A Kestrel For A KnaveI have to admit that I had never even heard of this book before my copy arrived in the mail, but I’m definitely glad to have been introduced to it.
The story is set in a Yorkshire mining town and is about troubled teenager Billy Casper. In the forest one day, he discovers, and later captures, a kestrel hawk he names Kes. From then on, his life is changed, and he has to balance his life at home and at school with the responsibilities and excitement of training and caring for his hawk.
The dialogue in the book is written in dialect, which takes a little getting used to. However, one of the strengths of this novel lies in how it situates the story firmly in a set time and place.
The novel sympathetically explores the trials and tribulations of growing up and surviving 'in a tough, joyless world' (as the back cover states), but the best part is the way it expresses how becoming passionate about something can change your life.
Overall, a great read, and one that keeps you thinking about it long after putting it down.
I loved this book! It is a simple story, but really well written.
Touching and heartbreaking at times, but I recommend it to everyone!
Posted at 17:22 - 23.02.09 by farmlanebooks
A super piece of story telling with great atmosphere and narrative tension but it’s so short that Hines only just gets going before he ends. The themes are never developed leaving it as essentially a childrens' book or film script - which is what it became.
Posted at 22:51 - 22.10.09 by Brownbear101
good
Posted at 08:05 - 13.03.10 by supercard
I'm not usually a big reader if fiction, but a friend suggested I read this book awhile ago and I must admit I enjoyed it.
Posted at 20:12 - 11.05.10 by bwinbonus
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I forget where I read it but someone once commented that this book, in comparison with Jonathan Livingston Seagull, sums up the difference between Britain and America. The message of Jonathan Livingston Seagull can be broadly summed up as 'Don't abandon your dreams.' A Kestrel for a Knave can be broadly summed up as 'Abandon your dreams.' Which is certainly more true and ultimately more useful, but not necessarily something you need to tell people at the age of 13.
Posted at 11:44 - 06.06.08 by rosclarke