book data
157 ratings,
3.61
average rating, 24 reviews
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published
May 25th 2000
by Penguin Books Ltd
(first published 1968)
details
Paperback, 208 pages
isbn
0141184981
(isbn13: 9780141184982)
description
Life is tough and cheerless for Billy Casper, a disillusioned teenager growing up in a small Yorkshire mining town. Violence is commonplace and he is …more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 324)
All ratings
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5 stars (38)
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4 stars (50)
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3 stars (46)
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2 stars (16)
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1 star (7)
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avg 3.61
editions: all | this edition
editions: all | this edition
Read in July, 2009
I think the other English group read A Kestrel for a Knave, back at GCSE, but it never really appealed to me. Still, it was there today at the library, so I picked it up. It's pretty short, and there are no chapters. It's kind of an odd format to tell a story, just like maybe a boy is sat down and spilling out his story without thinking of how to structure it. Which makes sense, of course, considering the main character. It's pretty grim, too. Working class life in England back when teachers cou...more
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Read in January, 1976
recommends it for:
everyone!
An absolute favourite of mine. I'm dating myself but it was recommended for our O level English Literature and I fell totally in love with it. It broke all the rules I understood about writing and is so gritty yet heartwrenching. No chapters just a sit down straight through read. As skinny and forthright as Billy Casper himself. You won't regret reading it (just try finding it!)
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My nephew and then my niece recently read this for their GCSEs and both hated it. The exact opposite reaction to their Mother and two Uncles. Maybe it's a generation gap thing - especially as our childhood was less comfortable and therefore maybe a little closer to that of the child in the novel
It's still one of my all time favourites.
It's still one of my all time favourites.
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Read in February, 2008
A masterpiece - why have I not read this before now??
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Read in February, 2010
This is a Hartwell BookClub book and a library book.
I quite enjoyed this book, as did the rest of the WI members who came to book club tonight. We thought the images of the northern mining town and schooland home life for Billy were well described. The others liked the dialect but I found it a bit annoying.
We did agree though also that the ending was rather abrupt - like Barry Hines hit his target of words and thought right, I'll end it here. The last few scenes in the...more
I quite enjoyed this book, as did the rest of the WI members who came to book club tonight. We thought the images of the northern mining town and schooland home life for Billy were well described. The others liked the dialect but I found it a bit annoying.
We did agree though also that the ending was rather abrupt - like Barry Hines hit his target of words and thought right, I'll end it here. The last few scenes in the...more
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Read in November, 2009
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Read in April, 2009
Loved this. It all felt so familiar, not from my own experiences but from my observations of others growing up. There's an odd thing I feel the British do in stories about the working classes. They present occasional acts of truly awful human behavior and appear to ask us to relish in it, to take pleasure and humour in seeing people treated so cruelly, dismissing it as harmless and celebrating this part of our culture. I don't think that happened here. I felt so protective towards our Knave and ...more
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"Slack work lad, slack work."
"Hands off cocks, on socks."
"Where's me pillocking bike?"
Aims in life: 1) Be a teacher like Mr Farthing.
2) Don't be a teacher like Mr Sugden.
"Hands off cocks, on socks."
"Where's me pillocking bike?"
Aims in life: 1) Be a teacher like Mr Farthing.
2) Don't be a teacher like Mr Sugden.
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Read in August, 2009
Poignant and affecting. The Billys of this world may not be beaten by their teachers anymore, but little else has changed for them in the last 40 years.
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People may descriminate and stereotype but dont let them put you down. Rise to the occaison.
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Devastating and bleak but this is a book everyone should read. It is an amazing achievement.
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I read this book during my final years of secondary school and had to write a essay on this for my GCSE's. It was a wonderful book to read and definitley made me appricate how lucky I am having both my parents and loving ones at and school system that was interested in me. Kes, is an insight into a world I have never seen or come across other than on TV and it was emotional to read and also watch (film version).
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Read in March, 2008
I first read "Kes" in middle school, the year I lived in England, and had my first oblique exposure to the poverty and rough living of the characters in this outstanding novel. Re-reading it now was riveting. Not a word is wasted. Hines masterfully evokes the reality of life for this boy from the wrong side of the tracks who finds a reason to live in his relationship with a kestrel. Wonderful stuff.
I've never heard of this book until, what, couple of weeks ago? That title and the cover is definitely very catchy...
Now. This is a type of 'unhappily ever after' story. And very character driven. At times the story is kinda unfocused. All over the place. But you know. It ended nicely.
Now. This is a type of 'unhappily ever after' story. And very character driven. At times the story is kinda unfocused. All over the place. But you know. It ended nicely.
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was my GCSE text. and i never will forget the Football match. Brian Glover in the film - my role model!
also the bit when Judd says - 'some birds gonna be lucky t'night'. Top stuff.
also the bit when Judd says - 'some birds gonna be lucky t'night'. Top stuff.
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Read in January, 1983
One of the few plays i enjoyed reading for English lit. That and i sat next to one of the most raunchiest women i know "yay Paula kennard"
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Dec 13, 2009
Chris S
marked it as to-read
Owns a copy
—
Read in January, 1993
Being brought up in Barnsley (where the book is set) this was like THE set text at school. Great stuff.
CASPER!!!
CASPER!!!
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