(B) Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (Alan Sillitoe, 1958) Grade: B
The first book by British writer Alan Sillitoe, Saturday Night concerns a young lad named Arthur Seaton, whose motto is "it's a great life, if you don't weaken." He carries on with little concern for what others believe is wrong--he sleeps with two married women, who happen to be sisters--but despite this, you still empathize with his character. He toils away all day in a factory at a job he dislikes, just to help his family and enjoy some pints on the weekend. You don't completely agree with his actions, but there is something to admire in his fighting spirit. Sillitoe's second novel, The Loneliness of a Long-Distance Runner, also is about disaffected, working-class youth (and inspired a Belle & Sebastian song).