Just William

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Just William
Just William cover.jpg
Original cover
Author Richmal Crompton
Illustrator Thomas Henry
LanguageEnglish
GenreChildren's literature
Publisher George Newnes
Publication date
1922
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback) & Audio book & film
Followed by More William  
William Brown in William below stairs Just William.jpg
William Brown in William below stairs

Just William is the first book of children's short stories about the young school boy William Brown, written by Richmal Crompton, and published in 1922. The book was the first in the series of William Brown books which was the basis for numerous television series, films and radio adaptations. Just William is also sometimes used as a title for the series of books as a whole, and is also the name of various television, film and radio adaptations of the books. The William stories first appeared in Home magazine and Happy Mag.

Contents

Short stories

The book contains the following short stories:

The 2022 "100th anniversary edition" removes "William the Intruder", largely due to William's "Red Indian" (an offensive portrayal of a Native American hunter) persona he adopts over the course of the story. In addition to this, the order of the remaining stories has been changed. [1]

Characters

William Brown is an eleven-year-old boy, eternally scruffy and frowning. William and his friends, Ginger, Henry, and Douglas, call themselves The Outlaws, and meet at the old barn in Farmer Jenks' field, with William being the leader of the gang. The Outlaws are sworn enemies of the Hubert Lane-ites, with whom they frequently clash.

Ginger is William's faithful friend and almost as tousled, reckless and grimy as William himself. He has been known to take over in William's absence and is his best friend. Henry brings an air of wisdom to the otherwise non-academic Outlaws. Never liking to own up to being at a loss, he can always deliver the knowledge that the Outlaws need. In the first book, it is revealed that he is the oldest of the Outlaws. Douglas, perhaps the most pessimistic of the Outlaws (though it has never stopped him joining in with any lawless activity), is the best of them at spelling. He spells knights "gnights" and knocks "gnocks". The Outlaws take pride in this because, unlike them, he knows the contrariness of the English language.

William's family – his elder, red-gold-haired sister Ethel and brother Robert, placid mother and stern father, and never-ending supply of elderly aunts – cannot understand William. Only his mother has any sympathy for him, though his father sometimes shows a side of himself that seems to admit he was once like William himself.

Other recurring characters include Violet Elizabeth Bott, lisping spoiled daughter of the local nouveau riche millionaire (whose companionship William reluctantly endures, to prevent her carrying out her threat "I'll thcream and thcream 'till I'm thick"), and Joan Clive, the dark-haired girl for whom William has a soft spot. Joan is sometimes considered a member of the Outlaws (the only girl entitled to this high privilege) and sometimes an "Outlaw ally", because she took a special oath. At one point she went away to boarding school, but continued to appear in William's adventures during her holidays.

William writes stories (The Tale of The Bloody Hand), although most of these are written in terrible grammar, to much comic effect. He likes to perform drama, and is fond of white rats, bull's eyes, football, and cricket.

A notable feature of the stories is the subtle observance of the nature of leadership. William often has to reconcile his own ambitions with the needs of the individuals within the Outlaws. His strength of personality means that his leadership is never questioned. William rarely exercises his power over the Outlaws without conscience.

William has a few arch-enemies, Hubert Lane being the most sought after. Others include Hubert's lieutenant Bertie Franks, and other confederates.

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<i>Just Williams Luck</i> (film) 1947 film by Val Guest

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<i>Just Williams Luck</i> 1948 book by Richmal Crompton

Just William's Luck (1948) was a novel in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton. The story revolves around the attempts of William Brown and the other Outlaws to get their older brothers married, in order to appropriate wedding presents that they plan to exchange for things of their own desire. After a series of unlikely adventures, the boys serendipitously foil a gang of fur coat smugglers, and receive a reward from the police.

Just William is a 1990s BBC Radio series based on the Just William series of books by Richmal Crompton. They are produced by Pete Atkin and read by Martin Jarvis and have become one of the most well-known adaptations of the books. The series has been released on cassette and CD. Beginning in 2000, the theme music for the series has been the piano piece "Won't You Be My Ginger?" by pianist/composer, Richard Dworsky.

Just William is a British television series based on the Just William series of books written by Richmal Crompton. It ran for two series from 1994 to 1995 on BBC. The series starred Oliver Rokison as William and Jonathan Hirst as Ginger.

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<i>William Comes to Town</i> 1948 film by Val Guest

William Comes to Town is a 1948 British comedy film directed by Val Guest and starring William Graham and Garry Marsh. It was based on the Just William series of novels by Richmal Crompton. It served as a loose sequel to 1947 film Just William's Luck. It is also known by its U.S. alternative title William Goes to the Circus.

<i>William the Conqueror</i> (short story collection) 1926 book by Richmal Crompton

William the Conqueror is the sixth book in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton. It was first published in 1926. It is a book of short stories, and its name is a pun on William the Conqueror, a famous king of England.

<i>William the Good</i> (short story collection) Book by Richmal Crompton

William the Good is the ninth book in the Just William series of books by Richmal Crompton. It was first published in 1928.

<i>Still William</i> Book by Richmal Crompton

Still William is the fifth book in the Just William series by Richmal Crompton. It was first published in 1925.

Just William is a 1940 British comedy film directed by Graham Cutts and starring Richard Lupino, Fred Emney and Basil Radford. It is based on the Just William series of books by Richmal Crompton.

Just William is a United Kingdom television series first broadcast on BBC One in December 2010. The series is based on the book series of the same name by Richmal Crompton. The adaptation is written by Simon Nye. It is the first adaptation of the books since a children's television series in the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William (book)</span> 1929 book by Richmal Crompton

The 10th in the series of Richmal Crompton's books about the eleven year old William Brown and his three compatriots, together known as the Outlaws. First published in 1929 the book is a collection of short stories featuring young William Brown and his unfailing belief in his own ingenuity and righteousness,

References

  1. Crompton, Richmal (2022). Just William (100th anniversary ed.). UK: Pan Macmillan. ISBN   978-1529076820.
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