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The Nature of the Beast
Libro usado en buenas condiciones, por su antiguedad podria contener señales normales de uso
138 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1985
4 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Janni Howker
21 books12 followersJanni Howker is a British author who has written several award-winning adult and children's books; she has also adapted her work for the screen. Howker has worked across the UK running creative writing workshops for adults and children, and is involved in several arts development programmes.
She lives in the north of England, where many of her books are set: most notably Martin Farrell, which tells the tale of a boy caught in the midst of the bloody feuds of the Border Reivers.
She lives in the north of England, where many of her books are set: most notably Martin Farrell, which tells the tale of a boy caught in the midst of the bloody feuds of the Border Reivers.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 11, 2019
Truly marvellous, spellbinding. So beautifully constructed; when I was reading it I spent some time going back to take another look at some snippets that unexpectedly gained so much gravitas, for the book builds on itself & goes on a crescendo. Janni Howker, like few other authors (Tormod Haugen, Lygia Bojunga, Sonya Hartnett, Patricia MacLachlan, David Almond...), has such control over the story she's telling you just stand there in complete awe. What is marvellous here is the unflinching examination of a ruined family that insists on go on existing; so much that when another character outside it says exactly this on the last page, defending it from the harsh, unperceptive worldview of a social worker, I was (again) in awe: I didn't realize until then that that family needed defending, that it was such an improper environment for a teenage boy. It's merit of Janni Howker: the relentlessness never becomes preachy and is suffused with tough love and understanding. The breathtaking first-person narrative always finds space for beauty; and we are so in touch with that boy's troubles and dreams and wishes ("If I win the pools, after buying a gunsmith's shop, I'll spend the rest on a farm. I mean, it must be a fantastic feeling knowing the ground you're walking on actually belongs to you!") we can't place him anywhere else, that's his town, his family, his place in the world. But it's not like there's no escape, no, no. That's what's so magical about his crusade against the Beast, when he finally feels like he's taking some control over his life. When things don't go as planned - and his extraordinary story is shunned - he still has a story to tell. And by telling his story I was certain he was going to be just fine despite the open, quite dark ending. Maybe a perfect book. Not a bad bone in this bird.
September 5, 2019
3.75
Would have probably enjoyed this more as a 10 year old. I appreciated it all the same, though.
Would have probably enjoyed this more as a 10 year old. I appreciated it all the same, though.
August 22, 2017
I read this when it came out - God, over thirty years ago, and it highlighted to me at the time, that kids books had more than a simple tale to tell. Writers like Janna Howker, Alan Garner, Michael Morpurgo and alike were simply brilliant in their own right and criminally ignored by too many adults because they wrote children's books!!
It was Howker, like the others noted who brought this home to me, and I've been eternally grateful ever since.
Children's writers have a purpose, that ain't rocket science, but ignore the best at your peril, regardless of your age!Because to be a great kids writer there cannot be a wasted word, you must sustain a compelling storyline that won't lose the reader, but it must be well plotted, and that is lost on too many adults.
So if you want to see what great kids writers can do, try any Howker, or indeed Garner or Morpurgo and tell me I'm wrong. This is a gem of the genre!!
I found this on my bookshelf the other day and immediately the memories came flooding back as to how much I loved this book, and isn't that the stamp of the best books?
It was Howker, like the others noted who brought this home to me, and I've been eternally grateful ever since.
Children's writers have a purpose, that ain't rocket science, but ignore the best at your peril, regardless of your age!Because to be a great kids writer there cannot be a wasted word, you must sustain a compelling storyline that won't lose the reader, but it must be well plotted, and that is lost on too many adults.
So if you want to see what great kids writers can do, try any Howker, or indeed Garner or Morpurgo and tell me I'm wrong. This is a gem of the genre!!
I found this on my bookshelf the other day and immediately the memories came flooding back as to how much I loved this book, and isn't that the stamp of the best books?
November 21, 2020
Loved it. Brilliantly written, raw and fantastic.
August 31, 2018
This book turned up on my TBR shelf one day. I didn't remember putting it there, but apparently one of my kids brought it home from school -- they were giving away old books -- and I grabbed it. I was probably drawn by the Philip Pullman endorsement on the cover.
This turns out to be set in the north of England during the Thatcher years. The local mill shuts down and the town has to deal with the loss of jobs, as well as a mysterious beast which is attacking farm animals and pets. Our protagonist, Bill, is caught in the middle of it --- his dad loses his job and his grandfather's chickens are all killed by the Beast. He is bright and independent, but frustrated and disempowered by adults that don't trust him and a system that doesn't know how to look after people.
This book struck close to home for me because my roots are in the north of England. Bill's grandfather Chunder uses "thee" and "tha" the way my mother sometimes does, and of course I could hear all the accents perfectly in my head.
I liked this; I liked the protagonist/narrator, I liked the story, I liked how the hardness of that life is interwoven with the romance of the hunt for the Beast. It was powerful and well-done.
Sometimes I wonder what it must be like to read books like this when you don't have the background I do. If one of my kids read this book, they wouldn't know by the third page that we were in the north of England, that the letters arriving at everyone's houses were layoff notices, that whole milieu of desperation and forgottenness, of cold and snow and the moors which are so beautiful and so deadly.
The book was published in 1985, and if you were an English kid and picked it up when it was new you'd get it right away, but otherwise... I just don't know. Would it make sense? Would it matter, or would you get the gist of the situation without necessarily understanding the geographical or political context? I guess you probably would, but my reading of the book would be richer than yours. If I picked up a book set in, I dunno, Bombay in 1963 I would be able to follow along and I'd learn some stuff, but I wouldn't appreciate the whole picture. Which is okay -- every reading of every book is different, that's the beauty of it.
Anyway, I'll have to see what my kids think if they ever pick it up.
This turns out to be set in the north of England during the Thatcher years. The local mill shuts down and the town has to deal with the loss of jobs, as well as a mysterious beast which is attacking farm animals and pets. Our protagonist, Bill, is caught in the middle of it --- his dad loses his job and his grandfather's chickens are all killed by the Beast. He is bright and independent, but frustrated and disempowered by adults that don't trust him and a system that doesn't know how to look after people.
This book struck close to home for me because my roots are in the north of England. Bill's grandfather Chunder uses "thee" and "tha" the way my mother sometimes does, and of course I could hear all the accents perfectly in my head.
I liked this; I liked the protagonist/narrator, I liked the story, I liked how the hardness of that life is interwoven with the romance of the hunt for the Beast. It was powerful and well-done.
Sometimes I wonder what it must be like to read books like this when you don't have the background I do. If one of my kids read this book, they wouldn't know by the third page that we were in the north of England, that the letters arriving at everyone's houses were layoff notices, that whole milieu of desperation and forgottenness, of cold and snow and the moors which are so beautiful and so deadly.
The book was published in 1985, and if you were an English kid and picked it up when it was new you'd get it right away, but otherwise... I just don't know. Would it make sense? Would it matter, or would you get the gist of the situation without necessarily understanding the geographical or political context? I guess you probably would, but my reading of the book would be richer than yours. If I picked up a book set in, I dunno, Bombay in 1963 I would be able to follow along and I'd learn some stuff, but I wouldn't appreciate the whole picture. Which is okay -- every reading of every book is different, that's the beauty of it.
Anyway, I'll have to see what my kids think if they ever pick it up.
April 18, 2014
Justifiably an award winner... Beautifully written and paced, by an author who understands how to tell a tale from the inside. This is social realism. No tricks. Characters that matter. A story that matters. Written and set in the 1980's. Just as relevant today.
May 14, 2017
My first impression of this novel was that it looked short and boring. The cover didn't grab me at all. By the end of chapter one I was convinced that my first impression was wrong. I liked Bill's personality, the writing style was simple but it flowed and the perspective was brilliantly written. Bill's dialect was distinct and authentic and it really gave the novel a sense of place.
I didn't like the lack of female representation, however. Mick's mother and the two women in the newspaper office were, as far as I am aware, the only women in the novel. The former received almost no character development: we learned that she abhorred inequality and animal cruelty when Bill described the entrance hall in her home and we saw her depicted as a woman unable to cope independently multiple times: once when Bill's dad hoisted Mick off his son and again when she came begging Bill's dad to get her husband back inside. Usually a lack of strong female influence is a detriment in fiction but the 'thread' that ran throughout Bill's narrative overshadowed this lack.
I spent most of the story fascinated with his temper and his repeated use of the word 'blue'. Bill questioned Mick's tendency to show psychopathic tendencies a few times in the chapters but it never occurred to him that he showed characteristics himself.
The climax was another source of wonder - did Bill really see a panther? Was it real? You'd think that would be enough speculation to end the story on but Howker went a step further. It was revealed that Bill's dad was jailed for two years up in Glasgow and when Bill overhears his teacher talking to a social worker, it also came to light that he was going to be put with foster parents because his granddad was not a suitable guardian. It was a sobering way to end the novel and an abrupt transition from Bill's narrative obsession with the Beast. I cannot say I liked the ambiguity but it was memorable and suggestive of things to come.
I didn't like the lack of female representation, however. Mick's mother and the two women in the newspaper office were, as far as I am aware, the only women in the novel. The former received almost no character development: we learned that she abhorred inequality and animal cruelty when Bill described the entrance hall in her home and we saw her depicted as a woman unable to cope independently multiple times: once when Bill's dad hoisted Mick off his son and again when she came begging Bill's dad to get her husband back inside. Usually a lack of strong female influence is a detriment in fiction but the 'thread' that ran throughout Bill's narrative overshadowed this lack.
I spent most of the story fascinated with his temper and his repeated use of the word 'blue'. Bill questioned Mick's tendency to show psychopathic tendencies a few times in the chapters but it never occurred to him that he showed characteristics himself.
The climax was another source of wonder - did Bill really see a panther? Was it real? You'd think that would be enough speculation to end the story on but Howker went a step further. It was revealed that Bill's dad was jailed for two years up in Glasgow and when Bill overhears his teacher talking to a social worker, it also came to light that he was going to be put with foster parents because his granddad was not a suitable guardian. It was a sobering way to end the novel and an abrupt transition from Bill's narrative obsession with the Beast. I cannot say I liked the ambiguity but it was memorable and suggestive of things to come.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2020
4.75* I got this from a charity bookshop I used to volunteer in. It was in the window and the fact that it was a special hardback edition for younger readers pleased me for some reason.
The story’s told by Billy Coward, who lives with his dad, Ned, and grandad, Chunder, in a Lancaster town called Haverston, who’s main employer is the Stone Cross mill. Hard times hit the town when the mill, as Jim Dalton the shop steward had been warning everyone for two years, is bought out & closes down. Most of the men and women, Ned and Chunder included, find themselves suddenly laid off. Then, reports start to come in that people’s livestock are being brutally killed — by some mysterious beast that roams the surrounding moors, so the rumour goes. And Billy and his best friend Mick Dalton (who’s dad seems to have gone a bit loopy) want to get a picture of it. There’s a potential £500 reward in it for them if they do.
Billy’s such a compelling character. He’s only in school, and he’s not especially bright. But he’s practical, and he has a dream of breaking free from the doldrums, going out into the beyond to tame and be at one with nature. He calls this “the Plan”. And the Beast becomes his unexpected key. But that’s just one facet of this brilliant book. It might be only 140 pages, but it’s so well fleshed out: the characters, their relationships, the setting, the political struggle. I felt I was properly there in a Lancaster town in the early 1980s, feeling the ripples of Thatcher’s reforms through the experience of a working-class kid.
The story’s told by Billy Coward, who lives with his dad, Ned, and grandad, Chunder, in a Lancaster town called Haverston, who’s main employer is the Stone Cross mill. Hard times hit the town when the mill, as Jim Dalton the shop steward had been warning everyone for two years, is bought out & closes down. Most of the men and women, Ned and Chunder included, find themselves suddenly laid off. Then, reports start to come in that people’s livestock are being brutally killed — by some mysterious beast that roams the surrounding moors, so the rumour goes. And Billy and his best friend Mick Dalton (who’s dad seems to have gone a bit loopy) want to get a picture of it. There’s a potential £500 reward in it for them if they do.
Billy’s such a compelling character. He’s only in school, and he’s not especially bright. But he’s practical, and he has a dream of breaking free from the doldrums, going out into the beyond to tame and be at one with nature. He calls this “the Plan”. And the Beast becomes his unexpected key. But that’s just one facet of this brilliant book. It might be only 140 pages, but it’s so well fleshed out: the characters, their relationships, the setting, the political struggle. I felt I was properly there in a Lancaster town in the early 1980s, feeling the ripples of Thatcher’s reforms through the experience of a working-class kid.
December 29, 2016
This is an incredibly well-written book; I cannot believe it has taken me so long to discover Janni Howker. Having already read and enjoyed Badger On The Barge, I knew that I was in the hands of a storyteller who could create a sense of place and people which would seem as real as you or I.
We follow the story of Bill Coward and the Lancastrian residents of Haverston whose lives are rocked by the closure of the local mill: the main source of work for the community. Whilst tempers and frustration soar amongst the inhabitants (including Bill's father and grandfather) rumours of a beast upon the moors also paws into the minds and hearts of Haverston and Bill finds himself on a quest to unveil the beast without and the beast within.
There are too many elements of the book which set it apart from others and, although published in 1985, its message and the questions it raises is still relevant for today. It is a book which asks to be read and re-read, whose dialogue and scenes beg to be played out through drama and rich discussion and whose command of narrative, characterisation and plot is incredible for a first novel.
We follow the story of Bill Coward and the Lancastrian residents of Haverston whose lives are rocked by the closure of the local mill: the main source of work for the community. Whilst tempers and frustration soar amongst the inhabitants (including Bill's father and grandfather) rumours of a beast upon the moors also paws into the minds and hearts of Haverston and Bill finds himself on a quest to unveil the beast without and the beast within.
There are too many elements of the book which set it apart from others and, although published in 1985, its message and the questions it raises is still relevant for today. It is a book which asks to be read and re-read, whose dialogue and scenes beg to be played out through drama and rich discussion and whose command of narrative, characterisation and plot is incredible for a first novel.
June 21, 2024
I was listening to Phillip Pullman's "Dæmon Voices: Essays on Storytelling", and among the various lectures and writings was a strong endorsement of this book by the strength of its ending, an ending I then heard narrated completely out of context yet which intrigued enough to want to know what led to it.
So I borrowed this book, and (it being short) read it in a few hours across two days and was thoroughly impressed. Social realism depicted with care, a distinctive and cleverly crafted narrative voice, a beastial mystery inserted among the daily lives of those struggling to make do within a poverty-stricken town. All through the eyes of a young man who is dismissed at every turn and written in such a way that people of any age could connect with it. The ending was worth the build-up, and this book is worth the read.
So I borrowed this book, and (it being short) read it in a few hours across two days and was thoroughly impressed. Social realism depicted with care, a distinctive and cleverly crafted narrative voice, a beastial mystery inserted among the daily lives of those struggling to make do within a poverty-stricken town. All through the eyes of a young man who is dismissed at every turn and written in such a way that people of any age could connect with it. The ending was worth the build-up, and this book is worth the read.
June 24, 2023
Fantastic book. Timeless. First read as a teenager at school and loved it then. Re-reading as an adult - it’s just as magical. The first person narrative is just wonderful and the characters are great. The adult themes of Billy’s family contrast well with the story of the beast. At school we had to do a continuation of the story for an assignment and I got a commendation at school for it. I grew up in Lancashire in the 80’s and saw some of the fallout from the closing down of coal mines. The closure of the mill in this book hits hard to the reader no matter the reader’s background. The ambiguity at the end of the story keeps your mind thinking about the book long after you’ve finished it. A wonderful, rich, haunting story that still thrills today.
November 6, 2018
This probably falls into the YA category, and it’s certainly an easy enough read, yet the family dynamics and the handling of teenage boy hormone-time is superbly handled – far better than some of the in yer face stuff I’ve scanned recently.
Janni Howker can write the hind legs off a mysterious quadruped, which is so important to my enjoyment of a novel. I quite easily lost myself in the small-town-within-the-moors. So much so, I was halfway done with the book before I noticed it’s written in the first person narrative; something I usually avoid.
Great storytelling, and great writing are hard to beat.
Janni Howker can write the hind legs off a mysterious quadruped, which is so important to my enjoyment of a novel. I quite easily lost myself in the small-town-within-the-moors. So much so, I was halfway done with the book before I noticed it’s written in the first person narrative; something I usually avoid.
Great storytelling, and great writing are hard to beat.
October 4, 2021
This is an exceptionally good book dealing with the psychology of poverty and loss. I would suggest it is suitable for 15+ yo as you it deals with socially realistic topics. I did not expect the ending though, hence the 4 stars. I thought it was a book about overcoming the monster but in the end it was a tragedy.
November 14, 2018
Fantastic teen read - great story in that 'Kes' style (well, you know what I mean). Troubled youths, adult crises, BEAST!
January 21, 2019
The book ended rather abruptly
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2024
It’s very good writing but I don’t get the ending???????
December 10, 2024
On my first read of this I had goosebumps by the end. What a twist.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2014
Howker captures her characters beautifully! They feel real and authentic, just like the story!
It is a story about a boy (Bill) growing up in a small town, raised only by his father - and partially his grandfather. It is a story about a town loosing its last big factory, and with it, it's last big employer. Common people like Bill's dad and granddad suddenly loose their job, having to life on the dole. Bill, not the most motivated student in school, but a practical handyman, witnesses a town of workers falling into a depression. In addition, a wild beast starts terrorizing the surrounding area, attacking kettle and small farm animals. Bill tries to cope with his grandfather moving in with them, his father's unemployment, and the challenge to find the beast. At least he has his best mate Mick, or not?
It is a social commentary of the time the book was written in (1985), but in big parts it can still be applied to today's society.
Told in first person narration by Bill himself, it's an easy to read book - but beware the accent.
It is a story about a boy (Bill) growing up in a small town, raised only by his father - and partially his grandfather. It is a story about a town loosing its last big factory, and with it, it's last big employer. Common people like Bill's dad and granddad suddenly loose their job, having to life on the dole. Bill, not the most motivated student in school, but a practical handyman, witnesses a town of workers falling into a depression. In addition, a wild beast starts terrorizing the surrounding area, attacking kettle and small farm animals. Bill tries to cope with his grandfather moving in with them, his father's unemployment, and the challenge to find the beast. At least he has his best mate Mick, or not?
It is a social commentary of the time the book was written in (1985), but in big parts it can still be applied to today's society.
Told in first person narration by Bill himself, it's an easy to read book - but beware the accent.
December 10, 2016
A young lad coping with his father's redundancy, finds himself investigating the mystery of the beast which everyone says is attacking animals.
This is a young teens novel which thankfully doesn't condescend to its intended audience. Yes, it is bleak, but is an accurate reflection of how life is sometimes. The author does not overstate what happens. Everything is filtered through the perceptions of the young narrator which lends a satisfying ambiguity to some of the plot. Best of all, the ending does justice to what has gone before. This was made into a film around 1988 though I don't recall it being marketed as a kid's film. Not suited for young readers, but there's enough going on to make this a rewarding adult read.
This is a young teens novel which thankfully doesn't condescend to its intended audience. Yes, it is bleak, but is an accurate reflection of how life is sometimes. The author does not overstate what happens. Everything is filtered through the perceptions of the young narrator which lends a satisfying ambiguity to some of the plot. Best of all, the ending does justice to what has gone before. This was made into a film around 1988 though I don't recall it being marketed as a kid's film. Not suited for young readers, but there's enough going on to make this a rewarding adult read.
October 12, 2015
Janni Howker's 'The Nature of the Beast' is an excellent coming of age novel about the experiences of a young boy growing up in a northern industrial town in 1980s England. The closure of the local mill brings upheaval to the world of the boy, his father and grandfather. Meanwhile, there are rumours and sightings of a mysterious beast in the surrounding area. The handling of the first person narration is note perfect, the metaphor of the beast is never overstated, the ending is bracingly unsentimental.
January 6, 2014
I loved reading The Nature of the Beast again. This was another book I loved from my childhood, but I doubt I picked up on the Ken Loach-esque depiction of Thatcherite Britain. In fact, I can't imagine what I did take from this book. It's angry, complex, devastating and certainly beats any of the gangly wizards you find in kid’s fiction today. I would love to read a contemporary example of a book for teenagers about growing up in coalition Britain, if there is one.
January 1, 2015
Set in 1980s in a small town, written from the viewpoint of Bill (main character) a teenage boy whose father and grandfather are about to lose their jobs when the local factory closes. A powerfully written YA book with a lot of raw emotion in the relationship between Bill, his Dad and his Granddad. Fairly predictable in places but a twist in the tale will make you think! Written in the vernacular.
August 2, 2014
On the bleak moors of Hardale, above Haverston, Bill Coward stalks The Beast, a mysterious creature troubling sheep and chickens. Bill’s dad has lost his job and Bill tries to catch the Beast for the reward. No one will believe him when he realises the Beast is an escaped circus panther. When he realises that social workers are coming to take him from his grandpa, he takes off to live off the land as the Beast did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2011
Maybe recomended for teenager, but there is nothing impressive in all book
October 24, 2014
A simple, predictable story, until you get to the end that is. The ending made this book worth enduring. A recommended read for when your to-read is looking too short.
October 17, 2015
Ik heb me erg gestoord aan de vele fouten in deze vertaalde versie, waarvan "gelachkamer" (p. 107) het ergste was.
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