There Is a Happy Land (20th Century) - Softcover

Waterhouse, Keith

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1939140617 ISBN 13: 9781939140616

Publisher: Valancourt Books, 2013

Synopsis

'[A]mong the few great writers of our time.' - Auberon Waugh, The Independent

'He gets into the mind of his eleven-year-old, sees the world from the height of three foot six . . . The book is vivid, accurate, perceptive . . . how brilliant - and how honestly - the author makes his original effect.' - The Observer

'An exceptionally talented novelist.' - The Sunday Times

'Remarkable for the deep and unwavering insight it gives into child behaviour . . . the candour of his vision and the cunning of his art are such that he captures the very essence of the eleven-minus mind.' - The Times

Inspired by its author's own childhood experiences, this moving novel is the story of a fateful few weeks in the life of an eleven-year-old boy on a public housing estate. When an eccentric man who is unusually fond of children (they nickname him 'Uncle Mad') moves onto the estate, the wheels of tragedy are set in motion, a tragedy made especially poignant because we experience it through the eyes of the young narrator, who is incapable of fully understanding the significance of the terrible events unfolding around him . . .

Although Keith Waterhouse (1929-2009) is best known for his classic comic novel Billy Liar (1959), many critics believe his first novel, There is a Happy Land (1957), is his best. This edition is the first ever published in the United States and includes a new introduction by Bill Hagerty and the original jacket art by William Belcher.

About this title

Review

He gets into the mind of his eleven-year-old, sees the world from a height of three foot six, trembles with him, is defeated in a fight . . . The book is vivid, accurate, perceptive . . . how brilliant - and how honestly - the author makes his original effect (Observer)

Remarkable for the deep and unwavering insight it gives into child behaviour . . . the candour of his vision and the cunning of his art are such that he captures the very essence of the eleven-minus mind (The Times)

An exceptionally talented novelist (The Sunday Times)

Among the reasons for counting Keith Waterhouse among the few great writers of our time is his ability to relate even the wildest manifestations of modern culture to a previous experience of life which was entirely different (Independent)

About the Author

In a long and highly successful career, Keith Waterhouse published fifteen novels, including Billy Liar (which has been filmed and staged) and Our Song (also staged), seven non-fiction books and seven collections of journalism. He wrote widely for television, cinema and the theatre, including the highly successful play Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell. He also published two acclaimed memoirs, City Lights and Streets Ahead. He died on 4th September 2009.

Edition details

• Publisher: Valancourt Books
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1939140617
• ISBN 13: 9781939140616
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 152