Billy Elliot (Paperback)

by Melvin Burgess (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee!" -Sarah Bailey, Elle

"Poised to sweep the world off its feet!" -Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter

"If you're making up a ten best list of films this year, you'll only need nine more!" -Brandon Judell, Detour

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Billy Elliot's not like his Dad. He doesn't want to learn boxing. He's not cut out to be a miner. But when he stumbles across a ballet class and discovers he's a natural, he realises what he does want to do. This is Billy's gritty and determined struggle, at first in secret, but then with the wholehearted backing of his family, to dance his way to a different future. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Chicken House Ltd (April 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1903434335
• ISBN-13: 978-1903434338
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #946,851 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #12 in

  Books > Teens > Authors, A-Z > ( B ) > Burgess, Melvin

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "It flows, like electricity...aye...that's it..electricity!", April 2, 2001

By	R. Stott (Aurora, CO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Billy Elliot (Paperback)

When Billy is explaining what it feels like to dance, he basically summarizes the whole of this screenplay: "...starts out sort of stiff..." but then, he adds, the dance (and story) unfolds and becomes "a fire....electricity." Since I decided that Billy Elliot ranked as one of my favorite movies of 2000, I felt that the book would offer some insight and help to follow the whole of the story (boy those accents are hard to decipher at times in the movie!) This book, in screenplay form, offers all those one liners and dialogue parts you just missed while watching the movie. Pictures from the movie placed throughout the book are a nice added touch. A very satisfying screenplay of a very satisifying movie! It is simply a wonderful tale of getting out of the hard places and truly soaring towards your goals.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant by far the best book i've read, September 2, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Billy Elliot: A Novel (Paperback)

It is just brilliant although it isn't very long you just have keep reading you cannot put it down it is just brilliant!

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good read, but not up to par with the play or movie, April 2, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Billy Elliot: A Novel (Paperback)

Curiously, this version of Billy Elliot (a novelization written by Melvin Burgess) was obviously written to appeal to young adult readers of about jr. high/high school age, who, strangely enough, would not likely be old enough to go see or even really interested in a film such as Billy Elliot in the first place. This novelization unfortunately washes away the directness and vividness so apparent in the written screenplay. The descriptions interspersed within the dialogue take much of the original starkness of the play and movie away, leaving Billy to seem rather flat emotionally. The strife and hardship of Billy's struggle to attain his goals in light of his difficult family situation is largely defused. Lee Hall's excellent screenplay is FAR superior!! Pick that up and by-pass Melvin Burgess's attempt.