Billy Liar

The classic comedy of a 50s youth trapped inside a Walter Mitty fantasy-world, published as a Penguin Essential for the first time.

Keith Waterhouse's Billy Liar (1959) captures brilliantly the claustrophobic atmosphere of a small town. It tells the story of Billy Fisher, a Yorkshire teenager whose imagination knows no bounds.

Key highlights:

• Billy's compulsive lying: Unable to stop fabricating stories, especially to his three girlfriends.
• Life's challenges: Trapped by a dull job and working-class parents.
• Escape through imagination: Billy's happiness lies in grand plans for his future and fantastical day-dreams of the fictional country, Ambrosia.

This timeless comedy offers a unique glimpse into the struggles and fantasies of a youth yearning for something more.