Freshers by Kevin Sampson

by Kevin Sampson

The world of student life has been neglected by novelists -- until Kevin Sampson’s Freshers.Kit Hannah is about to start University. He’s funny, clever and popular -- anybody would think he’d relish the prospect. But Kit is harbouring a dark foreboding he dare not share with anyone else. It’s with a heavy heart that he leaves home to begin a new life in Sheffield. At the vast and alienating hall of residence he meets Jinty, a psychology student six years older and much more worldly-wise. She becomes fascinated by Kit. When he wants to be, he’s the life and soul of the party -- and there are lots of parties, lots of sex, lots of very bad behaviour. Kit is naughty, witty and compassionate and everyone wants to be his friend. But more often than not, he withholds that friendship and retreats from the gang. The object of Kit’s affections is Colette -- yet whenever he gets close to her, something seems to hold him back. It is Jinty, and the experience of surviving away from home for the first time, that help him confront himself and beat his demons.

Genres: Fiction, Novels, Contemporary

Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Kevin 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.

Reviews

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

After covering football hooligans (Awaydays), pop music (Powder), package tours (Leisure) and Liverpool criminals (Outlaws and Clubland) in previous books, Sampson turns his attention to the terrifying time of life known in the UK as "Freshers Fortnight." In the US, this is called "First Year Orientation"-but whatever the name, it's a time of mighty highs and lows as hordes of teenagers leave home for their first year of college. The novel does a nice job of portraying the haphazard struggle to make friendships, forge identities, and survive homesickness that characterizes those first few months.
Set in Sheffield, the story is told through Kit Hannah, a cooler-than thou indie music maven who, behind a thin veil of cynicism and misanthropy, is not as different from his classmates as he thinks. He's quite the teen Holden Caufield, finding everyone phony, and distrusting friendliness. But it doesn't take much convincing for him to be sucked into the vortex of pubs, clubbing, dorm room spliffs, and deep meaningful talks that are the staple of college life everywhere. Soon, he's amassed a little circle of friends that will sustain and define his first year. The people that make up this supporting cast are all quite easy to imagine (the public school athletic type, the sexy older woman student, the sassy but undesirable galpal, the poseur tall-tale teller, the American uberfeminist, etc.), but a touch too melodramatic. Each one has some kind of hidden secret or quality that defines them, and eventually each will be revealed to Kit and the reader. Of course Kit has his own deep dark secret, and it's a pretty startling one that explains much of his problem with people.
The story is set entirely outside the classroom, taking place mostly after hours, as Kit struggles to make sense of his new life and what all these new people mean to him. As the story cascades through pubs, parties, restaurants, and dorm rooms, it's studded with plenty of comic moments, along with a number of those wince-inducing embarrassing scenes that are the staple of that first year of college. It's a never-pretentious, but occasionally soap-operaish trip back to that time when we all struggled desperately to stay true to ourselves and fit in enough to make friends and live happily. Admittedly, it very nearly goes over the top at times, but the incisive dissection of Kit's insecurities make it a memorable read.

[Gareth Reeves · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this at Glastonbury 2004 on a wet Sunday morning in a tent. It is possibly the worst novel I've ever read, containing cliches, weak characters and uncomfortable scenes, and the twist ending is not achieved by the author and so made me feel indifference (as well as disgust). It was recommended by a clueless friend, who claimed that it was the best book ever written. I don't tend to take recommendations any more.

[Sarah Goodwin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bought this book because I was looking for something funny and relevent to the university experience, but I was let down by it after only fourty pages. Largely as a result of personal taste, I must hasten to add, grammatically the book was well written, and the description and characters were very convincing.

The book suffers from a problem that turns me off of some books - the feeling that the main character is someone's w*** fantasy.

The main character of this book goes on about how women are just bound to find him attractive, so he'd better avoid socialising altogether because he doesn't want to attract them like moths to his flame. He talks about how good his arse looks in cords, and a great deal more teenage boy drivel. He's at uni to learn, not to meet people, and his vocabulary is amazingly enourmous (something the reader can't fail to notice as out of place words are used on every page).

I flicked through the book to see if the nauseating idiot got his comeuppance, or even changed at all - only to find that pretty much every page I landed on was a description of a wet dream or sexual experience (why two women would fawn over this moron I have no idea) and the main character taking cocaine.

I have no problem with any of these things, they're actually reasons why I might BUY a book - but the main character was so awful that I left this book on top of a bin for someone else to find. Hopefully a fifteen-year-old (male) virgin - because that's who this was clearly intended for.

[Ian Mapp · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not at all sure about this book. I think the main problems are that it is so different to the excellent Outlaws (not vernacularlly based but a standard story), its about students (never the most sympathetic of characters) and, the biggest fault, its too long to carry off the lack of drama.

Kit is 17 and away at UNI. Not sure how he is so young. He is popular. witty, clever and cultured in all things indie. He does, however have his hangups and has trouble making friends and is terrified of girls. Eventually on his first night out he meets Junity and an assortment of others...

Jinty is older lady. very tall and Kits eventual saviour.

Adrian Dangerous is a bit of toff twat who kit ribs mercilessly. Then there is benny a pathological liar, an asian girl who loves Kit and alex, a feminist opinionated exchnge student.

There are endless rounds of drinking, clubbing and drugs before the revelation about why Kit finds it hard to face peope and girls is revealed. Kit had two sisters and a playfight got out of hand when he was 12 and his elder sister fucked him and then told him he had a small cock.

Jinty then saves the day and assures him that it is normal.

Completely different to Outlaws, which is both good (shows range) and bad (i loved outlawas) and surprisingly lacking in humour.

I will continue and go for something else of his later.

[Alejandro Shirvani · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an OK read especially if you are familiar with the city of Sheffield, as the book is set there and you can identify with the streets and pubs. A lot of the characters are quite funny satires of the type of people you meet at university. The only downside for me was there are a couple of quite dark themes involved in this book, whilst a lot of the tone is light hearted, and I found it difficult to switch moods.

I think it would have been better toned to be like Starter For Ten by David Nicholls - funny with a few poignant insights in to common struggles of student life rather than being as dark as this in parts.

That said it is worth the read, I think students would like it.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book probably wouldnt stand alongside any Booker shortlisted novels as far as outstanding literature is concerned, I did find it entertaining, witty, funny and at times poignant.

The ending was particularly moving (I wont spoil it) as were the interactions between the main protagonist and his student mates Jinty, Petra, Adie, Ben and Simon. The storyline reflected the rollercoaster nature of relationships, sexual or otherwise, at university and in this sense it was provided a real dose of nostalgia.

[Steven Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

"if you are interested in the lifestyle of first year students, their angst, their desperation to lose their virginity, their self-pity, drinking habits, their getting off their heads on magic mushrooms, and their propensity for self-pleasuring themselves, then you will probably like this – otherwise don’t bother." Full review at: http://stevek1889.blogspot.co.uk/2014...

[Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminds me of Sheffield.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this when i was a young teenager and thought the characters were so old and mature, now they seem like kids. good read though, really captures the madness of first year