{"product_id":"there-is-a-happy-land-9781939140616","title":"There Is a Happy Land","description":"' A]mong the few great writers of our time.' - Auberon Waugh, \u003ci\u003eThe Independent\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'He gets into the mind of his eleven-year-old, sees the world from the height of three foot six . . . The book is vivid, accurate, perceptive . . . how brilliant - and how honestly - the author makes his original effect.' - \u003ci\u003eThe Observer\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'An exceptionally talented novelist.' - \u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'Remarkable for the deep and unwavering insight it gives into child behaviour . . . the candour of his vision and the cunning of his art are such that he captures the very essence of the eleven-minus mind.' - \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Inspired by its author's own childhood experiences, this moving novel is the story of a fateful few weeks in the life of an eleven-year-old boy on a public housing estate. When an eccentric man who is unusually fond of children (they nickname him 'Uncle Mad') moves onto the estate, the wheels of tragedy are set in motion, a tragedy made especially poignant because we experience it through the eyes of the young narrator, who is incapable of fully understanding the significance of the terrible events unfolding around him . . . \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Although Keith Waterhouse (1929-2009) is best known for his classic comic novel \u003ci\u003eBilly Liar\u003c\/i\u003e (1959), many critics believe his first novel, \u003ci\u003eThere is a Happy Land\u003c\/i\u003e (1957), is his best. This edition is the first ever published in the United States and includes a new introduction by Bill Hagerty and the original jacket art by William Belcher.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Valancourt Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50365722755346,"sku":"9781939140616","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_80930144-e59b-4848-8a14-0edd9b8a354e.jpg?v=1728463006","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/there-is-a-happy-land-9781939140616","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}