Hail, Alma Pater

New York: Hermitage House. Near Fine in Very Good+ dj. 1954. 2nd printing. Hardcover. NOISBN . [minimal wear to book, slight age-toning to edges of text block; jacket lightly soiled, with a few tiny nicks at spine ends, one tiny closed tear at bottom of rear panel]. (line drawings in text) Comic novel "about the funny side of parental guidance and the serious side of son-parent attachment" Set mostly at a fictional prep school, "Fairfield School for Boys," in Riverdale, New York, it follows the school career of one Addison Beech, whose father, frankly, sounds like a prototypical helicopter parent, long before the term was invented: he coaches his son for his first interview with the school's headmaster, meddles in his business throughout the book, and even writes his Graduation Night speech for him. "If Fairfield School is Addison's alma mater, Mr. Beech is certainly his alma pater." Jacket blurbs by Edward Streeter and P.G. Wodehouse, of all people, who purportedly called it "one of the funniest books I have read for a long time." (Does that mean it took him a long time to get through it?) .