The Prodigious Hickey

The Prodigious Hickey by Owen Johnson (1910) After reading Skippy Bedelle, one of my favorite books last year, I wanted to read more of “The Lawrenceville Stories” by Owen Johnson—this being the first of the series. Actually, it was published a year earlier with the title, The Eternal Boy. I prefer the title, Prodigious Hickey, because it’s funnier. I read the entire book during times of insomnia—when I’d wake up at 3 a.m., I opened it and found it comforting, the way certain episodes go on and on and on. Like Hungry Smead eating 49 pancakes, for the record at Conover’s. Or visits to Al at the Jigger Shop. Names like Dennis de Brian de Boru Finnegan, Crazy Opdyke, Turkey Reiter, The Triumphant Egghead, the Duke of Bilgewater, and my favorite, and favorite character, Doc Macnooder. All this at the Lawrenceville prep school, and at the center the story, William Orville Hicks—the Prodigious Hickey—one of those guys who seems to be behind everything—and everyone knows it, including the authority figures he has run-ins with, like Tabby (Mr. Tapping), the Doctor (headmaster), and The Roman. As much as I liked this book, I still didn’t like it as much as Skippy Bedelle, which came out over ten years later—I wonder if he just became that much better of a writer—which would make sense. Also, the language changed over that time, I suppose, and became a bit easier to understand. Also, the sports stuff, in this book, is a little much, for me, and the later book benefits from many more women characters. Owen Johnson published a lot of books—and I definitely intend to read more, particularly more Lawrenceville tales—next is The Tennessee Shad—most promising.

4.13.26