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Awaydays
Awaydays has been made into a major film which is due for release in 2009.
It’s 1979 and in Birkenhead, smack and Maggie Thatcher are still less of an issue than Lois jeans and Adidas Forest Hills training shoes. For Paul Carty, 19, and his mystical, Joy Division-loving mate, Elvis, life revolves around The Pack, a mob of violent Tranmere Rovers supporters. Carty and Elvis travel the Northern wastelands, always by train, causing mayhem in the “woollyback” strongholds of Halifax, Crewe and Chesterfield. For most of the mob, The Pack is their reason for living.
But Elvis, who loves Ezra Pound, and Carty, still getting over the death of his mother, are starting to get bored of it all. The question will The Pack let them go? And can they get by without each other?
It’s 1979 and in Birkenhead, smack and Maggie Thatcher are still less of an issue than Lois jeans and Adidas Forest Hills training shoes. For Paul Carty, 19, and his mystical, Joy Division-loving mate, Elvis, life revolves around The Pack, a mob of violent Tranmere Rovers supporters. Carty and Elvis travel the Northern wastelands, always by train, causing mayhem in the “woollyback” strongholds of Halifax, Crewe and Chesterfield. For most of the mob, The Pack is their reason for living.
But Elvis, who loves Ezra Pound, and Carty, still getting over the death of his mother, are starting to get bored of it all. The question will The Pack let them go? And can they get by without each other?
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
12 people are currently reading
466 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Sampson
29 books46 followersKevin Sampson is the author of seven novels - Awaydays, Powder, Leisure, Outlaws, Clubland, Freshers and most recently, Stars are Stars - and a work of non-fiction, Extra Time. He lives and works in Liverpool.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
November 14, 2007
This is by far, the most literary of the hoolie- oriented books I've read. The author Kevin Sampson (for those of you who might know, remember, care) was the manager of the band The Farm. Yup, those rascally Liverpudlians who meshed football/terrace culture with social issues and infectious dance beats.
At any rate, Sampson weaves a tale of hooligans who support Tranmere Rovers in the late 1970s. The subtitle of this book (at least what it says on my copy) is "...like Catcher in the Rye, with Stanley Knives." Stanley knives, of coure, being the widely available utility knives (a metal case holding a razor blade) that were used by some hooligan firms.
The reference to Catcher in the Rye isn't lost. That might be one downfall of the novel. At times the parallels are a little strong. The relationship that the main character has with his little sister is truly an homage to Saliger's work.
Some of the strenghts of this work are in the sub plots that weave through the novel. The death of the main character's mother, the relationship with his sister and father, and his relationship with work are all very noteworthy. Check this book out.
At any rate, Sampson weaves a tale of hooligans who support Tranmere Rovers in the late 1970s. The subtitle of this book (at least what it says on my copy) is "...like Catcher in the Rye, with Stanley Knives." Stanley knives, of coure, being the widely available utility knives (a metal case holding a razor blade) that were used by some hooligan firms.
The reference to Catcher in the Rye isn't lost. That might be one downfall of the novel. At times the parallels are a little strong. The relationship that the main character has with his little sister is truly an homage to Saliger's work.
Some of the strenghts of this work are in the sub plots that weave through the novel. The death of the main character's mother, the relationship with his sister and father, and his relationship with work are all very noteworthy. Check this book out.
April 13, 2018
The main themes of this book are thuggery, the sex obsessions of an 18 year-old, image consciousness, and, as with Freshers (see: http://bit.ly/1OPtSHR ), drink and drugs bingeing.
The main character is a middle class A level drop-out who, for reasons not entirely, clear falls into this lifestyle in some sort of quest for self-affirmation following the death of his mother from cancer. It is not explored much beyond the statement: “I see now the time I knew for sure that Mum was dying is the time I started hiding in their midst, looking for a new outlet, a way of expressing myself. Not that I really felt like saying much. I wanted rude action. I wanted out of school. I wanted a job and money. I wanted stuff that that was me (sic), mine – nothing to do with this plan Mum and Dad had mapped out…” That’s about as deep as it gets.
The sex and violence are pretty graphic and I found myself speed reading chunks of the book. Only towards the end did I slow down when something of the protagonist’s relationship with his mate Elvis is explored. But even that is left hanging. I’m not even sure the book gets to the heart of what football violence is/was all about. The violence is romanticised and overblown – it is not a realistic representation of football violence in the 1970s. There are better books that cover football violence, such as James Bannon’s Running with the Firm.
I’m coming to the conclusion that giving Kevin Sampson is not my thing…
See http://bit.ly/1DR9r9O for other football fiction
The main character is a middle class A level drop-out who, for reasons not entirely, clear falls into this lifestyle in some sort of quest for self-affirmation following the death of his mother from cancer. It is not explored much beyond the statement: “I see now the time I knew for sure that Mum was dying is the time I started hiding in their midst, looking for a new outlet, a way of expressing myself. Not that I really felt like saying much. I wanted rude action. I wanted out of school. I wanted a job and money. I wanted stuff that that was me (sic), mine – nothing to do with this plan Mum and Dad had mapped out…” That’s about as deep as it gets.
The sex and violence are pretty graphic and I found myself speed reading chunks of the book. Only towards the end did I slow down when something of the protagonist’s relationship with his mate Elvis is explored. But even that is left hanging. I’m not even sure the book gets to the heart of what football violence is/was all about. The violence is romanticised and overblown – it is not a realistic representation of football violence in the 1970s. There are better books that cover football violence, such as James Bannon’s Running with the Firm.
I’m coming to the conclusion that giving Kevin Sampson is not my thing…
See http://bit.ly/1DR9r9O for other football fiction
January 29, 2014
More like a 2.5, but still not too impressive. Maybe I am in the minority since this book seems so well reviewed, but I didn't find much to like here. The main character is a well to do teenager from Birkenhead trying to fit in with a bunch of football hooligans. Comparisons to Catcher in the Rye are definitely correct here, but it emulated it too much at times. Also a lot of specific name dropping of bands and albums, which can sometimes work well, but I felt here it was too forced and people were saying stuff about bands like the Clash that no teenagers would be thinking about in 1979. The main character also has several revelations about his supposed best friend Elvis near the end of the novel which felt totally contrived. Throw that all in with the fact the protagonist is obsessed with fashion and this book is all style and not much else. John King's Football Factory(published around the same time) makes this book look like young adult fiction.
June 8, 2019
Look, yeah, I thought this would be entertaining. I don't know that I thought it would be good, but definitely entertaining.
So when I wrote on the inside cover 'like Trainspotting but with Birkenhead casuals? Or, like, kinda like Catcher in the Rye, according to one Goodreads review' I meant it as a compliment.
And now I'm trying to pay it a compliment. I mean, at least it was short?
It tried too hard to be all things Northern, laddish and nostalgic and ended up being unmitigated shite.
So when I wrote on the inside cover 'like Trainspotting but with Birkenhead casuals? Or, like, kinda like Catcher in the Rye, according to one Goodreads review' I meant it as a compliment.
And now I'm trying to pay it a compliment. I mean, at least it was short?
It tried too hard to be all things Northern, laddish and nostalgic and ended up being unmitigated shite.
August 25, 2023
not gay enough
May 9, 2011
First I saw the movie Awaydays, which I liked a lot. (Especially the amazing soundtrack; Ultravox, Joy Division, Echo & Bunneyman, The Cure etc) I kept in mind the movie was filmed by Sampson's novel. So I bought the book.
Where the movie is a bit dramatic and depressing, the book is more graphic and detailled. Especially main-character Carty.
A lot of details about graphic fights and trips to rival football-teams as Wrexham and Crewe Alexandra. Drawings of the FA-Cup, nights of party's and brawls.
But also friendships, mischiefs and the continue threats are described very well.
I think this book is very complete because it has some drama, family-issues, adventure, action, friendship and violence. It has it all and good combined.
Where the movie is a bit dramatic and depressing, the book is more graphic and detailled. Especially main-character Carty.
A lot of details about graphic fights and trips to rival football-teams as Wrexham and Crewe Alexandra. Drawings of the FA-Cup, nights of party's and brawls.
But also friendships, mischiefs and the continue threats are described very well.
I think this book is very complete because it has some drama, family-issues, adventure, action, friendship and violence. It has it all and good combined.
March 23, 2010
Found this book by accident really, was searching you tube for the one and only blood tub pub which is sadly no more and found the film version of this and then ordered the book. Took it with me on a recent stay in hospital and got one word for it fabulous.
Thought provoking and painfully honest.
Was rather intense reading though so couldnt read it in one go took me a few days to finish which is unusual for me. Dont know wether i would of got as much from it if i hadnt been local though because a main element of the book was the relationship between the different gangs ie the WEB which the authour described and portraied excellently. Well worth a look.
Thought provoking and painfully honest.
Was rather intense reading though so couldnt read it in one go took me a few days to finish which is unusual for me. Dont know wether i would of got as much from it if i hadnt been local though because a main element of the book was the relationship between the different gangs ie the WEB which the authour described and portraied excellently. Well worth a look.
February 15, 2009
"Pointless jobs. Pointless lives. Work. Television. Football. I look across to Wales and I think that the hills are nice. I'll go over there one day and just sit there, for a whole day, and see no one and not say a word. That'll be good. But right now I just feel bad."
"You can't leave"
"You can't leave"
March 23, 2013
Interesting of its time time novel about growing up in late seventies
May 3, 2012
just awesome
May 10, 2012
A snapshot of life following Tranmere Rovers. Fighting, drinking & drug taking being the order of the day. Not a classic by any means but OK, it filled a few hours.
March 15, 2019
Not for me
August 21, 2017
In seinem Debütroman "Auswärtsspiele" taucht Kevin Sampson ein in die englische Hooligan-Szene. Erzählt wird die Geschichte des knapp zwanzigjährigen Paul Carty, der in der Liverpooler Region aufwächst und versucht in der Hoolszene der Tranmere Rovers so etwas wie Geborgenheit und eine Familie zu finden. Seine Mutter ist an Krebs gestorben, das Verhältnis zum Vater ist schwierig, nur zur 15jährigen Schwester besteht eine innige Verbindung.
Die Handlung ist in den letzten sechs Wochen des Jahres 1979 angesiedelt. Der gesamte Roman wird nur aus der Ich-Perspektive im Präsens erzählt. Die Kapitel sind nach Tagen gegliedert. Das Stilmittel des gnadenlos subjektiven Erzählens schafft von ersten Moment an eine intensive Nähe. Man taucht sofort sofort in die Szenerie und ist immer nah dran. Somit hat das Buch jede Menge brutale Momente, denn Sampson lässt seinen Helden die Schlägereien mit anderen Crews bis ins kleinste Detail schildern. Der Held protokolliert die Prügeleien zunächst vollkommen emotionslos, ab und zu blitzt Euphorie durch. Als Leser lässt das einen schaudern. Denn so wie die Prügeleien protokolliert werden, erzählt der Held auch über seine neuesten Klamotten und die angesagteste Musik. Hier scheinen manchmal Parallelen zum "American Psycho" Patrick Bateman auf.
Doch so gefühlskalt ist Paul Carty dann doch nicht. Im Laufe der Geschichte wird erkennbar, dass er nur seinen Platz im Leben sucht, eine klassische Coming of Age-Geschichte.
Mit der Verbindung einer persönlichen Geschichte mit der einer bestimmten Szene, hier den modebewussten Hools der späten 70er Jahre, stellt sich Kevin Sampson ganz in die Linie der großen englischen Autoren wie Irving Welsh und Nick Hornby.
Die Handlung ist in den letzten sechs Wochen des Jahres 1979 angesiedelt. Der gesamte Roman wird nur aus der Ich-Perspektive im Präsens erzählt. Die Kapitel sind nach Tagen gegliedert. Das Stilmittel des gnadenlos subjektiven Erzählens schafft von ersten Moment an eine intensive Nähe. Man taucht sofort sofort in die Szenerie und ist immer nah dran. Somit hat das Buch jede Menge brutale Momente, denn Sampson lässt seinen Helden die Schlägereien mit anderen Crews bis ins kleinste Detail schildern. Der Held protokolliert die Prügeleien zunächst vollkommen emotionslos, ab und zu blitzt Euphorie durch. Als Leser lässt das einen schaudern. Denn so wie die Prügeleien protokolliert werden, erzählt der Held auch über seine neuesten Klamotten und die angesagteste Musik. Hier scheinen manchmal Parallelen zum "American Psycho" Patrick Bateman auf.
Doch so gefühlskalt ist Paul Carty dann doch nicht. Im Laufe der Geschichte wird erkennbar, dass er nur seinen Platz im Leben sucht, eine klassische Coming of Age-Geschichte.
Mit der Verbindung einer persönlichen Geschichte mit der einer bestimmten Szene, hier den modebewussten Hools der späten 70er Jahre, stellt sich Kevin Sampson ganz in die Linie der großen englischen Autoren wie Irving Welsh und Nick Hornby.
December 29, 2025
The front cover of 'Awaydays' has a tagline that says "Like 'The Catcher in the Rye' with Stanley knives..." - and this is true... ish.
'The Catcher in the Rye' is a personal favourite of mine, and one that has stayed with me for ages. I've read it plenty of times and absolutely love Holden Caulfield as a literary character - it never gets old no matter how many times I revisit it. Paul Carty, as a character in THIS book, is essentially a British version of Holden, but one that is (for the most part) pretty unlikeable, amidst all the chaos within its pages.
The 70s football hooliganism aspect of 'Awaydays' is a pretty compelling read, and it is described in such vividness that it feels almost real. Some of the descriptions of their fights (spoiler: there's a fair few) are gruesome and verrrry descriptive. But it's not just about footy - the book explores how Carty and his family are grieving over the loss of his mother, and how that then transcends onto the relationship he has with his father and his sister. At times, it's heartbreaking, and at other times, it's amusing - on the outside, it's a 'stiff upper lip' coping mechanism, but on the inside, it's 'boys get sad too' and the mix of both is well written. But it does make me question whether I like Paul or hate him - I'm still on the fence...
I think that, for me, the book lets itself down by its lack of a proper storyline. Because it's stylised in day-by-day entries, it sometimes made me lose track of where exactly I am or what I'm supposed to remember from where I left of - maybe that's a personal issue of mine, but it meant I had to skim back a few times to catch myself up. Also, I was NOT expecting a few bits to happen (including a very dicey sounding sexual situation which I won't get into) and it shocked me that the book was THIS vulgar in language. Like I get it, hooliganism isn't exactly "please" and "thank you" and all that, but jesus...
Overall, it was a pretty good read. It's even more impressive that this was Kevin Sampson's debut novel too, so I don't doubt that his other books are just as good, if not better, than this. I would recommend this to anyone who likes books that say it as it is, or books that are centred around the more seedy underbelly of Britain and its gangs.
'The Catcher in the Rye' is a personal favourite of mine, and one that has stayed with me for ages. I've read it plenty of times and absolutely love Holden Caulfield as a literary character - it never gets old no matter how many times I revisit it. Paul Carty, as a character in THIS book, is essentially a British version of Holden, but one that is (for the most part) pretty unlikeable, amidst all the chaos within its pages.
The 70s football hooliganism aspect of 'Awaydays' is a pretty compelling read, and it is described in such vividness that it feels almost real. Some of the descriptions of their fights (spoiler: there's a fair few) are gruesome and verrrry descriptive. But it's not just about footy - the book explores how Carty and his family are grieving over the loss of his mother, and how that then transcends onto the relationship he has with his father and his sister. At times, it's heartbreaking, and at other times, it's amusing - on the outside, it's a 'stiff upper lip' coping mechanism, but on the inside, it's 'boys get sad too' and the mix of both is well written. But it does make me question whether I like Paul or hate him - I'm still on the fence...
I think that, for me, the book lets itself down by its lack of a proper storyline. Because it's stylised in day-by-day entries, it sometimes made me lose track of where exactly I am or what I'm supposed to remember from where I left of - maybe that's a personal issue of mine, but it meant I had to skim back a few times to catch myself up. Also, I was NOT expecting a few bits to happen (including a very dicey sounding sexual situation which I won't get into) and it shocked me that the book was THIS vulgar in language. Like I get it, hooliganism isn't exactly "please" and "thank you" and all that, but jesus...
Overall, it was a pretty good read. It's even more impressive that this was Kevin Sampson's debut novel too, so I don't doubt that his other books are just as good, if not better, than this. I would recommend this to anyone who likes books that say it as it is, or books that are centred around the more seedy underbelly of Britain and its gangs.
January 13, 2019
Sampson manages several things at once in this slim novel, set in the suburbs of Liverpool over the course of the final six weeks of 1979. The story follows Paul, a middle-class late teen with a government job who lives at home with his decent father and younger sister. His self-identity is wrapped up in his affiliation with a crew of hooligans who support an awful third-division club. His struggle to ingratiate himself with the group, while questioning his own motives and desires is a mirror of every teen's desire to belong to some kind of group. When not describing the prelude to and execution of battles with other club supporters, Paul is perpetually chasing after girls with his best mate Elvis. His friendship with the perpetually crazy and sad Elvis is another running theme, as is his family life, as the family struggles to remain connected after the death of his mother. Some of the slang and period references (especially the fashion) are beyond even British pop-culture aficionados like me, but the story holds together on its own. Not as impressive as John King's trilogy (The Football Factory, Headhunters, England Away), but still a good portrait of a youth trying to come to terms with himself and his future in the midst of a weird little subculture.
December 14, 2017
I read Kevin Sampson's Freshers a good few years back, when I was listening to John Peel at the weekends and trying to live the student lifestyle despite not being a student, and I really enjoyed it. I'm not sure why I never read anything else of his at the time, but it kinda feels now like I've missed the boat. Awaydays is a decent read, but it really just feels like the same story, only with football casuals instead of students. He's a good writer, and manages to convey that sense of teenage angst well, but it's hard to relate to when you're almost 41 and hate Joy Division.
January 14, 2023
Another book I read just because. The football and fighting talk was lost on me, but I really appreciated the look into gang life and the loyalty, loss and excitement that goes with it. A very real story.
November 30, 2023
I'm not sure how much the movie was meant to be inspired by the book, but very similar to Green Street Hooligans which I loved. Unfortunately the references were too old and not in my geographic area that much of it was lost on me.
December 15, 2024
Helps that I know the area and the club well, I think. Some good scenes capturing the violence and lust of youth but this might've benefitted from a tad more heart. It's touched on, but it might've taken the book to the 5* tier.
October 24, 2017
Basically a book about birkenhead scallies. Well wriiten though.
December 25, 2018
Particularly interesting if you're from the local area...
January 3, 2019
A book that came so lose to being brilliant but the violence and misogyny made me hate most the people in it.
January 10, 2019
I really like Kevin's writing, I've read a few of his books and this is pretty good, football violence, bib and brace, music and madness. good book
April 20, 2020
Slightly more than it says on the tin. Added point for the local backdrop.
July 23, 2023
Actually really enjoyed that, plenty of nostalgia, clothes ,trainers ,music etc of good times gone by
December 10, 2024
Funny re-reading books from when I was 18 and realising maybe I haven’t changed as much as I thought I had
March 13, 2025
Well written, bit flowery at times, and realistic. Laughter and tears and violence and sex and drugs and scousers and wools. I’ll read this again, it’s beautiful and it’s brilliant.
Read
June 18, 2025is right
February 13, 2015
The popularity of films like ''Green Street'' and ''Football Factory'', which depict football violence seem to have increased over recent years whilst the violence itself has been decreasing. This, combined with an increase in the number of ''true life stories'' type books means that those people who took part in this kind of behaviour can now talk about it more freely and to a wider audience. Although marketed as fiction, Kevin Sampson's ''Awaydays'' is one of the latest to fall into this category.
Paul Carty is from a fairly decent area of Birkenhead and shouldn't really be interested in going to football matches purely for the violence. But since his mother's death, he finds it easier to lose himself in a world of casual violence and equally casual sex than to face the home life he would have without her. He inhabits an area between the two worlds, feeling estranged from the family he still lives with, but never being entirely accepted by The Pack, Tranmere Rovers travelling fans, no matter how conformant his dress or how many opposition fans he fights.
The only person who seems to accept him is Elvis, the only other member of The Pack who doesn't seem to match the stereotype of a football hooligan. He not only experiences angst, but he also seems to know how to spell it. Whilst most of The Pack exist only to cause hurt to others, Elvis worries that his continued existence may cause hurt to himself. This not knowing how or even whether they fit in doesn't prevent them from enjoying the life to the full.
''Awaydays'' is six weeks in the life of Carty, in his dealings both within and outside of The Pack. It's written in the first person, from Carty's point of view, which helps give the story a lot more impact and immediacy. It also adds a touch of reality to things, as Sampson seems to get into the mindset of a boy in his late teens very well and focuses on what a boy like Carty would tend to concentrate on. Thus, the sex and violence that forms a major part of his life is recounted in exacting detail, both leading up to, during and in the aftermath of the events. But his dealings with his family and work are largely glossed over, not being important to him.
This sense of perspective reminds me very much of Dave Zeltserman's ''Pariah'' and in the same way as that book, it helps the whole thing seem real. It is credit to Sampson that at no point did I feel I was reading fiction. This book felt so real that it could have been marked as autobiographical and I would have believed it. If this is truly a work of complete fiction, then Sampson is to be applauded not just for his skill with words, but how exact his imagination allows him to be, with both events and emotions.
Whether or not you enjoy the book will depend entirely on how you feel about the subject matter. Whilst Carty himself doesn't carry a knife, Elvis and some of the others do and Carty reports on what he sees when they're used, even down to the patterns of the blood. He's equally graphic in his descriptions of his sexual encounters. If you're prudish or don't like hearing about violence, then this isn't a book you'll enjoy in any way. If you do like that kind of thing, or can handle it, this is an absolute must read story.
If there is one down side, it's that the age and location of the story can make things a little difficult in places. Set in Birkenhead in 1979, there are references to both the location, and the date that show this and makes reading it thirty years later feel a little strange. It doesn't completely exclude the modern reader, but it does leave you with a feeling of detachment. In fairness, however, this is largely how Carty feels at times, so it could be that this is a literary device of such genius that it went way over my head.
This aside, this is an incredibly well told story. Sampson's writing really allows you to get inside Carty's life and, if you can put aside the use of slang and late 1970s jargon and references, it's a strange and wild ride when you get there. I would never have wanted the kind of life Carty experienced in any way, but thanks to Sampson I realise more accurately how distasteful I find this sort of behaviour, as I almost feel as if I lived it for a short while. This, I suspect, is exactly the kind of effect that Sampson was hoping to have with this book; I loved it, but hate myself for doing so.
This review may also appear, in whole or in part, under my name at any or all of www.ciao.co.uk, www.thebookbag.co.uk, www.goodreads.com, www.amazon.co.uk and www.dooyoo.co.uk
Paul Carty is from a fairly decent area of Birkenhead and shouldn't really be interested in going to football matches purely for the violence. But since his mother's death, he finds it easier to lose himself in a world of casual violence and equally casual sex than to face the home life he would have without her. He inhabits an area between the two worlds, feeling estranged from the family he still lives with, but never being entirely accepted by The Pack, Tranmere Rovers travelling fans, no matter how conformant his dress or how many opposition fans he fights.
The only person who seems to accept him is Elvis, the only other member of The Pack who doesn't seem to match the stereotype of a football hooligan. He not only experiences angst, but he also seems to know how to spell it. Whilst most of The Pack exist only to cause hurt to others, Elvis worries that his continued existence may cause hurt to himself. This not knowing how or even whether they fit in doesn't prevent them from enjoying the life to the full.
''Awaydays'' is six weeks in the life of Carty, in his dealings both within and outside of The Pack. It's written in the first person, from Carty's point of view, which helps give the story a lot more impact and immediacy. It also adds a touch of reality to things, as Sampson seems to get into the mindset of a boy in his late teens very well and focuses on what a boy like Carty would tend to concentrate on. Thus, the sex and violence that forms a major part of his life is recounted in exacting detail, both leading up to, during and in the aftermath of the events. But his dealings with his family and work are largely glossed over, not being important to him.
This sense of perspective reminds me very much of Dave Zeltserman's ''Pariah'' and in the same way as that book, it helps the whole thing seem real. It is credit to Sampson that at no point did I feel I was reading fiction. This book felt so real that it could have been marked as autobiographical and I would have believed it. If this is truly a work of complete fiction, then Sampson is to be applauded not just for his skill with words, but how exact his imagination allows him to be, with both events and emotions.
Whether or not you enjoy the book will depend entirely on how you feel about the subject matter. Whilst Carty himself doesn't carry a knife, Elvis and some of the others do and Carty reports on what he sees when they're used, even down to the patterns of the blood. He's equally graphic in his descriptions of his sexual encounters. If you're prudish or don't like hearing about violence, then this isn't a book you'll enjoy in any way. If you do like that kind of thing, or can handle it, this is an absolute must read story.
If there is one down side, it's that the age and location of the story can make things a little difficult in places. Set in Birkenhead in 1979, there are references to both the location, and the date that show this and makes reading it thirty years later feel a little strange. It doesn't completely exclude the modern reader, but it does leave you with a feeling of detachment. In fairness, however, this is largely how Carty feels at times, so it could be that this is a literary device of such genius that it went way over my head.
This aside, this is an incredibly well told story. Sampson's writing really allows you to get inside Carty's life and, if you can put aside the use of slang and late 1970s jargon and references, it's a strange and wild ride when you get there. I would never have wanted the kind of life Carty experienced in any way, but thanks to Sampson I realise more accurately how distasteful I find this sort of behaviour, as I almost feel as if I lived it for a short while. This, I suspect, is exactly the kind of effect that Sampson was hoping to have with this book; I loved it, but hate myself for doing so.
This review may also appear, in whole or in part, under my name at any or all of www.ciao.co.uk, www.thebookbag.co.uk, www.goodreads.com, www.amazon.co.uk and www.dooyoo.co.uk
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