Modern Classics Kestrel for a Knave (Penguin Modern Classics) Paperback – International Edition, May 30, 2000

This is a wonderful coming of age book that has not dated since it was written in the late 1960's. The issues the main character face are as real today as they were back then. The title and theme of the story makes a respectful nod to the C15th quote from the Boke of St. Albans...' An Eagle for an Emperor, a Gyrfalcon for a King; a Peregrine for a Prince, a Saker for a Knight, a Merlin for a Lady; a Goshawk for a Yeoman, a Sparrowhawk for a Priest, a Musket for a Holy Water Clerk, a Kestrel for a Knave'. The main character Billy is every bit the C20th Yorkshire knave.

The plight of Billy Casper draws you in completely. It makes you wonder how he will survive each obstacle. For me, I enjoyed the language and the glimpse into life in a mining community.

The book does not give a compelling or dramatic story, but it does snapshot into a time and place that is interesting in a social or cultural way. I think both the book and movie are worthwhile to read or see. I'm glad I did so again after first seeing the movie years ago.

Great Book! An oldie but hoodie!!

Very nice item in much better condition than we expected. Great content of course. Super fast turn around, a great buying experience.

Barry Hines was born in 1939, in a mining village called Hoyland Common in the north of England. He worked as a teacher for several years, before becoming a full-time author and scriptwriter. He is probably best known for "A Kestrel for a Knave" - which was adapted for the big screen as "Kes".The knave of the book's title is Billy Casper : a teenager who lives in a small Yorkshire mining village with his brother, Jud, and his mother. The family's life is far from idyllic : they live on a working-class housing estate, there isn't a lot of money to spare and not a lot of food in the house. Neither Billy nor Jud - who works down the mine - seem to be terribly impressed with their mother. However, while Billy is merely disobedient, Jud appears to be a good deal more caustic. (She doesn't appear to pay them much attention in return). Jud is a particularly dislikeable character - a selfish bully, who's quite happy to take his foul moods out on Billy.Billy's in his last year at school, but things are there are little better. He's in the bottom class of his year group, and struggles to read and write. He has no idea what he wants to do when he leave, so long as it doesn't involve going down the pit. He's always on the margins and doesn't really have any friends. Some of the teachers are little better than Jud; one - Mr Sugden, the PE teacher - is as pathetic as he is nasty. (Only one of them, Mr Farthing, could be described as pleasant).The one good thing in Billy's life is Kes, a kestrel he's raised and trained himself. When asked, Billy claims he'd "found" Kes - that she'd flushed too early, and was too young to look after herself. In reality, Billy took Kes from the nest while still a chick - but he has proven to be a dedicated and caring owner. Billy has changed dramatically since Kes' arrival : she's given him a focus and a sense of responsibility. In fact, he's been spending so much time looking after her, he no longer has the time - or the inclination - to get into trouble away from school. (Unfortunately, his former cronies aren't happy about his desertion, and sometimes like to make his life difficult).Although Billy wasn't based on a real-life person, he is a character that's very easy to identify with. Looking at the afterward, it seems the book has become an inspiration to many of its readers - people who either knew, or were on the verge of becoming, a real-life Billy Casper. For myself, though, the inspiration is having a tough time competing with a lot of sadness, loneliness and loss. Occasionally, I'll read a book and wonder what happened to a character after the book's final page. Billy's one of those characters : I really don't see him having an easy life, but I hope he was able to find some sort of happiness. A great book, totally recommended.

I read this in school long ago and seeing it here brought back memories and emotions from reading this. I'm not a reader but this is a great book, very emotional. It's something young men like myself can relate to although my life was never as hard as it was for Billy when I was his age. But Billy helped me get through my early and mid teens.It's unfortunate but sometimes you have to see what the bottom is like to realise you're not there and that you have a bright future ahead. This showed me the bottom at an age when anything was possible and helped me move forward.For lack of a better word this book may even be considered inspirational and or moving.

This is a powerful story about a teen-aged boy growing up in very difficult circumstances. The action of the novel takes place over the course of one day in Billy's life, with a number of flashbacks filling in important past events. In the midst of life in a gloomy industrial estate, dealing with a very dysfunctional family life, surviving a harsh school environment, Billy finds refuge in his relationship with a kestrel that he raises and trains.Barry Hines draws a very detailed picture of Billy's life, and while you feel despair at the rough circumstances he faces, you also feel hope in the sensitivity he displays and the beauty he finds in nature.Some may find the detailed descriptive passages a bit slow moving at times, but this is a good story, with much to think about and discuss.