What do you think?
Rate this book
Empty Corridors Learning to Fail
Paul isn’t at school to learn, he’s there to be fed.
Though they often have no voice, a problematic child will more than likely have a tale to tell.
Not that Paul would ever let slip the shame he hides. Weighed down for so long with insecurities, the scruffy kid already feels isolated from his peers. These formative years of secondary school, where confidence can be shattered by a single taunt, do not encourage children to speak out. If Paul’s secrets were ever known, no good would come of it, only humiliation.
So he disguises his anguish behind a facade of roughness. Paul excels at naughtiness; takes pride in being the baddest. It’s his only talent, and it’s been sharpened by his wayward upbringing. And if anything is going to break the monotony of learning, it’s being sent out to the empty corridor.
Glimpse Paul’s life in the 1980s, follow him through school and the streets, witness his crimes. Understand his motives but don’t judge him too harshly. Real life is never straightforward and the choices we make are not always sound. Why should Paul’s be any different?
Though they often have no voice, a problematic child will more than likely have a tale to tell.
Not that Paul would ever let slip the shame he hides. Weighed down for so long with insecurities, the scruffy kid already feels isolated from his peers. These formative years of secondary school, where confidence can be shattered by a single taunt, do not encourage children to speak out. If Paul’s secrets were ever known, no good would come of it, only humiliation.
So he disguises his anguish behind a facade of roughness. Paul excels at naughtiness; takes pride in being the baddest. It’s his only talent, and it’s been sharpened by his wayward upbringing. And if anything is going to break the monotony of learning, it’s being sent out to the empty corridor.
Glimpse Paul’s life in the 1980s, follow him through school and the streets, witness his crimes. Understand his motives but don’t judge him too harshly. Real life is never straightforward and the choices we make are not always sound. Why should Paul’s be any different?
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 19, 2021
1 person is currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Paul Douglas Lovell
5 books62 followersThe best word to describe Paul Douglas Lovell is “unconventional” and it makes sense that his author bio would also be far from typical.
Coming from a motherless family of five children, this runt of the litter had to scratch and scramble for any attention he received. In his book, Playing Out: Swings and Roundabouts, the reader finds a young Lovell in the 1970s living on the margins of society. Homelife was always unsteady with the threat of eviction and the struggle to pay for amenities. It was a cold and hungry existence. Petty criminality and abuse further distorted his outlook on life, and he quickly became a problem child.
His time at school was spent on everything, but learning. Empty Corridors: Learning to Fail finds Lovell attending school in the 1980s, without much change. He was still labeled a problem. His academic knowledge was that of an eleven-year-old, and he left school without a single qualification, struggling to read and lacking ambition.
Yet, within a year, a seed was sown. His practical side knew that a pen and paper would always remain affordable, and, because of this, Lovell yearned to become a writer. Even at sixteen, he knew he had enough fodder for a book, though it would be years before he would commit anything to paper. That required courage and understanding of his past. He tried his hand at fiction, which was a terrible idea. To this day he keeps a sealed envelope containing his first drafts complete with grammatical errors and misused words. One saving grace was that Paul was an empty slate, and, once he moved to London, he spent time gaining whatever knowledge and life experience he could.
In Paulyanna: International Rent Boy, the reader finds Lovell living in London during the 1990s and working the streets, a profession he fell into and one that suited him. While unorthodox, and regardless of ethics and judgments, he felt valued for the first time in his life. Being paid for being himself felt like an achievement.
He was encouraged to take a beginner writing course and a course in media studies. BTec courses were basic and underfunded yet perfect for Lovell who was like a sponge. While some students were able to converse confidently on a wide range of topics, Paul felt unsure of himself and even intimidated. But when he shared his childhood stories and American street tales, he found that he easily captured the attention of his peers.
This ability to spin a yarn whilst at a house party helped him obtain a job in a production and distribution company. Music television was the perfect employer of a wayward soul partial to the odd cannabis joint. In charge of sending out transmission tapes to broadcasters, Paul was also tasked with writing synopses of the concerts to go along with the publicity materials and photographs required for TV listings. Here, Paul could further practice his art. To most, being employed would give a sense of security and perhaps the start of an illustrious career, but not so with Paul. He presumed it was only a matter of time before he would be rejected and fired, so he continued his nighttime activities.
After moving to Switzerland in 2000, a new Paul emerged. This version of Paul was supported by his partner who bolstered his confidence and encouraged his ambition. While employment was difficult to find, funnily enough, he began working two days per week in an international school. Being a classroom assistant in the kindergarten was his favourite job. A smile crosses his face when he recalls the time he covered a class of teenagers for an absent teacher.
He took a moment to enjoy the irony of scrawling “Mr. Lovell” across the blackboard. He told the boistrous children to misbehave more quietly, otherwise, he wouldn’t be asked to cover again, and it worked! The students settled down not realizing that a former class clown and troublemaker stood before them as their teacher.
Paul eventually left teaching and now spends his time writing.
Coming from a motherless family of five children, this runt of the litter had to scratch and scramble for any attention he received. In his book, Playing Out: Swings and Roundabouts, the reader finds a young Lovell in the 1970s living on the margins of society. Homelife was always unsteady with the threat of eviction and the struggle to pay for amenities. It was a cold and hungry existence. Petty criminality and abuse further distorted his outlook on life, and he quickly became a problem child.
His time at school was spent on everything, but learning. Empty Corridors: Learning to Fail finds Lovell attending school in the 1980s, without much change. He was still labeled a problem. His academic knowledge was that of an eleven-year-old, and he left school without a single qualification, struggling to read and lacking ambition.
Yet, within a year, a seed was sown. His practical side knew that a pen and paper would always remain affordable, and, because of this, Lovell yearned to become a writer. Even at sixteen, he knew he had enough fodder for a book, though it would be years before he would commit anything to paper. That required courage and understanding of his past. He tried his hand at fiction, which was a terrible idea. To this day he keeps a sealed envelope containing his first drafts complete with grammatical errors and misused words. One saving grace was that Paul was an empty slate, and, once he moved to London, he spent time gaining whatever knowledge and life experience he could.
In Paulyanna: International Rent Boy, the reader finds Lovell living in London during the 1990s and working the streets, a profession he fell into and one that suited him. While unorthodox, and regardless of ethics and judgments, he felt valued for the first time in his life. Being paid for being himself felt like an achievement.
He was encouraged to take a beginner writing course and a course in media studies. BTec courses were basic and underfunded yet perfect for Lovell who was like a sponge. While some students were able to converse confidently on a wide range of topics, Paul felt unsure of himself and even intimidated. But when he shared his childhood stories and American street tales, he found that he easily captured the attention of his peers.
This ability to spin a yarn whilst at a house party helped him obtain a job in a production and distribution company. Music television was the perfect employer of a wayward soul partial to the odd cannabis joint. In charge of sending out transmission tapes to broadcasters, Paul was also tasked with writing synopses of the concerts to go along with the publicity materials and photographs required for TV listings. Here, Paul could further practice his art. To most, being employed would give a sense of security and perhaps the start of an illustrious career, but not so with Paul. He presumed it was only a matter of time before he would be rejected and fired, so he continued his nighttime activities.
After moving to Switzerland in 2000, a new Paul emerged. This version of Paul was supported by his partner who bolstered his confidence and encouraged his ambition. While employment was difficult to find, funnily enough, he began working two days per week in an international school. Being a classroom assistant in the kindergarten was his favourite job. A smile crosses his face when he recalls the time he covered a class of teenagers for an absent teacher.
He took a moment to enjoy the irony of scrawling “Mr. Lovell” across the blackboard. He told the boistrous children to misbehave more quietly, otherwise, he wouldn’t be asked to cover again, and it worked! The students settled down not realizing that a former class clown and troublemaker stood before them as their teacher.
Paul eventually left teaching and now spends his time writing.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 2, 2022
This is the third memoir by this irrepressible and talented author. It fills the gap between ‘Playing Out: Swings and Roundabouts’ and ‘Paulyanna International Rent-boy’ and recounts Paul’s experiences at secondary school.
Adolescence is a tricky time generally, but even more so for someone coming from a deprived background, and gradually realising they’re gay. Paul feels excluded a lot of the time. His family - five children raised by a single dad, who himself was raised in an orphanage - has to do without the latest fashions and gizmos, the trips and holidays that their peers take for granted. However, Paul’s in-built optimism seems him through. He accepts what he can’t change and gets on with life. He has a flexible approach to rules and the law, and whilst it’s true that at times he disrespects authority, it must be pointed out that authority disrespected him. The approach of schools at the time to ‘difficult’ pupils was brutal, intolerant and unsympathetic.
The writing is characterised, as always, by the author’s sharp wit and sense of humour. His style is upbeat and entertaining. He doesn’t spare himself as he shares his adventures, and he never wallows in self-pity. He always addresses his reader with honesty and good humour. He has a very engaging story to tell which at times is shocking, but mainly is life-affirming, even though Paul himself led a challenging life during these years.
It’s an immensely enjoyable book and vividly evokes (or re-evokes for those of us who where there!) the 1980s. It’s true to say this book can be classified as social history because of all the carefully observed detail and its authentic atmosphere. It’s a bit of a time machine.
I can’t recommend this compelling, extraordinary memoir enough.
Adolescence is a tricky time generally, but even more so for someone coming from a deprived background, and gradually realising they’re gay. Paul feels excluded a lot of the time. His family - five children raised by a single dad, who himself was raised in an orphanage - has to do without the latest fashions and gizmos, the trips and holidays that their peers take for granted. However, Paul’s in-built optimism seems him through. He accepts what he can’t change and gets on with life. He has a flexible approach to rules and the law, and whilst it’s true that at times he disrespects authority, it must be pointed out that authority disrespected him. The approach of schools at the time to ‘difficult’ pupils was brutal, intolerant and unsympathetic.
The writing is characterised, as always, by the author’s sharp wit and sense of humour. His style is upbeat and entertaining. He doesn’t spare himself as he shares his adventures, and he never wallows in self-pity. He always addresses his reader with honesty and good humour. He has a very engaging story to tell which at times is shocking, but mainly is life-affirming, even though Paul himself led a challenging life during these years.
It’s an immensely enjoyable book and vividly evokes (or re-evokes for those of us who where there!) the 1980s. It’s true to say this book can be classified as social history because of all the carefully observed detail and its authentic atmosphere. It’s a bit of a time machine.
I can’t recommend this compelling, extraordinary memoir enough.
June 16, 2021
Empty Corridors recounts, with incredibly fine detail, memories of school years as seen through Paul’s eyes. Raised single-handedly by a non-conformist father, Paul is the youngest of five children. At St Joseph’s, he feels like an outsider and often spends more time out in the corridors, reveling in their eerie atmosphere. It wraps over him and becomes a metaphor for this period of learning to fail.
His teachers report that Paul arrives to school on time, though less time spent in the corridors would pay dividends in his quest for higher grades. The way he sees it, “If Paul’s life appears to be one long series of unruly events, that’s not true. There are times that he attends lessons like a normal child; when he sits still and doesn’t disrupt. Times, when even the corridors miss his sullen company.”
In my mind, a memoir is a most demanding form of writing, because it takes guts to lay bare the soul and reveal the constant search for purpose in a life. In the end, what Paul has learned is more important than academic courses, it is seeing beyond his the empty corridors, beyond feeling sorry for himself, to find compassion for others. “For so long, Paul has assumed that he alone was unfortunate, and now he’s beginning to see it isn’t so… Paul still feels very much the outsider but gets the impression that, perhaps, he is their outsider.”
Five stars.
Disclosure: I was lucky to read an early version of this memoir and now, having received the final form, I am delighted at how it came out.
His teachers report that Paul arrives to school on time, though less time spent in the corridors would pay dividends in his quest for higher grades. The way he sees it, “If Paul’s life appears to be one long series of unruly events, that’s not true. There are times that he attends lessons like a normal child; when he sits still and doesn’t disrupt. Times, when even the corridors miss his sullen company.”
In my mind, a memoir is a most demanding form of writing, because it takes guts to lay bare the soul and reveal the constant search for purpose in a life. In the end, what Paul has learned is more important than academic courses, it is seeing beyond his the empty corridors, beyond feeling sorry for himself, to find compassion for others. “For so long, Paul has assumed that he alone was unfortunate, and now he’s beginning to see it isn’t so… Paul still feels very much the outsider but gets the impression that, perhaps, he is their outsider.”
Five stars.
Disclosure: I was lucky to read an early version of this memoir and now, having received the final form, I am delighted at how it came out.
March 26, 2022
Empty Corridors: Learning to Fail opens with, “Paul isn’t the easiest boy to like,” What follows is a surprisingly honest account of Paul Lovell’s personality and early life. I was drawn to his story simply because of his ability to present himself honestly, holding nothing back from his audience. He has a realness that is admirable as he presents his authentic self, nothing more and nothing less.
One of Lovell’s strengths as a writer lies in capturing people’s energy. It’s not just that he sheds light on their personalities or describes their physical appearances. He captures the energy that each person puts into the world around them. I knew what it would feel like to stand in the same room as his father yelled or sit in a classroom with certain teachers who disliked him. And I think this extends to accurately capturing his own energy. Paul frequently came across as the carefree class clown willing to do anything for a laugh; however, the reader sees time and time again how Paul hides his insecurities and weaknesses behind this image.
In addition to being an enjoyable, nostalgic read, especially for those of us born in the 70s 80s, I think Empty Corridors serves at least two important purposes. First, combined with Lovell’s other two books, it offers hope to people struggling with similar issues. Lovell left secondary school barely able to read and write, yet he is now an author with three books. I’m sure a few of his former teachers would be shocked to know this! Second, it highlights the struggles that children and young adults still face each day worldwide. Poverty. Abuse. Hunger. Learning difficulties. Bullying. Understanding their sexuality. This story took place nearly forty years ago, but the issues remain the same.
Empty Corridors is impactful because Paul is not just a character created to fill a role in a story. He is a living, breathing person who has laid his soul bare for the world to see. He shares everything…the good, the bad, and the ugly. At times, I found myself laughing and then wanting to cry for the pain he endured. I silently cheered him on when he experienced success, and then my heart broke when he suffered failure and humiliation. Lovell has proven that our pasts do not define who we will become in the future, and I thank him for it!
Read the full review at The Redhead Notes.
One of Lovell’s strengths as a writer lies in capturing people’s energy. It’s not just that he sheds light on their personalities or describes their physical appearances. He captures the energy that each person puts into the world around them. I knew what it would feel like to stand in the same room as his father yelled or sit in a classroom with certain teachers who disliked him. And I think this extends to accurately capturing his own energy. Paul frequently came across as the carefree class clown willing to do anything for a laugh; however, the reader sees time and time again how Paul hides his insecurities and weaknesses behind this image.
In addition to being an enjoyable, nostalgic read, especially for those of us born in the 70s 80s, I think Empty Corridors serves at least two important purposes. First, combined with Lovell’s other two books, it offers hope to people struggling with similar issues. Lovell left secondary school barely able to read and write, yet he is now an author with three books. I’m sure a few of his former teachers would be shocked to know this! Second, it highlights the struggles that children and young adults still face each day worldwide. Poverty. Abuse. Hunger. Learning difficulties. Bullying. Understanding their sexuality. This story took place nearly forty years ago, but the issues remain the same.
Empty Corridors is impactful because Paul is not just a character created to fill a role in a story. He is a living, breathing person who has laid his soul bare for the world to see. He shares everything…the good, the bad, and the ugly. At times, I found myself laughing and then wanting to cry for the pain he endured. I silently cheered him on when he experienced success, and then my heart broke when he suffered failure and humiliation. Lovell has proven that our pasts do not define who we will become in the future, and I thank him for it!
Read the full review at The Redhead Notes.
April 15, 2025
Hey Paul,
I just finished reading your book and honestly, it’s one of those stories that stays with you. Paul’s voice, his pain behind the defiance, the way you unpacked those hidden layers, it was all so powerful. You didn’t just write a character, you made us feel every unspoken word and silent struggle. That’s real storytelling.
You've got something amazing to say, and you're saying it with boldness and heart. It’s clear that readers who’ve found your book already appreciate it (4.4 stars doesn't lie!), but I also noticed that it's sitting at just 5 ratings and 4 reviews since its release in March 2021. That’s not a reflection of your writing, it’s a sign that more readers simply haven’t discovered it yet.
That’s where I can help.
I specialize in Amazon Editorial Reviews, those professional-style reviews that show up right on your book’s Amazon page. They add credibility, build trust, and help potential readers make faster decisions. I’ve worked with over 50 authors to strengthen their presence and visibility, especially when a book already has strong writing but just needs more eyes on it.
With a story like yours, and the emotional depth you’ve crafted, I truly believe an editorial review could give your book that extra edge to reach more readers and spark more engagement.
If you're open to it, I’d love to chat and share more on how it works and how it can benefit your book.
Either way, just know you’ve done something special with this story. Keep going.
Best,
Samuel,
CEO of BookBeam Expert Service Company.
I just finished reading your book and honestly, it’s one of those stories that stays with you. Paul’s voice, his pain behind the defiance, the way you unpacked those hidden layers, it was all so powerful. You didn’t just write a character, you made us feel every unspoken word and silent struggle. That’s real storytelling.
You've got something amazing to say, and you're saying it with boldness and heart. It’s clear that readers who’ve found your book already appreciate it (4.4 stars doesn't lie!), but I also noticed that it's sitting at just 5 ratings and 4 reviews since its release in March 2021. That’s not a reflection of your writing, it’s a sign that more readers simply haven’t discovered it yet.
That’s where I can help.
I specialize in Amazon Editorial Reviews, those professional-style reviews that show up right on your book’s Amazon page. They add credibility, build trust, and help potential readers make faster decisions. I’ve worked with over 50 authors to strengthen their presence and visibility, especially when a book already has strong writing but just needs more eyes on it.
With a story like yours, and the emotional depth you’ve crafted, I truly believe an editorial review could give your book that extra edge to reach more readers and spark more engagement.
If you're open to it, I’d love to chat and share more on how it works and how it can benefit your book.
Either way, just know you’ve done something special with this story. Keep going.
Best,
Samuel,
CEO of BookBeam Expert Service Company.
March 31, 2022
Just finished reading this and it’s bloody brilliant!! For anyone growing up in the 70’s and 80’s this is a must read, especially if you are local to the area. I can relate to so many of the memories and scenes. Large family, no money, free school dinners and uniforms and even 2p bus fare. A well told ‘tale’ of growing up and the ‘difficulties’ and experiences it brings. I’ve now bought the other two books which I’m really looking forward to. Thanks for putting your ‘life’ into words in such an entertaining and absorbing way.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews