Tim

Description

"Tim" by Howard Overing Sturgis is a novel written in the late 19th century. It traces the coming‑of‑age of a frail, sensitive boy whose adoration for a brighter, stronger friend and uneasy bond with his returned father shape his inner life. The story centers on friendship, longing, and social expectations, moving from an idyllic childhood in the country into the harsher rhythms of a great public school. The opening of the novel shows Tim, a slight, nature‑loving child raised in seclusion at an old manor with his devoted nurse, Mrs. Quitchett, while his father lives in India. A shooting party from nearby Darley Court accidentally wounds Tim; the Squire’s grandson, Carol—golden, healthy, and kind—begins visiting him, and Tim’s worshipful attachment quickly forms. A doctor notes Tim’s excitable temperament, and the Darleys’ kindness contrasts with his isolation. Tim’s father returns unexpectedly, mistakes Carol for his son, and, confronted with Tim’s fragility, withdraws in disappointment; he soon imposes tutors and rules while remaining distant. Carol goes off to Eton, writing once; Tim studies hard in hope of joining him. When Tim finally arrives at Eton in Carol’s house, he discovers a social gulf: Carol is a senior and keeps a polite distance, and Tim endures loneliness and small slights, finding small comforts in gentle routines and pets from a local shop. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Subjects

• Schoolboys -- Fiction
• PR