Killing Mr. Griffin
| Company type | Publishing company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1837 |
| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
| Products | Books |
Killing Mr. Griffin is a suspense novel from 1978 written by Lois Duncan, which centers on a group of high school students in New Mexico who devise a plan to kidnap their strict English teacher, Mr. Griffin. Duncan drew inspiration for the character Mark from her daughter's first boyfriend and modeled Mr. Griffin after one of her daughter's teachers. In 2010, the novel was republished with revisions to update its content and better connect with modern audiences.
The novel received multiple honors, including the 1982 Massachusetts Children's Book Award and the Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Book Award for the 1982–1983 period. It was also adapted into a television movie that aired on NBC in 1997, featuring performances by Jay Thomas, Amy Jo Johnson, Mario Lopez, and Scott Bairstow. The film became available on DVD and VHS in 2000.
Plot
Brian Griffin, an exacting English teacher at Del Norte High School in Albuquerque, maintains rigorous academic expectations and refuses to accept late assignments. When student Mark Kinney is caught plagiarizing an essay, Mr. Griffin insists he retake the class the following semester rather than allowing him to advance. In retaliation for what they perceive as unfair treatment, Mark enlists fellow students David Ruggles, Jeff Garrett, and Betsy Cline to kidnap their teacher. Susan McConell, an A+ student who struggles under Mr. Griffin’s demanding standards, is reluctantly involved to help lure him after school hours.
Mark, Jeff, and David abduct Mr. Griffin, blindfold him, and leave him bound in a secluded mountainous area until midnight. Betsy arrives late due to a speeding citation; meanwhile, Susan refuses to continue participating and remains behind. When Susan and David return to check on Mr. Griffin, they discover he has died from a coronary arrest after missing his angina medication. Mark convinces the group to conceal the death: Susan fabricates a story for the police that Mr. Griffin left with a woman; Jeff, Mark, and David bury the body; Betsy and David relocate Mr. Griffin’s vehicle to avoid suspicion.
Mark’s former girlfriend Lana finds Mr. Griffin’s medication bottle near the burial site, triggering a police inquiry that leads to the discovery of the body but not the ring worn by Mr. Griffin—taken by David. David’s grandmother Irma uncovers the ring but refuses to surrender it, believing it belonged to David’s absent father. Following Irma’s murder—an act suspected to involve Mark—Susan intends to report everything to authorities but is abducted by Mark, Jeff, and Betsy.
Mark attempts to murder Susan by setting fire to her curtains but is thwarted when Kathy Griffin, Mr. Griffin’s wife, arrives accompanied by a detective who catches Mark as he tries to escape through a window. Susan learns from her mother that all participants will face legal charges; her attorney seeks to have her charges dropped in exchange for her testimony. Mark undergoes three separate trials: for the deaths of Mr. Griffin and Irma Ruggles, as well as for trying to kill Susan. Before his death, Mrs. Griffin leaves Susan a note commending her integrity and potential.
Characters
- Mr. Griffin – Previously an assistant professor at the University of Albuquerque, holding a master's degree in English from Stanford University. He chose to teach high school English due to a shortage of qualified educators at that level. Married to Kathy Griffin, who is expecting their first child.
- Susan "Sue" McConnell – A junior who was once a straight-A student but now earns Bs in Mr. Griffin's class. She harbors strong feelings for David.
- Mark Kinney – A psychologically disturbed teenager exhibiting traits of psychopathy. After his father died in a fire, he was adopted by his aunt and uncle.
- Jeff Garrett – A basketball athlete at Del Norte High School and Betsy's boyfriend.
- Betsy Cline – The lead cheerleader and daughter of county commissioner Harold Cline. She dates Jeff but is infatuated with Mark, who does not reciprocate her feelings.
- David "Davy" Ruggles – Senior class president living with his mother and grandmother; despite rumors, he is not related to Mr. Griffin as his son.
Background
The character of Mark was inspired by the first boyfriend of Duncan's eldest daughter, described as "a very ill young man" who maintained a captivating exterior yet became dangerously unstable. Duncan delved into the potential impact such a magnetic psychopath might have within a high school setting and the possible repercussions of his actions. The figure of Mr. Griffin is based on a strict but well-regarded drama instructor familiar to Duncan’s daughter, representing teachers who often go unrecognized until much later.
Killing Mr. Griffin made its debut in hardcover format in April 1978 through Little, Brown and Company. An updated paperback edition with modernized elements was released by Little, Brown in October 2010, as part of a collection that also includes I Know What You Did Last Summer and Don't Look Behind You. Audiobooks were produced by Listening Library in 1986, by Recorded Books in 1998 featuring Ed Sala as narrator, and by Hachette Audio in 2010 with Dennis Holland narrating the revised text. Critics noted Sala’s narration as effective, though sometimes lacking in expressiveness.
Major themes
In a letter addressed to Susan, Mr. Griffin muses, "It is indeed the little deaths, the small daily rejections of our well-meant offerings that render the soul lifeless." Duncan regards this reflection as a core theme, emphasizing that the students "were killing [Mr. Griffin]'s soul before they killed him physically." The novel also explores the detrimental influence of peer pressure, illustrated by Susan’s yearning for acceptance leading her into the plot to kidnap him. Following Mr. Griffin’s unexpected death, the group confronts unintended consequences, compelling them to conceal the incident and prevent Susan from revealing the truth to authorities.
Reception
Killing Mr. Griffin has received numerous honors, including recognition as an American Library Association (ALA) Best Book for Young Adults in 1978. It was shortlisted for the 1981 California Young Reader Medal and secured both the 1982 Massachusetts Children's Book Award and the 1982–1983 Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Book Award for grades 7–9. Despite its acclaim, the novel has been subject to challenges within educational institutions; it ranked 64th among ALA’s most frequently challenged books from 1990 to 1999 and rose to 25th during 2000 to 2009. In 2000, it was the fourth most contested title due to concerns over "violence and sexual content."
Drew Stevenson from School Library Journal commended the book’s "skillful plotting" and suspenseful development, noting that its conclusion offers relief without undermining its eerie atmosphere. Zena Sutherland of Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books praised its coherent resolution, strong narrative structure, well-crafted characters, and gripping pace. On the other hand, Richard Peck writing for The New York Times remarked that although the novel’s strength lies in depicting adolescents’ distorted reasoning and justifications, its storyline occasionally lapses into melodrama and becomes "an easy read when it shouldn't," while acknowledging its honest portrayal of parental naivety lost.
Adaptation
The novel was transformed into a television movie bearing the same name, which premiered on NBC on April 7, 1997. It garnered a Nielsen rating of 10.7, corresponding to an audience of approximately 10.4 million households. The production featured Scott Bairstow portraying Mark Kinney, Amy Jo Johnson as Susan McConnell, Mario Lopez in the role of David Ruggles, and Jay Thomas as Mr. Griffin, with direction by Jack Bender. Maitland McDonagh from TV Guide awarded the film two stars out of four, highlighting its combination of weighty topics such as peer pressure alongside an engaging crime-thriller storyline, though she remarked on pacing disruptions caused by commercial interruptions. The performances were well received, especially Johnson’s portrayal. The movie was later made available on VHS and DVD on March 7, 2000.
See also
- Teaching Mrs. Tingle – a similarly themed film released in 1999