A Kind of Loving

UK First Edition
1960 - Michael Joseph

Review
Stan Barstow's most famous novel; it is a first-person, present tense story of a young man who has a physical infatuation for a girl, which inevitably leads to a pregnancy and marriage.

This is a wonderful book. Read it!

A Kind of Loving
The Watchers on the Shore
The Right True End

Other information
A Kind of Loving DVD A Kind of Loving was filmed in 1961. It starred Alan Bates, June Ritchie and Thora Hird, and was directed by John Schlesinger. It was released on video and DVD in the UK in 2001.

The trilogy was made into a TV series in 1982, starring Clive Wood as Vic, Joanna Whalley as Ingrid and Susan Penhaligon as Donna. (There is an online petition to get it released on video - please click here to sign it.)

A Kind of Loving Audio Book
It was also produced as a radio play in 1964 on the BBC, and as a stage play (written by Stan Barstow and Alfred Bradley) in 1965 at the Sheffield Playhouse. The playscript was published by Blackie in 1970.

A Kind of Loving was released as an (abridged) audio book by MCI Spoken Word in 1995, read by Richard Huw. It is also available as an unabridged audio book (eight cassettes!), published by Oasis in 1991, and read by Stephen Thorne.

The book was featured on BBC Radio 4's A Book at Bedtime in May 1998, read by Sean Bean.

Availability
A Kind of Loving is in print by Heinemann Educational Services (at a very reasonable price!) as it is frequently used in schools.

The first edition is very easy to find, but generally a bit pricy, as this is Barstow's most famous book. Second-hand paperback copies in good condition are very easy to find.

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