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The Gilt Kid
 
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The Gilt Kid (Hardcover)

by James Curtis (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
RRP: £11.99
Price: £8.36 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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The Gilt Kid + Night and the City + Wide Boys Never Work
Price For All Three: £24.74

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 240 pages
  • Publisher: London Books (4 Oct 2007)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0955185122
  • ISBN-13: 978-0955185120
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 13 x 3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 155,118 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Morning Star, October 15, 2007

A great read which has been out of print for far too long.


Eastern Daily Press, October 20, 2007

A terrific read
See all Product Description

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Gilt Kid
65% buy the item featured on this page:
The Gilt Kid 5.0 out of 5 stars (3)
£8.36
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Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Lost classic of low-life London fiction, 23 Nov 2007
The name James Curtis might be unfamiliar to many, but for fans of London fiction, this is required reading. Written in 1936 and with a cast of criminals, low-lifes, prostitutes and down-and-outs, this is an incredibly vivid and authentic vision of a side of London seldom depicted in fiction at the time. But while it's surprisingly visceral and anti-authoritarian, this isn't mere sensationalism. Curtis was a well educated man, albeit one steeped in the world he wrote about - so much so that his use of obscure underworld slang is exhilarating and occasionally baffling. And his aim was to give a voice to the people on the bottom rung of the social scale, and show how society, and the law especially, was stacked against them. But this isn't a political novel - it's a brilliantly written thriller. It's also worth noting that unlike certain other British novels of the era, this doesn't try to imitate the American 'tough-guy' school of literature; this is a uniquely British twist on 'noir' fiction. Once you've read it, you'll be itching to track down the rest of Curtis's work. No easy task at the moment, but lets hope London Books continue with their plan to put out some more.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling London literature, 5 Mar 2008
The Gilt Kid - like Night And The City by Gerald Kersh, also from new outfit London Books - is a striking read that is rich in working-class dialogue, sense of place and subtle yet relevant socio-political observations. Kennedy (aka the Gilt Kid) is just out of prison and roaming the mean streets of 30s Soho, a thirsty youth at home with the petty criminals and prostitutes filling his favourite pubs and cafes.

Author James Curtis was a drinking partner of Gerald Kersh and both men knew The Fitzroy Tavern, which happens to have been the `office' of another
recently rediscovered London talent, Julian Maclaren-Ross. This link is
further developed with Paul Willetts supplying an excellent introduction for this edition; Willetts is the biographer of Maclaren-Ross and has edited several collections of the dandy's work. The net tightens, coincidences occur, and this is also true of The Gilt Kid.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in London
literature, good storytelling, street slang and, above all, the socialist
book-writing tradition that thrived in the pre-war years.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A Golden Book, 16 Oct 2009
By Ladywebslinger (Brighton United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
Slang-rich, fast-paced, engaging, The Gilt Kid is a fascinating insight into lowlife London in a bygone era. I disagree with the other reviewers in one regard: you don't need to be fascinated about London in the 1930s to get something from this book. As a study in the social challenges faced by those on the margins of society, it's a read that has a timeless quality, parochial as it is in its language and setting. Yes, you have to puzzle out the slang at times, but that's all part of the fun. Bleak chic at its brilliant best.
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