Wilt is a comedic novel by the author Tom Sharpe, first published by Secker and Warburg in 1976. Later editions were published by Pan Books, and Overlook TP.
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Plot introduction
The novel's title refers to its main character, Henry Wilt. Wilt is a demoralized and professionally under-rated assistant lecturer who teaches literature to uninterested construction apprentices at a community college in the south of England. Years of hen-pecking and harassment by his emotionally unbalanced wife Eva leave Henry Wilt with dreams of killing her. But a string of unfortunate events start the title character on a farcical journey. Along the way he finds humiliation and chaos, which ultimately lead him to discover his own strengths and some level of dignity. And all the while he is pursued by the tenacious police inspector Flint, whose poor skills of deduction interpret Wilt's often bizarre actions as heinous crimes.
Characters
- Henry Wilt (cf.Wilt)
- Eva Wilt
- Inspector Flint
- Sally Pringsheim (cf.Pringsheim)
- Gaskell Pringsheim
- Reverend St. John Froude
Literary significance & criticism
Widely regarded as one of Sharpe's best novels, Wilt is riddled with amusing scenarios, larger than life characters, a well crafted plot, and plenty of sexual innuendo. The novel plays on the stereotype of prim and proper English culture, and the idea that below this sheen of repressiveness lies a tumultuous sea of deceit and sexual anarchy.
Film, TV and theatrical adaptations
In 1989 the novel was adapted into a movie, titled Wilt in the UK and Australia, and The Misadventures of Mr. Wilt in North America.
Sequels
Several sequels and additional works featuring Henry Wilt were written by Tom Sharpe. These include:
- The Wilt Alternative (1979)
- Wilt on High (1985)
- Wilt Omnibus (1996)
- Wilt in Nowhere (2004)
