Owen Johnson’s The Varmint is a funny, affectionate coming-of-age novel set at a New England prep school, following the misadventures of John Stover — nicknamed the Varmint — as he arrives as a troublemaking new boy and gradually finds his place among friends, rivals, and colourful teachers.
Johnson writes with genuine wit and a sharp eye for the absurdities of school life, and the novel retains its charm more than a century on. Fans of school stories in the tradition of Thomas Hughes or P. G. Wodehouse will warm to this engaging American cousin. Download the free EPUB and meet the irrepressible Varmint.