Many publications are ready to compete for the right to interview this author, because he is a writer known for his extraordinary views. It's all about him - John King.
One of the most famous authors of our time - John King (not to be confused with Stephen) - today is one of the most popular English authors. In his works, which are often devoted to football fans, it is impossible to meet prim aristocrats. This is a world in which evil, hatred, violence and lawlessness rule, the heroes are people from the lower class and there is absolutely no intelligentsia.
At the same time, one should not think that the works of this author are absolutely uninteresting, on the contrary, they are full of fairy tales, only their own, special. This is the romance of simple things, its own, special beauty.
King managed to flip the philistine view of English football fans, breaking into literature with his first novel, The Football Factory. He was a kind of pioneer - before him no one tried to describe the life of the modern working class of Britain. King is a child of his culture, a keeper and chronicler of the history of his generation, in particular skinheads, simple and strong guys with uncomplicated traditional values.
Biography, creative milestones
The author was born in 1960 in the city of Slough, kingdom of Berkshire. At 16, he left school, then continued his studies at a technical school. His passion for football came to him a long time ago - even since he began to cheer for the Chelsea club. In addition to football, he was fond of such musical directions as punk, rock, ska, rugby. From childhood he was fond of the works of Huxley, Bukowski, Orwell.
After college, King worked hard and changed many employers. Passion for writing came as a result of reading large volumes of the best works of world literature.
King writes his novels in the same way that artists paint pictures - with tiny strokes, carefully and leisurely drawing details, as if preparing the reader for a shock - and it will happen at the very end. A similar delight after reading books is like childhood memories, when, with longing turning the last page, you think: “Lord, why is this whole miracle not happening to me? Why am I not there ?!”
The most famous novels of John King are the following: "White Scum", "Prison", "Bounty Hunters" and "England away." Here the paintings are given so vividly and originally that the reader has the opportunity to completely immerse himself and feel organically in this reality.
John didn’t lie - the life of the working class in London looked exactly like in his books. Classic English pubs, pints of lager for meaningless conversations, punk concerts in old clubs, crowds of shaved-headed guys and older men rush to football matches. For people who passionately love football, King's works are a real paradise, a fairy tale, a pleasure.
All the novels of John King, as one, are highly social. The author invariably touches upon such problems that it is customary to ignore in society. He is not afraid of condemnation and censure, but invariably follows the direct road to his whole destination - to show society all its vices, to open ulcers, ulcers, abscesses. In fact, few modern writers choose such a difficult path - everyone is eager to write commercial, commissioned literature that is pleasing to the government. However, this is not about King.
Global reflections on destinies are another area of creativity of this English author. This reader is very keenly aware of the novel Human Punks.
However, some critics have recently begun to show the author that he has moved from the topic of football to the non-profit and carefully ignored issue of animal welfare. Skinheads is a book that has become the milestone, the last work of the author before many years of empty silence. However, this novel is so laden with ideas that it cannot be said about it. The work tells of four decades of development of English culture. The author claims: skinheads did not disappear, but entered the mainstream. They are a low-lying part of culture. Its task is to show the positive aspects of the underground movement, while in society and literature it is customary to see only the negative impact of skinheads on young people.
This is especially true of Russian society and Russian culture. One of the heroes of King’s novel joined the movement of skins back in the 60s. of the last century, the code was carried away by ska music corresponding to this trend. By the way, the author himself is also her fan. He is absolutely not a Nazi, like the second skinhead hero, because this work is as relevant as possible and is recommended for reading to the Russian reader.
It is noteworthy that the writer managed to prove himself as a screenwriter, back in 2004, creating a script for the film "Football Factory".
Product reviews
Reader reviews indicate that John King, as an author, is highly sought after by people who think and think. Of particular interest for a long time after writing is the author’s trilogy about football: “Football Factory”, “Bounty Hunters”, “England Away”. This is a real classic of modern English literature. Subsequent works, for example, "White Scum" and "Prison" only strengthened the author's reputation as the creator of acutely social works.
Some say that John’s vision of the football world has changed the mindset of some of his readers. According to them, the world began to play with other colors for them - it would seem that the dirty world of dirty games is not so flat. In football, not only strong guys, but there are real vulnerable men with a truly fine mental organization.
Yes, and most of King’s works on football are not really about football - about the national community that is formed around this national English game.
Many of King's works are based on the thoughts of the protagonist, which allows the reader to penetrate deeper into the essence of the problems raised by the author. Moreover, in his books there is a lot of space for the so-called “total hardcore” - with harsh fights between fans, their fights and lawlessness.
