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Title: About a Boy by Nick Hornby ISBN: 1573227331 Publisher: Riverhead Books Pub. Date: 1999 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.25
Rating: 5
Summary: Still With His Finger On the Pulse
Comment: In this follow-up to his smash hit HIGH FIDELITY Nick Hornby gives us another hip Londoner in his mid-thirties to sink our contemporary teeth into. Will Freeman's name alone should indicate sufficiently where his character is coming from--he's jazzy, he's today, he's independently wealthy--heck, he's almost archetypal "men's-magazine cool." Sub-zero Will may be, but ah, that's about as far as his life's ambition impels, so don't ask him to be godfather to your child. That independent wealth thing, as many of us could stand to risk finding out, cuts both ways. Will's not rich, mind you, it's just that his breezy middle class lifestyle simply doesn't require that he work--he lives off the royalties of a Christmas song his late father wrote. It stands to reason that he cringes at hearing "Santa's Super Sleigh" and would just as soon give the holidays a miss.
But Will is not the "boy" of the title--not really, anyway. The boy is Marcus--twelve-year-old son of an overly sincere, political-vegetarian, Joni Mitchell fan of a depressed single mom that won't let him be a kid. The book is the story of Marcus and Will's friendship and the two are actually dual protagonists--Hornby does a fine job balancing their perspectives with a third person narrator limited in omniscience to the two of them. Marcus is a strange kid who is done no favors by his strange mother. He is also a lonely and tormented pre-teen, but still has the wherewithal to blackmail Will into a friendship. This after he finds out that Will pretended to have a child just to meet single moms. As you can see, theses two don't have your typical Big Brother program relationship.
Hornby masterfully--and without seeming to exert himself--conveys the world that both Marcus and Will have to grow up in. His secondary characters aren't as fleshed out as some might desire, but nor are they the stereotypes you might find strolling the sidewalks in any given city. ABOUT A BOY is a sharply written, fun-to-read tale about the inevitability of engaging with life. It doesn't surpass HIGH FIDELITY, but this book sure does live up to it admirably. Give us more, Mr Hornby!
Rating: 5
Summary: About a great book
Comment: Having watched the movie around seven months ago, I decided that reading the book upon which About a Boy is based would be a good idea. After all, the movie was good and the books are usually better than the movies, so what could go wrong. Happily, not much.
This novel is about two characters: Will and Marcus. Will is a shallow man who knows he is shallow and enjoys it immensely; thanks to an inheritance, he is financially independent, so he spends his days having fun and avoiding commitments. Marcus, on the other hand, is a twelve-year-old plaugued with a depressed mother and a school where he does not fit in. Will needs more depth in his life, and in ways, Marcus needs more shallowness. It is left to the reader to determine who is the boy in the title.
This is a funny book but it also has real heart. Done incorrectly, Will could come off unpleasant, but Hornby succeeds in making him likeable. Marcus could come off as pathetic, but he is definitely better than that. Since this story is character-driven (what plot there is exists only to further character development), it is essential to have interesting, multi-dimensional characters and this book has plenty of them. Even Will, who strives to be one dimensional, has more to himself than he would like to admit.
For those who have seen the movie, the first two-thirds of the book is very similar to the film; on the other hand, the last portion goes in a different but successful direction. Thus, whether you've seen the movie or not, this is a great read, fun from start to finish.
Rating: 5
Summary: Fun from the first to the last page!
Comment: Nick Hornby's About a Boy portrays the story of two people helping each other to grow up, fit in with others and face the challenges of living. Will is a thirty-six-year old Londoner who proudly acts like a teenager. He lives on his father's wealth and spends all his time browsing around for CDs, watching TV, and dating women. Marcus is a strange twelve-year-old who has trouble fitting in at school and dealing with his even stranger, depressed mother at home. Things are changed on the day Will and Marcus meet. Will is just chasing after a girl on a weekend picnic, when Marcus, with all his troubles, enters into his life. Reluctantly, Will becomes Marcus' friend, and Will's place becomes Marcus' escape from his school and his suicidal mother. As Will helps Marcus deal with his problems, Marcus brings Will back to face reality, and he helps fill the empty part of Will's life.
The best thing about this novel is the way it was written. The voice of the characters truly illustrates their ages, and the readers feel as if they are listening to real people in a real situation. In spite of the darkness and seriousness of the events, Hornby's style is not depressive. While providing a sense of irony or humor, he turns simple everyday-life events into a drama.
Will and Marcus are unique characters, who will make the story unforgettable. Hornby keeps the audience curious and wanting to continue. Marcus' good intentions and naive behavior are clearly evident in how he always cares about other people's feelings and tries to protect them from their misery. Also readers will enjoy Will's coolness, fashion and convenient lifestyle. They will see how Will's life is changed when he meets Marcus, "He'd had his whole life set up so that nobody's problem was his problem, and now everybody's problem was his problem, and he had no solutions for any of them."
About a Boy is enjoyable from the first to the last page. It is funny, meaningful and worthwhile, and is suitable for adults as well as teenagers. Readers will enjoy the sarcasm and the humorous style. However, since the book often mentions serious issues about the meaning of life, a young audience might not understand or find it interesting. People who read this novel will, along with Will and Marcus, gain a better understanding about their position in the world, and they will become better survivors, while seeing the rewards of cherishing friends and family.
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Title: High Fidelity by Nick Hornby ISBN: 1573225517 Publisher: Riverhead Books Pub. Date: 1996 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: How to Be Good by Nick Hornby ISBN: 1573229326 Publisher: Riverhead Books Pub. Date: 30 April, 2002 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby ISBN: 1573226882 Publisher: Riverhead Books Pub. Date: 1998 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Speaking With the Angel by Nick Hornby ISBN: 1573228583 Publisher: Riverhead Books Pub. Date: 06 February, 2001 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title:About a Boy (Widescreen Edition) ASIN: B00005JL7Q Publisher: Universal Studios Pub. Date: 03 June, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.98 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $12.99 |
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