Kieron Smith, boy Paperback – 30 April 2009

Kelman is one of the most original and honest writers writing in English today. He writes about the lives of the millions, in this case the inner life of a working class child and his family on a housing estate. Not an easy read for Guardian readers whose street life is confined to wine bars within a mile of London Bridge - but go ahead anyway, and give it a try...and get acquainted with reality

I'm a fan of Kelman's previous work but had no real indication of what to expect from this novel. What grabs the reader first is the canny way Kelman is able to voice the inner thoughts of a young boy, not in the way a grown up would perceive a boy would sound like but what a pre-teen boy actually thinks and feels in real-life, well, in a post-war Glasgow life. That is the other dimension to this novel. Kelman gives you a glimpse into what life was like growing up first, in a traditional Glasgow tenement then moving onto the new 'schemes'. On the one hand, you get a sense of the rich and tight community links in Kieron's old neighbourhood which are then replaced by what feels like a more dispersed community when the family moves into one of the modern flats in the schemes. What is also marvellously illustrated is the underlying sectarianism which sucked in boys as young as Kieron who doesn't obviously appreciate the political dimension, but is only to ready to repeat the 'we will never surrender, never ever, ever, never' chants. Overall it's a beautifully crafted work that lets you inhabit the mind and inner workings, traumas, trials and tribulations of a young boy coming trying to navigate his way into puberty.

Great read. Book delivered on time.

Life is too short to spend much time on this book. I hate to leave a book unfinished but couldn’t see the point of this - and neither could the majority of my book club members. It’s definitely a marmite book.

I skimmed and was annoyed by all the ****ing of profanities. Then I read and realised it was a ploy. Doh!

I've read just about everything James Kelam has ever written and I must admit that I find it difficult to criticise him.This book is one of his best. Never mind the stuff about him giving a voice to the dispossessed and disenfranchised,which I happen to agree with and think important;this is a superb book about childhood , growing up and family life which will stand the test of time. Kieron's observations and perceptions of the adult world and the ups and downs of friendship are so unaffected and honest. I could write all night about him but my gut reaction , having just finished the book , is that Kieron is the closest you will ever get to a modern , urban ,working class knight. Kelman might not like me for using the word, "knight" but his eponymous hero's honesty , humanity and generosity of spirit strike me as epitomising the chivalric ideal.He always tries to do the right thing in his own humble way. He is not a "boaster" and he never lets his mates down.I notice the Times review compares this book with The Catcher in The Rye-preposterous! This book is much better !You must read it.

Utterly brilliant writing. It's impossible not to feel fully immersed in the inner workings of Kieron Smith's mind. And the way in which the reader is taken on this journey is incredible, as gradually, imperceptibly, through subtle shifts in language we sense Kieron grow and change, maturing in age, and toughening to fit in with the shape of the world he finds himself in. If you love literature with a soul as well as a voice, then you must read Kieron Smith, Boy.

Why would I want to know every single banal thought of an unremarkable and uninteresting child with an unremarkable and uninteresting life? Maybe this childhood is just too remote (geographically, socially and temporally) from mine to identify with it, but even the child's own "voice" did nothing to me. It contrasts well with J.M. Coetzee's Boyhood and Youth, where a removed and abstract style, in comparison to the allegedly "involving" style of Kieron Smith, touched me far more deeply.No disrespect to James Kelman, however, very impressive to be able to carry this through, and all in all a worthwhile read. Who knows, maybe you'll identify with the boy.

Kelman is unique. Deserves a broad readership.

I love James Kelman's writing! They are not always the easiest books to read, but they are so worth the effort! The characters are so rich in depth and his insight into the Glasgow character is second to none. I loved this book! My partner grew up in the same area as Kieron and could relate to so much to Kieron's experiences. I would rate this as one of the best of James Kelmans novels and highly recommend it.

Imagine, if you will, the first chapter of Joyce's A Portrait of The Artist as A Young Man turned into a 400 page interior monologue novel of boyhood, but transplanted from Dublin, Ireland to Glasgow, Scotland in a post WWII era working-class setting. That's is the best way I know to summarise the novel for readers unfamiliar with Kelman's strong, hard-hitting yet melodiously lyrical voice with which he endues all his characters and narratives.Kelman never fails to amaze with his ability to put himself into his characters' minds, their entire worlds. In this case, the reader is translated into the world of boyhood and reminded of both how wondrous and how terrible it is to be a child. Kelman's narrative power is such that any adult reader is bound to find himself/herself having Proustian moments of reflection induced by this book, and incidents of childhood long-forgotten will spring suddenly to life, sparked by a minute detail. For Kelman, whilst melodic and lyrical par excellence, is also very detailed, perhaps a tad too much so in parts. Indeed, whole sections of this book could be torn out and reassembled into a book entitled something like, "A Young Lad's Manual for Climbing Trees, Drainpipes and Other Features of The Urban Landscape." This is the only fault I find in the book: These sections lead to rather strained longueurs, or they did for this reader. It is for this reason also that I don't find the book quite meets the standard set by "A Disaffection" and, especially, "How Late It Was, How Late." It's just not as relentless in its execution and power over the reader. But, this is a very high standard indeed for any book to meet. Kelman is the greatest living Scottish writer!I leave the reader with one of those wondrous haunting moments so peculiar to childhood, described herein thus:"It was all smashing for playing. Except how the big boulders and stuff was all quiet, it was quiet. Ye could not hear nothing only maybe the wind, just a wee bit. So if it made ye feared, ye could see how it did, ye were just there and nobody else. There was no any sounds, there was just no any sounds. Oh but birds, high up, ye saw them, whirling about, wee specks. Then just the sheep and they were just away high up, right away at the very top, ye looked and there was one farther up, and the wind was making the grass shiver. I liked the sheep."

I love to read Scottish and Irish authors because I enjoy their styleand also giving me some insight into their perspective of their lives and the larger world. Before long us Americans will also be calling the police, soldiers. I am relating more and more with this, as our police here are becoming increasingly more militant. Just finished Kelman's "How Late It Was, How Late". Great great great- heavy stuff.