Billy Liar - Keith Waterhouse

Although Billy Liar is called a comedy, there are parts about it which are from comic Billy Liar is widely regarded as a comedy yet behind it lies a far darker side. This “side” can be divided into three sections: death; human relations and half fulfilment of life. Billy Fisher is a boy who dreams of a better life but is not quite capable of gaining it. These dreams stem largely from the fact that he lacks intellectual stimulus and often lands ...
...of worry, misery and death. Billy works in a funeral parlour and this choice of job again underlines the morbidity of the play. The play could very aptly have been named “Three engagements and a funeral” due to its anti-life conclusion. At the end of Act II, a great juxtaposition in the space of two lines, sums up life and more importantly the play. Waterhouse places together the engagement ring and the announcement of Florence’s death. This portrays ...

Philip 13.06.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Billy Liar - Keith Waterhouse

...I could empathise with billy and his thoughts on the place he lived. However, there is absolutely no reason why people from all over the country (all over the world in fact) should not read this book. i can honestly tell you that there were parts in this book which literally made me cry with laughter, tears actually rolled down my eyes and to be honest, it takes something very amusing to make me laugh like that. The characters are almost tangable ...
...remembering myself in very similar situations with my own mum and dad and laughing out loud at some of the replies billy comes out with after recieveing a severe roasting from his parents. All in all this book must definately be read by everyone, Keith Waterhouse is a genious ...

ShedMonkey 05.10.2001 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Billy Liar - Keith Waterhouse