Tom Brown's Schooldays

Tom Brown's Schooldays, first published in 1857, is a novel by Thomas Hughes, set at a public school, Rugby School for Boys, in the 1830s when Hughes himself had been a student there.

Related Works

Hughes wrote a sequel, Tom Brown at Oxford (1861), which is much less well known.

Related Topics:
Tom Brown at Oxford - 1861

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The character of Flashman was adopted by the British writer George MacDonald Fraser as the narrator and hero (or anti-hero) of his popular series of "Flashman" historical novels.

Related Topics:
George MacDonald Fraser - Anti-hero - "Flashman" historical novels

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Chris Kent, a British writer of homoerotica, wrote The Real Tom Brown's School Days: An English School Boy Parody (2002). Despite what might be inferred from the title and some reviews, this novel has a contemporary setting, and the characters and events do not closely mirror those of the original Tom Brown.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tom Brown's Schooldays was adapted for film in 1916 (British), 1940 (U.S.), and 1951 (British). It has also been adapted for television, as a mini-series by the BBC in 1972 and as a single two-hour programme by ITV in 2005.

Related Topics:
1916 - 1940 - 1951 - BBC - 1972 - ITV - 2005

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Changes to the story in movie versions

This list refers to two movie versions that I have seen. "Movie 2" is probably the 2005 ITV version mentioned above. I do not know which version "Movie 1" is.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

These changes include:-

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• The fight with Flashman:-

Book: Unorganized fight. The "two against one" imbalance is compensated for by Flashman being two years older and bigger.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Movie 1: Formal boxing-ring match, one against one. Tom wins.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Movie 2: Unorganized fight, one against one.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• How Tom starts at Rugby School:-

Book: Transferred in because of the epidemic.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Movie 1: Transferred in because of the epidemic.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Movie 2: At start of term.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Why Flashman is expelled:-

Book: He got very drunk in Brownsover and had to be helped back to school.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Movie 1: After the fight.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Movie 2: He got the school matron's daughter pregnant.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Result of Arthur's illness:-

Book: Survived.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Movie 1: (Not known)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Movie 2: Died.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The start of "Movie 2" includes historical events which are not in the book: Dr.Arnold closing down the school hunt; Dr. Arnold complaining that before his time, there were no masters in the school overnight to keep the boys in order.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~