Kensington Heights

by Leslie Thomas

Frank Inigo Savage simply wants to be alone and the top flat of Kensington Heights seems just the place. Until the other bizarre and eccentric inhabitants of the building start arriving on his doorstep.

And the Savage gets a visit from a homeless waif he meets in the local launderette called Korky.

Korky's intrusion on Savage's private world alters his whole existence. High above the London rooftops this strange and contradictory relationship blooms like an improbable flower and Savage begins to realise that the world can creep under even the most firmly closed doors.

'As ever in a Thomas novel, we constantly shift from tears to laughter and back again' Daily Express

' A moving and jolly book ... with hardly a dull moment and difficult not to be cheered by' Times

Genres: Fiction

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Born in Newport, Monmouthshire, 1931, Leslie Thomas is the son of a sailor who was lost at sea in 1943. His boyhood in an orphanage is evoked in This Time Next Week, published in 1964. At sixteen, he became a reporter, before going on to do his national service. He won worldwide acclaim with his bestselling novel The Virgin Soldiers, which has achieved international sales of over four million copies.

Reviews

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well what an unlikely pairing the invalided solider and the teenage runaway make! At first I thought this book quite a slow amble with nothing much to set it above other books but on further reading found I was drawn in to the ever complex relationship of these two characters after all the scrapes the teenager gets her wounded rescuer to extract her from it comes more or less right at the end.
Of course perhaps you have to be of a certain age to even read Leslie Thomas but I'm sure he deserves some younger readers

[Lady Drinkwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting rich book, an ambigous love story with an open ending. There is a lot in this - lots of characters, lots of action, psychological themes. I enjoyed reading it.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked both main characters, all the people they met were enjoyable. The story did lack depth and I also cringed with savage when I thought it may become sexual. I am glad it didn’t, I did see they needed each other and loved each other. Korky was a hoot and I enjoyed how she brought out the best in people! Unfortunately it isn’t a book I would pass around... I would never say u must read this, but I am glad I finished it.

[Hazem Ashraf · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was depressed by this novel, took eight monts to finish it, I didn't find it funny ,it's miserable. Extremely miserable

[Nina · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is rare that I can't empathize with any of the characters in the book. The first time that I felt relieved when the audiobook was over.

[John Milliner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant story, had me laughing out loud in parts, others were sad, but a very interesting and readable story.

[Anum · Rating 2 out of 5]

Initially I was fascinated by the story because it was about an ex-soldier who was trying to become a recluse, and his nosy neighbors were pretty funny. But Korky kind of ruined it for me.. the age difference, her personality. Her unending talent for lying didn’t attract me at all. I still don’t understand why she kept running away from her home when she had loving parents... again, I’m very glad savage was keeping her back but the ending implies that they may end up being together forever, so I don’t know. She may be helping him get over his mental troubles but that doesn’t change the fact that she’s a minor and he’s 43.
The writing style is nice but I wouldn’t read this story again, or recommend it to others to be honest.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

i didn't like it. i ended up skimming to the end to see how it ended. he's a good writer, but i didn't like the story