Billy Liar on the Moon
By Keith Waterhouse
When Keith Waterhouse published Billy Liar in 1959 it became an instant classic.
Perfectly capturing the zeitgeist of the era, Billy is a working-class lad living in a humdrum town somewhere in the north of England. He dreams of escape, and particularly escape to London.
The novel was such a success that it became first an award-winning film, then a long running stage musical and finally a TV series. The whole nation followed the adventures of Billy, as he dreamed, schemed and flirted his way through life. But what becomes of him when at last he “grows up”?
In this sequel, sixteen years on, he still hasn’t reached London. Instead, he is stuck in a dead-end job at the town council, with a drunk for a boss and very little to do. Married to Jeanette, ex of the typing pool, they share a small flat with his long-suffering mother.
But Billy can still dream, and he can still charm. He acquires a mistress, and because she is also married much of their affair is conducted at the Heritage Motor Lodge just off the M1. Will his boss spot them and report back to the typing pool?
Written with the irreverent wit which made Keith Waterhouse a household name, Billy Liar on the Moon is a hilarious satire on corporate, provincial life in post-war Britain. Billy is one of popular culture’s great creations – with no respect for age or authority, he remains as real and as charming today as when Waterhouse first put him on the page.
‘Side-achingly, laugh-aloud funny’ – The Times
‘Among the few great writers of our time’ – Auberon Waugh, The Independent
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