Life is tough and cheerless for Billy Casper, a disillusioned teenager growing up in a small Yorkshire mining town. Violence is commonplace and he ...
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Nov 09, 2011
Tombeast
rated it: 
A Kestrel for a Knave tells the emotional story of a teenage boy (Billy Casper) struggling with the reality of growing up in a mining town in the North of England. Billy lives with his mother and older brother Jud under difficult circumstances, used by the former and bullied by the latter. Disillusioned with the education system and without friends Billy is unable to find escapism through fellow humans.
To combat feelings of isolation, hopelessness and claustrophobia Hines uses a bird More...
To combat feelings of isolation, hopelessness and claustrophobia Hines uses a bird More...
Jul 29, 2009
Nikki
rated it: 
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
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May 25, 2010
Alisa
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By gum, but Yorkshire is bleak.
I've had this book for several years, and I've always put off reading it, because why would I want to be that depressed. Not only is it going to be poor, and bleak, and stunted, and deprived, and mean, there's going to be an wild animal that is the heart and soul and light for one of these inarticulate tragedies of DNA. And what does that mean for that animal, so the author can keep a realistic vision of a relentlessly hard-life, smashed on broken home More...
I've had this book for several years, and I've always put off reading it, because why would I want to be that depressed. Not only is it going to be poor, and bleak, and stunted, and deprived, and mean, there's going to be an wild animal that is the heart and soul and light for one of these inarticulate tragedies of DNA. And what does that mean for that animal, so the author can keep a realistic vision of a relentlessly hard-life, smashed on broken home More...
Nov 25, 2007
YorkshireSue
rated it: 
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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Jun 14, 2008
martin
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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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Oct 25, 2011
Hobb
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Reading Barry Hines' classic again was something of a revelation. Before I started, I couldn't help wondering if the effect it had had on me thirty odd years ago could possibly be repeated, since I'm now what my son describes as a 'grumpy old man' (harsh, I feel, but I do get his drift). Anyway, 'A Kestrel For A Knave' did it all over again for me; in fact, I think it dug deeper into my gut than ever. The panorama of 'colours'(some beautiful beyond description, others enough to burn out your e
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Jul 30, 2011
its a very interesting tale of teenage angst, the character is well crafted, very endearing and his relationship with the kesteral hawk is deep and symbolic, the author has considerbale skill in evoking memories and satire of the educationa nd how it fails alot of young men. the author describes the landscape beautifully and in a very detailed that interweaves with the story, the background is made to come alive inside teh story, although endless description of the concrete and terraced houses e
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Oct 23, 2011
Juliette
rated it: 
It's a very stark and bleak book, the story of a little kid travelling from discomfort to downright pain. The scene with the sports teacher, a totally immature and unfair man, really distressed me. He goes as far as forcing the kid to stay in a cold shower to punish him for losing a football match! That is torture!
It is not unrealistic, though, as I know such unfair and violent treatment of pupils did occur, and was even common at some point.
The descriptions of falconry are uplifting More...
It is not unrealistic, though, as I know such unfair and violent treatment of pupils did occur, and was even common at some point.
The descriptions of falconry are uplifting More...
Feb 14, 2008
Anne
rated it:
A masterpiece - why have I not read this before now??
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Feb 05, 2012
Phil
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Well .... I didn't really get on with this book. It's only short and has big type ... and I've read a lot of very difficult books that some would consider "dull" (Finnegans Wake, Magic Mountain, Ulysses) but even with such a short book I got so bored that I ended up putting it down 3/4 of the way through and read two other books before picking it up again with a sigh.
Part of the problem I think is that Hines simply isn't a good enough writer to do what he wants to do - whic More...
Part of the problem I think is that Hines simply isn't a good enough writer to do what he wants to do - whic More...
Feb 08, 2012
Steve
rated it:
I first read this book - in its play format - at school when I was about twelve. I think that it was the first book that I had read in English classes that had not been written with children in mind, and that may be the reason that this book had such an impact upon me; that and the fact I had to read Billy Casper’s lines and swear in front of the whole class. In the afterword of my copy, the book’s author Barry Hines says that people often put too much effort in searching for a hidden meaning to
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Jun 19, 2011
Robert
rated it:
It took me 40p to get truely involved in this story - approx. 1/4 of the book. That quarter sets the background for what is to come in the remainder, when the protagonist, Billy, goes to school and one day shows the hilarity, banality, hopelessness and tragedy that surely will be a microcosm of Billy's whole life.
For me, school was not nearly so grim as for Billy, but I could relate strongly to his experience; casual cruelty (from teachers), injustice, bullying, that one teacher who is More...
For me, school was not nearly so grim as for Billy, but I could relate strongly to his experience; casual cruelty (from teachers), injustice, bullying, that one teacher who is More...
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Jan 31, 2011
Leah
rated it:
I have just finished reading the stage script of this story, based on the classic novel that I read a few years ago. I loved the book so was keen to read the condensed version for the theatre. It does not disappoint and I would love to see a production of it.
I read the book for a readers group and didn't expect much as I was familiar with the story from the acclaimed film that I saw years ago. I loved it though. It made me laugh and also made me very sad.
It is the story of Billy Cas More...
I read the book for a readers group and didn't expect much as I was familiar with the story from the acclaimed film that I saw years ago. I loved it though. It made me laugh and also made me very sad.
It is the story of Billy Cas More...
Aug 27, 2011
Bettie
rated it:
False alarum - came across this book as a youngster (can't say "when I was smaller" because I didn't grow much further). I remember crying like a real cry baby at the injustice of it all and then the film was on at the local odeon and cried some more. It starred the lad who played Oliver in Lionel Bart's brilliant rendition of Dickens's masterpiece.
So pretty much done and dusted.
Feb 18, 2010
Weebly
rated it:
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...
Apr 22, 2011
Terri
rated it:
A teenager caught in poverty and hopelessness finds the nest of a kestral and then steals a book so he can teach himself to be a falconer. I loved the transformation of Billy as he is caught up in his love and interest for the young hawk. But, as you might guess- many animal tales are sad ones... I would have rated this higher but the writing seemed a bit disjointed in places.
Jul 01, 2011
Pierre
rated it:
I read this at school originally, and saw the film twice (last time about 2010, which prompted me to re-read it). That is four times I've cried! No other book has ever made me cry (although I did when I saw the film One Flew Over t'Cuckoo's Nest the first time). I'm not usually a cry-baby: it really is that powerful a story, and I stilln do identify with Billy.
Apr 09, 2011
S. Bell
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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May 13, 2009
Andrew
rated it:
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
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Nov 29, 2010
Debra
rated it:
I found this book deeply disturbing. Young Billy doesn't stand a chance, his one joy is his Kestrel hawk. Don't want to give the story away - but I did find the language difficult to follow. It is accented Yorkshire, which made me often read a sentence several times before I got the meaning.
Aug 08, 2011
Federica
rated it:
I was made to read this for English class. It was moving eventually, but it took a long time to get into the style of writing - which is not proper English but more North-England slang. I adored the relationship the boy had with the kestrel, amid all that poverty and deprivation
Sep 28, 2011
Chiffchaff
rated it:
Amazing book (& film). As I grew up just down the road from Hoyland Common, and went to the same school (with the same PE teacher) it also reminds me of home.
Sep 11, 2011
Chris
rated it:
Awesome book, really got into it. Barry Hines is a great writer.
had to read it for school, but once I started, I couldn't stop.
fantastic movie too.
had to read it for school, but once I started, I couldn't stop.
fantastic movie too.
Aug 25, 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.
Aug 09, 2011
Classic tale, nicely written but hard to read as it was written in Yorkshire accent. It was short though so can't complain too much.
Dec 22, 2010
Yorkshiresoul
rated it:
Very impressive, Hines packs in so much detail and depth into such a short novel, it is beautiful, bleak and rich at the same time.
Aug 25, 2011
Danielle
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Really enjoyed this book read it when i was studying for my english GCSE. Would love to read it again!
Mar 28, 2009
Shavanna
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People may descriminate and stereotype but dont let them put you down. Rise to the occaison.
Feb 08, 2009
Emma
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Devastating and bleak but this is a book everyone should read. It is an amazing achievement.
