A charming if unspectacular novelisation of the Beatles' first feature film, A Hard Day's Night. Alun Owen's adapted screenplay has some spice, and John Burke seems to be a talented writer who produces one or two flourishes of his own. As a bonus, it re-introduces Paul McCartney's solo scene, which was removed from the final cut of the film. Moving the perspective more towards the point-of-view of Grandfather McCartney (and occasionally Norm the road manager) also gives this short novel enough of a character to stand somewhat apart from its source material. That said, absent the music and the on-screen charisma of the Beatles themselves, this novelisation is only of limited merit, remaining only a pleasant curiosity for fans. ( )