (or "Pockheel" as Mr. Kaplan calls him) as well, who definitely loves teaching, but not this particular group of misfits.
Each chapter is its own episode, so you can pick this book up and put it down, which I recommend. Reading too many chapters at once will make you laugh and cry at the same time: laughing over the odd ways the students speak and understand English, and cry about it all the while.
A rare 5-star book for me!
