I don't know if it was because it was written in Scottish dialect or the endless run on sentences that kept repeating, or if it had more to do with the complete and utter lack of plot, but this was the most painful book I read in a long time.

I get that it was the thoughts of a 12-13 yr old boy, and maybe I just can't relate, but WOW I really did not enjoy this book. ( )

I admire what James Kelman was trying to do here with his novel "Kieron Smith, Boy" but ultimately I didn't feel it was successful. The story focuses on Kieron Smith and his inner thoughts as he wends his way through his preteen years, but I found his inner thoughts to be really dull.

This was a real struggle to get through it. ( )

Told through the thoughts and with the voice of one young Scottish lad, Kieron Smith, Boy by James Kelman is in fact, made very distinctive by the Glaswegian dialect that Kieron uses. For me, this made the book a little more difficult but also gave it an authenticity that drew me in. Unfortunately after 300 or so pages this ‘stream of consciousness’ style started to wear thin and I still had another 100 or so pages to go. While the boy’s voice was truly authentic it was also realistic enough that you soon realized that youngsters of this age don’t have much of interest to talk about.

Kieron is growing up in one of Glasgow’s poorer neighbourhoods. His parents are difficult to get a handle on as in Kieron’s eyes, his dad is always behind the newspaper and his mother is always watching the television. His battles with his older brother did bring a smile to my face having been in Kieron’s position with an older sister who always thought she was in the right. The story flows with the day-to-day tedium of Kieron’s observations that carry him from about age 5 through to 13.

A book that started out well but wasn’t able to keep from fading into boredom, Kieron Smith, Boy felt too long for a book where nothing really happens. ( )

vernacular glaswegian a bit too much for me, should check it out again if I evern manage to travel to Glasgow...

I don't think I can come up with any spoilers. I valiantly read this book. It is way overdue & I will have to pay a fine. But I fought through! I'm not sure what I think. I don't know what was being said in places. I understand most of the slang but not all of it & I still am not sure I understand the grammar.

The people didn't make sense. I know, that's because they didn't make sense to him. It was hard to tell if his mind was opening up. I felt sad that he didn't have anyone to talk to & I'm not sure why that was the case. Or what the implications were.

I will be interested to see what the other reviewers say.