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Kansas in August
A toe-tapping story of life and its wonderful and unexpected complexities. Hilary is a young, attractive teacher with aspirations to be a tap-dancer. Henry, his elder sister, is a crisp, professional psychologist. The unpredictable and unreliable Rufus, a failed pianist, is their lover -- whom neither Hilary nor Henry realise they are sharing. Despite the constant danger of discovery, this unwitting triangle persists, in delicate balance -- until, that is, someone new and totally unexpected enters the frame. Having rescued an abandoned baby boy, found soaked and tearful in a subway, Hilary decides, to his own great surprise, to become a surrogate parent.
160 pages, Paperback
First published March 22, 1988
16 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Gale
43 books707 followersPatrick was born on 31 January 1962 on the Isle of Wight, where his father was prison governor at Camp Hill, as his grandfather had been at nearby Parkhurst. He was the youngest of four; one sister, two brothers, spread over ten years. The family moved to London, where his father ran Wandsworth Prison, then to Winchester. At eight Patrick began boarding as a Winchester College Quirister at the cathedral choir school, Pilgrim's. At thirteen he went on to Winchester College. He finished his formal education with an English degree from New College, Oxford in 1983.
He has never had a grown-up job. For three years he lived at a succession of addresses, from a Notting Hill bedsit to a crumbling French chateau. While working on his first novels he eked out his slender income with odd jobs; as a typist, a singing waiter, a designer's secretary, a ghost-writer for an encyclopedia of the musical and, increasingly, as a book reviewer.
His first two novels, The Aerodynamics of Pork and Ease were published by Abacus on the same day in June 1986. The following year he moved to Camelford near the north coast of Cornwall and began a love affair with the county that has fed his work ever since.
He now lives in the far west, on a farm near Land's End with his husband, Aidan Hicks. There they raise beef cattle and grow barley. Patrick is obsessed with the garden they have created in what must be one of England's windiest sites and deeply resents the time his writing makes him spend away from working in it. As well as gardening, he plays both the modern and baroque cello. His chief extravagance in life is opera tickets.
He has never had a grown-up job. For three years he lived at a succession of addresses, from a Notting Hill bedsit to a crumbling French chateau. While working on his first novels he eked out his slender income with odd jobs; as a typist, a singing waiter, a designer's secretary, a ghost-writer for an encyclopedia of the musical and, increasingly, as a book reviewer.
His first two novels, The Aerodynamics of Pork and Ease were published by Abacus on the same day in June 1986. The following year he moved to Camelford near the north coast of Cornwall and began a love affair with the county that has fed his work ever since.
He now lives in the far west, on a farm near Land's End with his husband, Aidan Hicks. There they raise beef cattle and grow barley. Patrick is obsessed with the garden they have created in what must be one of England's windiest sites and deeply resents the time his writing makes him spend away from working in it. As well as gardening, he plays both the modern and baroque cello. His chief extravagance in life is opera tickets.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 1, 2011
Patrick Gale´s novel Kansas In August was an interesting, if never a very engaging read. It features some rather strange people. There is a man called Hilary and a woman called Henry. They are brother and sister. They share a lover, a bisexual guy called Rufus, but neither brother nor sister is aware of the situation because certain parties have used false names. (It seems that these people always want to be someone else.
Henry is the stronger character. She is a successful medic specialising in often threatening psychiatric cases. Hilary teaches music peripatetically. Some of the children he meets might benefit from the attentions of his sister. Rufus is a partially credible amalgam of a macho man, gay pride, anything, perhaps, that he can think of today. But it is the word “think” that seems to provide the greatest challenge for these people.
They are presented as contemporary Brits rattling around west London. It is apparently always snowing. There are constant strikes and various other social challenges that result in piles of rubbish permanently half-hiding the urban decay that lines the streets. There is much alcohol consumption and occasional drug abuse, probably conceived as recreational, despite the fact that no-one ever seems to have any money.
Hilary finds a baby – yes, a real baby – abandoned in a cot. He seems to think that finders can be keepers and sets about being its foster parent. He seems to be under a personal impression that he can keep his find, as if he had discovered a stray dog or a dropped wallet. He sets about occasional feeding and watering, and takes it out once in a while to provide diversion. A young Asian girl befriends him and develops a crush. And this character, remember, we have been told is au fait with teaching, schooling and other things related to youngsters. As I mentioned earlier, “thinking” seems to challenge these people.
I admit to becoming rather confused as I read Patrick Gale´s novel. I found these people quite incredible and not very likeable. I did not understand and definitely did not empathise with any of their opinions or actions. They all seemed completely self-obsessed, rather crass and, crucially, unable to imaging anything beyond the end of the nose. Even immediate reality seemed to pass them by. But then, perhaps, that is contemporary Britain, something of a dross heap of selfishness. But, given west London and snow, why “Kansas” and why “August” remain two questions that still utterly defeat me.
Henry is the stronger character. She is a successful medic specialising in often threatening psychiatric cases. Hilary teaches music peripatetically. Some of the children he meets might benefit from the attentions of his sister. Rufus is a partially credible amalgam of a macho man, gay pride, anything, perhaps, that he can think of today. But it is the word “think” that seems to provide the greatest challenge for these people.
They are presented as contemporary Brits rattling around west London. It is apparently always snowing. There are constant strikes and various other social challenges that result in piles of rubbish permanently half-hiding the urban decay that lines the streets. There is much alcohol consumption and occasional drug abuse, probably conceived as recreational, despite the fact that no-one ever seems to have any money.
Hilary finds a baby – yes, a real baby – abandoned in a cot. He seems to think that finders can be keepers and sets about being its foster parent. He seems to be under a personal impression that he can keep his find, as if he had discovered a stray dog or a dropped wallet. He sets about occasional feeding and watering, and takes it out once in a while to provide diversion. A young Asian girl befriends him and develops a crush. And this character, remember, we have been told is au fait with teaching, schooling and other things related to youngsters. As I mentioned earlier, “thinking” seems to challenge these people.
I admit to becoming rather confused as I read Patrick Gale´s novel. I found these people quite incredible and not very likeable. I did not understand and definitely did not empathise with any of their opinions or actions. They all seemed completely self-obsessed, rather crass and, crucially, unable to imaging anything beyond the end of the nose. Even immediate reality seemed to pass them by. But then, perhaps, that is contemporary Britain, something of a dross heap of selfishness. But, given west London and snow, why “Kansas” and why “August” remain two questions that still utterly defeat me.
April 25, 2012
A cheeky little novella to tide me over in between hefty tomes. As always from Mr Gale, this was thought provoking book that paints a vignette of someone else's life so vividly you could pick up their interests. That's what I love about his work.
July 17, 2024
I’m really not sure what to make of this book.
It’s obviously an early one, the setting in the 80s gives this away as does the writing style, and the story is a bit of nothing. A bisexual man has affairs with a brother and sister, unknown to both. The brother finds a baby and . The End
It’s obviously an early one, the setting in the 80s gives this away as does the writing style, and the story is a bit of nothing. A bisexual man has affairs with a brother and sister, unknown to both. The brother finds a baby and . The End
November 12, 2021
Patrick Gale writes some interesting books, but I didn’t enjoy this one much. The whole Hilary/Henry thing was cute until it wasn’t. And the Sumitra side story didn’t work at all. I did like the Hilary parts. I think he was the strongest character in the book. I couldn’t understand what Hil and Henry found appealing in Rufus. He seemed like a loser and a moocher. I highly suggest reading Gale’s A Place Called Winter that’s very good rather than this book.
June 11, 2017
Disappointed. This is my fourth Gale book. A Place Called Winter was just terrific and I most certainly enjoyed the others. This one less so. I could not cope with the adoption of Dan. This lacked real credibility. I found the characters shallow and had little empathy for them. An early book - first one?Just shows how a writer develops and improves over the years.
September 26, 2012
this is not my favourite Gale book,but its still agood one, full of likeable characters... which always helps.I think this is where Gale excels, with his characters.
Interesting the way they all were woven into each others lives, and compelling enough to have me reading it in one sitting.
Interesting the way they all were woven into each others lives, and compelling enough to have me reading it in one sitting.
June 3, 2017
Enjoyable and humourous read.
January 28, 2024
what a fun little time! could so see this as 3 part mini series, characters were lovable and silly, blessed to have found this in a charity shop in Kilburn for £1.50
Excited to read Mother’s Boy
Excited to read Mother’s Boy
January 30, 2021
Starts brilliantly when Henry (short for Henrietta), a doctor sleeping in her room in a mental hospital, discovers in her bed the Y-Fronts of last night's junior doctor; meanwhile Rufus, lover of Henry's teacher-wannabe-tap dancer brother Hilary, wakes beside a drug addict on a mattress and travels to a military base to give a 'piano lesson' to a military wife who pays him so she can play to him before they have sex. Then Henry meets Rufus and they each lie about who they are and they have uncomplicated casual sex. Add to this weird triangle a schoolgirl with a crush on Hilary and the baby Hilary finds in an underpass and decides to keep to the joy of his landlady the schoolgirl's mum, and we have the strangest of characters. The setting is London going to the dogs. It rains or snows in almost every scene. The flats suffer power cuts and Henry's patients either hold her up in the car park with a gun or summon her to the top flat in a dark and deserted tower block. The phones rarely work and the transport services are either on strike, or breaking down, or the conductor just throws everybody off the bus. There is rubbish all around because the bin men are on strike and every street is haunted by gangs of muggers. The school where Hilary teaches has a staffroom in the centre of the playground which is under constant attack from the anarchy of the playing youths.
He has a powerful imagination and the urban decay was vivid although it sometimes teetered near to caricature. My biggest problem was that so much was started and unresolved. It reminded me of an episode of Hill Street Blues, a groundbreaking US TV show in which storylines might be introduced purely for the pleasure of not finishing them. After all, real life is like this. And Gale's work was a fascinating mixture of gritty reality, often beautifully described, and fantasy.
And the title? Well it isn't set in Kansas and it is set in winter. A search on Google tells me that a song in South Pacific starts "I'm as corny as Kansas in August".
"At the far end of the street the bulb in the telephone kiosk was flickering out a lonely code." (p 38)
"The poignancy of removing carefully chosen underwear in solitude, however, was insufferable." (p 64)
"It said 'Kingfisher' on it, but the kingfisher transfer had rubbed off, leaving only the bird's head and a snapped-off beak." (p 100)
I'm not sure I have read anything quite like this remarkable book. It's detailed description of a fantasy world reminded me of the Gormenghast novels by Mervyn Peake or Dhalgren by Samuel Delaney.
He has a powerful imagination and the urban decay was vivid although it sometimes teetered near to caricature. My biggest problem was that so much was started and unresolved. It reminded me of an episode of Hill Street Blues, a groundbreaking US TV show in which storylines might be introduced purely for the pleasure of not finishing them. After all, real life is like this. And Gale's work was a fascinating mixture of gritty reality, often beautifully described, and fantasy.
And the title? Well it isn't set in Kansas and it is set in winter. A search on Google tells me that a song in South Pacific starts "I'm as corny as Kansas in August".
"At the far end of the street the bulb in the telephone kiosk was flickering out a lonely code." (p 38)
"The poignancy of removing carefully chosen underwear in solitude, however, was insufferable." (p 64)
"It said 'Kingfisher' on it, but the kingfisher transfer had rubbed off, leaving only the bird's head and a snapped-off beak." (p 100)
I'm not sure I have read anything quite like this remarkable book. It's detailed description of a fantasy world reminded me of the Gormenghast novels by Mervyn Peake or Dhalgren by Samuel Delaney.
June 2, 2009
ok, so I just didn't get this one! I can't even say that the premise behind the story was a good one. Even though, physically, a small book, I dragged through this one for days. Maybe if there was more character development I could find an attachment with the characters but everybody was just suspended.
The three main characters, Henry, Hillary and Rufus, are so disjointed. I never even get the impression that Henry and Hillary are even siblings. They seem to lack total empathy in eachother's lives. Rufus is just a self centered, odious, empty, useless leach so I can't see what the other two even found attractive in him. The end of the story was just out there. I couldn't even understand the whole Henry incident and when Hillary got run over on his bike I was so relieved that the book was just about to end.
I think this was dubbed somewhere as comedy but I must have missed the humour somewhere along the way.
The three main characters, Henry, Hillary and Rufus, are so disjointed. I never even get the impression that Henry and Hillary are even siblings. They seem to lack total empathy in eachother's lives. Rufus is just a self centered, odious, empty, useless leach so I can't see what the other two even found attractive in him. The end of the story was just out there. I couldn't even understand the whole Henry incident and when Hillary got run over on his bike I was so relieved that the book was just about to end.
I think this was dubbed somewhere as comedy but I must have missed the humour somewhere along the way.
September 13, 2016
A so-so messed up tale about a drifter involved with a brother and sister.
January 27, 2015
I really enjoyed this novel...until the end, it turns out I dont like any of the characters and i think the story was cut short. I really did enjoy Gale's writting though and will try another by him
November 17, 2020
3.5*
An eclectic mix of characters in what, in 2020, is an interesting throwback to the mid 80’s (but written as contemporary then).
The theme of trying to find yourself, love and an enjoyable career are just as valid, with folk siezing and squandering and filandering then as now.
Hilary almost seems put up.
Rufus is a confused two timer.
Henry has many issues, stemming from parents.
The absurdity of Hilary being allowed to keep Dan as he did - maybe things happened like that then? I wasn’t socially aware then but they were much different times.
Probably if read when first written it would be a critique of the times, now it is a darkly comic look back at near history.
Though the ending of various threads was quite abrupt.
An eclectic mix of characters in what, in 2020, is an interesting throwback to the mid 80’s (but written as contemporary then).
The theme of trying to find yourself, love and an enjoyable career are just as valid, with folk siezing and squandering and filandering then as now.
Hilary almost seems put up.
Rufus is a confused two timer.
Henry has many issues, stemming from parents.
The absurdity of Hilary being allowed to keep Dan as he did - maybe things happened like that then? I wasn’t socially aware then but they were much different times.
Probably if read when first written it would be a critique of the times, now it is a darkly comic look back at near history.
Though the ending of various threads was quite abrupt.
February 6, 2022
An early story written in the 80’s with the setting of seedy London streets and political strife. This must surely be an intentional attempt at farce and caricature and I did find quite a bit of humour in it, especially the Asian family with the young daughter who unwittingly believes the central protagonist (a young, gay reluctant teacher with a penchant for musicals) to be a Goddess in human form. Taken in this manner, it is a mildly entertaining romp.
January 1, 2025
It is interesting to go back almost to the start of Patrick Gale's career and see how far he has come. Actually all the wit, the drama and everything else that he stands for are already in use and he has merely perfected the art over the intervening 35 years plus. The author gets right to the heart of what it is to be human and all the complexity that this involves, on multiple fronts. It is a juggling act and one which Mr Gale manages perfectly.
August 3, 2019
I’m not entirely sure what to make of this one. It’s a very odd, twisted and dark “slice-of-life” type story, more of a character study than a plot. This is only the second of Patrick Gale’s books that I’ve read and while it’s nowhere near as good as A Place Called Winter, it was still a good (if weird) read with intriguing characters and a slight uneasiness throughout that keeps you reading.
December 20, 2018
An interesting and humorous story.
A fairly short read and humorous. Interesting characters. Not one of the authors best. Suggest reading others though as they are much better and very well written.
A fairly short read and humorous. Interesting characters. Not one of the authors best. Suggest reading others though as they are much better and very well written.
August 5, 2023
I listened to this on Audible. I was drawn into it, it was fascinating in places. As it drew to a close I was gripped, wondering what was coming next. It had an odd ending, not what I was expecting. It was entertaining, interesting, enjoyable even. Not one of my favourites though.
January 5, 2024
I kind of enjoyed this, it reminded me of what life was like for young people in simpler and earlier times. I was not convinced of the reality of events around the baby, and was not sure about the ending. However, I found it reminded me of how it felt to be young and poor in the 80s!
April 29, 2019
enjoyable but not one of his best
November 24, 2023
Really enjoyable, like a Martin Amis without all the macho nonsense.
October 4, 2025
Didn't get this at all.
Characters were confusing and I didn't care about any of them tbh
Mr Gale you have so very obviously improved as your writing has progressed. :)
Characters were confusing and I didn't care about any of them tbh
Mr Gale you have so very obviously improved as your writing has progressed. :)
February 5, 2017
Not the most gripping of Patrick Gales books but it was an enjoyable read.
February 25, 2019
In one of Patrick Gale's earlier novels he tells the story of Hilary, his elder sister Henrietta (Henry) and their lover, bisexual piano teacher Rufus. Whilst always enjoying the author's writing style, I must admit that his earlier works have not usually impressed me as much as much as those from Notes from an Exhibition onwards, by which time he had clearly honed his writing and story-telling style. There were also quite a few somewhat negative reviews of this one so I approached it with some trepidation - however, I was pleasantly surprised to find I really enjoyed both the story and the writing and felt that the main characters came to life. A bit disappointed with the ending as would have liked to have known what happened to the characters later on, particularly in relation to Danny, but a good and quick read nonetheless - 8/10.
August 29, 2012
I'm as corny as Kansas in August, a lyric taken from South Pacific, is about Hilary and Henry, bother and sister, English teacher/aspiring musical actor and psychiatric Doctor. The former finds an abandoned baby, the latter finds a lover and the story is about the impact all this has on their lives.
Hilary was a likeable character and you could feel sympathies with his frustration at being a teacher when he really wanted to be an actor but I became irritated by Henry and didn't really like her, just as I found the lead female character in Areodynamics Of Pork unlikable, this had a slight impact on my enjoyment of the story. That said there were enough twists and humor to keep me page turning and the infatuation Hilary's landlord's daughter had with him was quite amusing.
Hilary was a likeable character and you could feel sympathies with his frustration at being a teacher when he really wanted to be an actor but I became irritated by Henry and didn't really like her, just as I found the lead female character in Areodynamics Of Pork unlikable, this had a slight impact on my enjoyment of the story. That said there were enough twists and humor to keep me page turning and the infatuation Hilary's landlord's daughter had with him was quite amusing.
January 26, 2013
In my experience an author's first novel is often his or her best. I was quite disappointed to find that this is one that disproves that theory. Patrick Gale can be a wonderful, thought-provoking writer (Rough Music, Notes from an Exhibition, A Perfectly Good Man all come to mind) but I found this short book heavy going. To start with, having a the lead female character as Henry and lead male as Hilary was quite confusing to start with (and overall just a bit pretentious)and the story was difficult to get into - it was hard to work out where you were, before or after the last section, who knows whom etc.
Strangely, I started to enjoy the book more towards the end - I was even left wondering what happened to a few characters - but only enough to lift it to 3 stars overall.
Strangely, I started to enjoy the book more towards the end - I was even left wondering what happened to a few characters - but only enough to lift it to 3 stars overall.
October 30, 2008
I have read a number of Gale's books and I always find them to be good reads.
Kansas in August has the normal homosexual theme of Gale's books running through it and in fact it is central to the story unlike some of his other books where it can just be an offshoot or one background character who is gay.
I liked the character Rufus and what seemed on the surface an uncertainty of what he wants in life. But in reality he was the more sure of himself.
Good interplay of characters with a good storyline running through. I could say so much about each of the people in the book but I'd be here forever!
A worth while read.
Kansas in August has the normal homosexual theme of Gale's books running through it and in fact it is central to the story unlike some of his other books where it can just be an offshoot or one background character who is gay.
I liked the character Rufus and what seemed on the surface an uncertainty of what he wants in life. But in reality he was the more sure of himself.
Good interplay of characters with a good storyline running through. I could say so much about each of the people in the book but I'd be here forever!
A worth while read.
January 11, 2017
This is an early Patrick Gale- about the second or so novel of his. It was, as always, a pleasure to read this simple yet descriptive prose. Even more so the characters, Patrick Gale unerringly knows what makes us tick. The story is a mix of a Rogers and Hammerstein musical and a classical Greek play, I’m not nearly clever enough to draw analogies or quote examples. The attitudes here to sex and relationships are a bit 1980s, but the work itself remains very fresh.
I am still holding up my placard with its slogan ‘Read Patrick Gale’. I don’t know why more people don’t
I am still holding up my placard with its slogan ‘Read Patrick Gale’. I don’t know why more people don’t
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews