Adrian Mole discovering that he himself has cancer. His loyal friend and co-worker Bernard Hopkins comes to the rescue, moving in with him and promising to remain until his cancer is in remission. Fortunately Adrian's cancer treatment is successful and Bernard leaves to pursue romance with a local widow, giving Adrian a pig as a farewell present. The final book ends with Adrian finding out he will be a grandfather and Pandora arriving outside the house. The Mole family is dysfunctional. Adrian's parents Pauline and George Mole are working-class characters with limited social mobility who drink and smoke heavily. Both are often
Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years that he might retire and leave the shop to Adrian. He is occasionally absent from work due to ill-health and eventually spends a short stay in hospital with back trouble, where he becomes somewhat addicted to reality TV programmes. Towards the end of the book, Mr Carlton-Hayes is forced to close the bookshop due to lack of finances. Brett is the illegitimate son of George Mole and Doreen Slater. Initially a successful businessman, he visits Adrian's parents following Doreen's sudden death and is frequently arrogant and degrading towards Adrian and Bernard. He later loses his fortune and hangs around "The