Published in 2004 by Penguin Books, Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction is the sixth and final Adrian Mole novel by Sue Townsend. It is set in 2002 and Adrian is thirty three and three quarter years of age. The life of the protagonist is covered for one year, with a short epilogue that jumps to a time one year later. The title of the book refers to Iraq's apparently non-existent weapons of mass destruction that was used as justification for the Iraq War. This is a recurring theme throughout the book, and bears true to the series' penchant for satire of contemporary social and political issues.
The story also deals with an issue that has affected Sue Townsend directly: a long-term diabetic, she was registered blind in 2001. Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction was typed by Townsend's husband by dictation.
The novel is a bestseller due to the series' dedicated fan base, and has met with critical acclaim. Critics have praised the novel for its fine combination of sitcom-style humour with an underlying element of tragedy and pathos. Some consider it less comical and darker than the previous installment, . It has been suggested that the character of Adrian Mole is becoming stale as he approaches middle age. Critics claim that his immature and angst-ridden personality has lost its appeal as he approaches middle-age, where it was endearing in a younger man.
The character of Adrian Mole arguably matures as this novel progresses. He seems to become more realistic about his life and concentrates on his present problems, rather than half-realised aspirations of fame and literary success. Sue Townsend has confirmed that this is the last installment of the Adrian Mole series. The book ends with a complete, if not satisfying, conclusion to the Adrian Mole universe.
