I re-read the short story "So Much Unfairness Of Things" after it surfaced in memory as assigned reading in secondary school. Apparently it originally appeared in the New Yorker and later served as the basis for P.S. Wilkinson. The novel is named for the protagonist in the story.

I didn't remember much of the short story, other than the protagonist gets in trouble at a boarding school, is kicked out, and his dad picks him up at the end. And there were nerdy Latin jokes throughout. It affected me greatly when I read it, making an impression partly because I knew I didn't really get it. Reading it the other night, I appreciate the emotional context much better. I especially like that the father-son relationship comes through despite largely being unstated by either character, and only slightly commented upon by the author.

And, I still find the faux Latin conjugations to be great fun. Spitto, spittere, ach tui, splattus, indeed. Perhaps enough to read the complete novel one of these days. ( )