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Billy Liar

By Keith Waterhouse
Series: Penguin Essentials
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse is a classic tale set in 1950s Northern England, following the life of Billy Fisher, a young man caught between his mundane reality and his vivid fantasy world. Billy is a dreamer who continually lies to escape his monotonous existence, indulging in wild dreams while juggling various escapades and relationships. This poignant and humorous novel explores themes of ambition, responsibility, and the struggle to find one's place in the world.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate stories exploring the complexities of life in a small town through humour and wit. Follow the protagonist's journey as he navigates his vivid imagination and reality, leading to both entertaining and poignant moments. Perfect for readers who enjoy character-driven narratives that highlight the struggles between dreams and responsibilities.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Billy Fisher, a Yorkshire teenager unable to stop lying - especially to his three girlfriends. Trapped by his boring job and working-class parents, Billy finds that his only happiness lies in grand plans for his future and fantastical day-dreams of the fictional country Ambrosia.

Billy Fisher, a nineteen-year old in a small Yorkshire town, works as an undertaker's clerk. Nagged by his mother and shouted at by his father, he is engaged to two girls but is actually in love with a third.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The classic comedy of a 50s youth trapped inside a Walter Mitty fantasy-world, published as a Penguin Essential for the first time.

Keith Waterhouse's Billy Liar was published in 1959 and captures brilliantly the claustrophobic atmosphere of a small town. It tells the story of Billy Fisher, a Yorkshire teenager unable to stop lyingβ€”especially to his three girlfriends. Trapped by his boring job and working-class parents, Billy finds that his only happiness lies in grand plans for his future and fantastical day-dreams of the fictional country Ambrosia.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241973646

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 August 2015

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 11.0mm

Width: 111.0mm

Height: 181.0mm

Weight: 100g

Pages: 176

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Keith Waterhouse Literary Fiction Penguin Books Series: Penguin Essentials

About the Author

Keith Waterhouse was born in Leeds in 1929. He has written extensively for film, tv and newspapers, and his play Jeffrey Barnard is Unwell was a West End hit in the 1990s. Billy Liar is his most famous book, and was an equally famous film, directed by John Schlesinger, starring Tom Courtenay. He died in 2009.

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