Today I am introducing Pim ( Plimlimmon fon Ffonfavour) from the Honey Mountain story.
At the start he could be described as a “complete pillock” which used to be a popular term to describe a very stupid or annoying person. I looked it up the other day to see if it is actually in the dictionary and found it. The meaning today is as we thought but I was surprised to find that it has a very rude origin. Apparently, it comes from “pillicock” in old Scandinavian dialect. It was used in this country in the 16th century when they delighted in a wide range of euphemisms for the genitalia. In that case I would like to apologize if I ever used it to describe a real person. I’m not usually given to bad language.
To return to Pim, his tale is one that is known in the business as a “coming of age” story. I met that term in relation to fiction when KDP asked me to pick out some relevant keywords and phrases to describe my book. It refers to a story that focuses on the growth of a protagonist from youth to adulthood and involves some hard times along the way. A very common theme in children’s literature I think.
Pim begins as a conceited, self-satisfied, priggish snob and ends as a hero who has earned admiration for his courage and forbearance. He also makes a new friend out of someone who originally loathed and despised him.
I’m glad he turned out alright in the end.
