- Shopping Bag ( 0 items )
Available on NOOK devices and apps
Want a NOOK? Explore Now
Want a NOOK? Explore Now
Winner of the 1999 E.M. Forster Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Hornby's protaganist is Will Lightman, a perennial guest at life's eternal cocktail party. Due to a happy accident of birth, Will has never had to work; but, as his friends have drifted away into meaningful marriages and careers, he finds himself, at 36, mostly alone, desperately hip, and leading the quintessential unexamined life. Then, a chance affair opens his eyes to a unique opportunity for endless low-emotional-risk liaisons: lonely divorced mothers! Ever resourceful, Will passes himself off as a single father, signs up for the next meeting of Single Parents-Alone Together, then blithely sets out to hold auditions for his next conquest. But things don't turn out exactly as planned. Through a complicated chain of events, Will finds himself the de facto guardian of a peculiar 12-year-old trouble magnet named Marcus, who soon susses out the truth behind Will's rather dodgy secret but cultivates Will for reasons of his own.
How these two emotionally stunted misfits learn to build a meaningful relationship makes for an intensely affecting and genuinely comic story. Like its predecessor, this irrepressible joy of a novel synthesizes dead-on cultural references and keen observation of the human condition. Nick Hornby's prose may have an English accent, but his theme is universal. Greg Marrs
Nick Hornby is the author of the novels How to Be Good, High Fidelity, About a Boy, and A Long Way Down, as well as the memoir Fever Pitch. He is also the author of Songbook, a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle Award, and the editor of the short story collection Speaking with the Angel. The recipient of the American Academy of Arts and Letters E. M. Forster Award for 1999 as well as the 2003 Orange Word International Writers’ London Award, he lives in North London.
However, to dismiss Hornby's writing as the testosterone-laced equivalent of "chick lit" is to seriously underestimate his talent. The New York Times Book Review put it this way: "Hornby is a writer who dares to be witty, intelligent and emotionally generous all at once. He combines a skilled, intuitive appreciation for the rigors of comic structure with highly original insights about the way the enchantments of popular culture insinuate themselves into middle-class notions of romance." (As further proof of his standing in the literary community, a group of distinguished colleagues -- including Germaine Greer, Zadie Smith, and Doris Lessing -- honored Hornby with the 2003 London Award.)
After graduating from Cambridge, Hornby worked a succession of jobs (he taught school, gave language classes, and served as a host for Samsung executives visiting the U.K.) before becoming a journalist. He wrote a series of pop culture columns for the Independent and wrote about music, books, and sports for Esquire, The Sunday Times, Elle, and the Times Literary Supplement. Then, in 1992, Hornby published a hilarious sports memoir about his maniacal obsession with Britain's Arsenal Football Club. A huge bestseller, Fever Pitch won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award and helped to give soccer a cachet far beyond its formerly "blokey" appeal. His debut novel, High Fidelity, appeared in 1995. Teeming with hip music and pop culture references, this story of a thirty-something record store owner lamenting his failed romantic relationships struck a responsive chord with readers on both sides of the Pond, paving the way for his bestselling 1998 follow-up, About a Boy.
Critical praise and literary honors have followed Hornby throughout his career: His 2001 novel How to Be Good won the WH Smith Fiction Award and was nominated for a Booker Prize; A Long Way Down (2005) was shortlisted for both the Whitbread Novel Award and the Commonwealth Writers Prize. He is the author of a bestselling novel for young adults (Slam), and his nonfiction essays have been collected into several anthologies, including The Polysyllabic Spree, Housekeeping vs. the Dirt, and Songbook (published in the UK as 31 Songs). He also serves as a pop music critic for The New Yorker.
Hornby has admitted that when he first began writing, voice was a problem. "Everything changed for me when I read Anne Tyler, Raymond Carver, Richard Ford, and Lorrie Moore, all in about '86-'87," he has said. " ... voice, tone, simplicity, humour, soul ... all of these things seemed to be missing from the contemporary English fiction I'd looked at, and I knew then what I wanted to do."
Hornby is the father of an autistic son, Danny. He is also a co-founder of TreeHouse, an English charity school for autistic children. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Speaking with the Angel, an anthology of stories he edited in 2002, was donated to TreeHouse.
Writer Zadie Smith has credited Hornby for "reintrocuding the English novel to its long-lost domestic roots."
Music is still paramount in Hornby's life. He has a longstanding relationship with the American rock group Marah and has collaborated with them in music/spoken word performances on several occasions.
Hornby writes a monthly column, "Stuff I've Been Reading," for The Believer , a literary magazine published by Dave Eggers's McSweeney's publishing house.
Chapter 2
How cool was Will Lightman? This cool: he had slept with a woman he didn't know very well in the last three months (five points). He had spent more than three hundred pounds on a jacket (five points). He had spent more than twenty pounds on a haircut (five points) (How was it possible to spend less than twenty pounds on a haircut in 1993?). He owned more than five hip-hop albums (five points). He had taken Ecstasy (five points), but in a club and not merely at home as a sociological exercise (five bonus points). He intended to vote Labour at the next general election (five points). He earned more than forty thousand pounds a year (five points), and he didn't have to work very hard for it (five points, and he awarded himself an extra five points for not having to work at all for it). He had eaten in a restaurant that served polenta and shaved parmesan (five points). He had never used a flavoured condom (five points), he had sold his Bruce Springsteen albums (five points), and he had both grown a goatee (five points) and shaved it off again (five points). The bad news was that he hadn't ever had sex with someone whose photo had appeared on the style page of a newspaper or magazine (minus two), and he did still think, if he was honest (and if Will had anything approaching an ethical belief, it was that lying about yourself in questionnaires was utterly wrong), that owning a fast car was likely to impress women. Even so, that gave him...sixty-six! He was, according to the questionnaire, sub-zero! He was dry ice! He was Frosty the Snowman! He would die of hypothermia!
Will didn't know how seriously you were supposed to take these questionnaire things, but he couldn't afford to think about it; being men's-magazine cool was as close as he had ever come to an achievement, and moments like this were to be treasured. Sub-zero! You couldn't get much cooler than sub-zero! He closed the magazine and put it on to a pile of similar magazines that he kept in the bathroom. He didn't save them all, because he bought too many for that, but he wouldn't be throwing this one out in a hurry.
Will wondered sometimes -- not very often, because historical speculation wasn't something he indulged in very often -- how people like him would have survived sixty years ago. ("People like him" was, he knew, something of a specialized grouping; in fact, there couldn't have been anyone like him sixty years ago, because sixty years ago no adult could have had a father who had made his money in quite the same way. So when he thought about people like him, he didn't mean people exactly like him, he just meant people who didn't really do anything all day, and didn't want to do anything much, either.) Sixty years ago, all the things Will relied on to get him through the day simply didn't exist: there was no daytime TV, there were no videos, there were no glossy magazines and therefore no questionnaires and, though there were probably record shops, the kind of music he listened to hadn't even been invented yet. (Right now he was listening to Nirvana and Snoop Doggy Dog, and you couldn't have found too much that sounded like them in 1933.) Which would have left books. Books! He would have had to get a job, almost definitely, because he would have gone round the twist otherwise.
Now, though, it was easy. There was almost too much to do. You didn't have to have a life of your own anymore; you could just peek over the fence at other people's lives, as lived in newspapers and EastEnders and films and exquisitely sad jazz or tough rap songs. The twenty-year-old Will would have been surprised and perhaps disappointed to learn that he would reach the age of thirty-six without finding a life for himself, but the thirty-six-year-old Will wasn't particularly unhappy about it; there was less clutter this way.
Clutter! Will's friend John's house was full of it. John and Christine had two children -- the second had been born the previous week, and Will had been summoned to look at it -- and their place was, Will couldn't help thinking, a disgrace. Pieces of brightly-coloured plastic all over the floor, videotapes out of their cases near the TV set, the white throw over the sofa looked as if it had been used as a piece of gigantic toilet paper, although Will preferred to think that the stains were chocolate...How could people live like this?
Christine came in holding the new baby while John was in the kitchen making him a cup of tea. "This is Imogen," she said.
"Oh," said Will. "Right." What was he supposed to say next? He knew there was something, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what it was. "She's..." No. It had gone. He concentrated his conversational efforts on Christine. "How are you, anyway, Chris?"
"Oh, you know. A bit washed out."
"Been burning the candle at both ends?"
"No. Just had a baby."
"Oh. Right." Everything came back to the sodding baby. "That would make you pretty tired, I guess." He'd deliberately waited a week so that he wouldn't have to talk about this sort of thing, but it hadn't done him any good. They were talking about it anyway.
John came in with a tray and three mugs of tea.
"Barney's gone to his grandma's today," he said, for no reason at all that Will could see.
"How is Barney?" Barney was two, that was how Barney was, and therefore of no interest to anyone apart from his parents, but, again, for reasons he would never fathom, some comment seemed to be required of him.
"He's fine, thanks," said John. "He's a right little devil at the moment, mind you, and he's not too sure what to make of Imogen, but...he's lovely."
Will had met Barney before, and knew for a fact he wasn't lovely, so he chose to ignore the non sequitur.
"What about you, anyway, Will?"
"I'm fine, thanks."
"Any desire for a family of your own yet?"
I would rather eat one of Barney's dirty diapers, he thought. "Not yet," he said.
"You are a worry to us," said Christine.
"I'm OK as I am, thanks."
"Maybe," said Christine smugly. These two were beginning to make him feel physically ill. It was bad enough that they had children in the first place; why did they then wish to compound the original error by encouraging their friends to do the same? For some years now Will had been convinced that it was possible to get through life without having to make yourself unhappy in the way that John and Christine were making themselves unhappy (and he was sure they were unhappy, even if they had achieved some peculiar, brainwashed state that prevented them from recognizing their own unhappiness). You needed money, sure -- the only reason for having children, as far as Will could see, was so they could look after you when you were old and useless and skint -- but he had money, which meant that he could avoid the clutter and the toilet-paper throws and the pathetic need to convince friends that they should be as miserable as you are.
John and Christine used to be OK, really. When Will had been going out with Jessica, the four of them used to go clubbing a couple of times a week. Jessica and Will split up when Jessica wanted to exchange the froth and frivolity for something more solid; Will had missed her, temporarily, but he would have missed the clubbing more. (He still saw her, sometimes, for a lunchtime pizza, and she would show him pictures of her children, and tell him he was wasting his life, and he didn't know what it was like, and he would tell her how lucky he was he didn't know what it was like, and she would tell him he couldn't handle it anyway, and he would tell her that he had no intention of finding out one way or the other; then they would sit in silence and glare at each other.) Now that John and Christine had taken the Jessica route to oblivion, he had no use for them whatsoever. He didn't want to meet Imogen, or know how Barney was, and he didn't want to hear about Christine's tiredness, and there wasn't anything else to them anymore. He wouldn't be bothering with them again.
"We were wondering," said John, "whether you'd like to be Imogen's godfather?'' The two of them sat there with an expectant smile on their faces, as if he were about to leap to his feet, burst into tears and wrestle them to the carpet in a euphoric embrace. Will laughed nervously.
"Godfather? Church and things? Birthday presents? Adoption if you're killed in an air crash?"
"Yeah."
"You're kidding."
"We've always thought you have hidden depths," said John.
"Ah, but you see I haven't. I am this shallow."
They were still smiling. They weren't getting it.
"Listen. I'm touched that you asked. But I can't think of anything worse. Seriously. It's just not my sort of thing."
He didn't stay much longer.
A couple of weeks later Will met Angie and became a temporary stepfather for the first time. Maybe if he had swallowed his pride and his hatred of children and the family and domesticity and monogamy and early nights, he could have saved himself an awful lot of trouble.
Copyright © 1998 by Nick Hornby
About a Boy centers around Will Freeman, a London bachelor in his late 30s who really doesn't want any children. He wonders why it bothers people so much that he lives so happily alone in his fashionable, Lego-free flat, with its massive speakers, hardwood floors, and an expensive cream-colored rug that nobody has ever thrown up on. He is a happy bachelor, and all things appear to be good in his life, according to his standards.
Then Will meets Angie. He has never been out with anybody who was a mom before. Angie is truly beautiful. And it has been said that truly beautiful women don't date Will. Suddenly it dawns on him: He can date truly beautiful women with kids who not only want to date him but are enthusiastic about dating him. Then comes the crowning moment, the breakup. Angie breaks up with him, and it is not because of something horrible he has done (which has always been the case in the past); rather it's because of her "situation." Will discovers that beautiful women with children are just happy to be with a "nice" guy, and the clincher is that they break up with him. Thus begins Nick Hornby's funny, compulsive, and contemporary new novel about sex, manliness...and fatherhood.
Nick Hornby: I am fine, thanks! I have just flown in from New York and am a bit jet-lagged. Thanks!
Nick Hornby: I am probably not the person to inspire you. I am lucky enough now to have a writing flat, so I walk from home around the corner and go to a place just for work. I am there from 10:00 to 6:00 every day; quite often I disappear at 11:00 in the morning and go to a record store. I am a real "mess arounder." Quite often I don't do proper work until 4:00. I rewrite a lot as I go along, so the first draft I have is usually not in bad shape. Usually....
Nick Hornby: I think that is true of HIGH FIDELITY. I definitely wanted to write about the male character in the book needing to move on, so the female characters were in direct contrast to his plight. This new book, I think, for example, Fiona is not as sorted out as the other women characters have been. I think as my writing career goes on, you will end up finding as many immature females as males. I am looking forward to seeing you in Boston.
Nick Hornby: It is interesting, but the response I have been getting to HIGH FIDELITY recently was more from women than from men, and a lot of them were saying, "I am Rob, that's me," which surprised me, but it has happened enough so I believe it. I think the gender distinctions are breaking down.
Nick Hornby: Yes, it is true that Peter is writing the movie. In fact, I met him for the first time yesterday in New York. We had lunch together, and then he came to the reading in the evening. I loved WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE, and I am reading the new book now, and I couldn't be happier with the choice of writer. I think it is great, and I think he is great. He hasn't really got as far as a polished draft, so we haven't started casting. I am reasonably involved -- I am informed and I think if I was very unhappy about anything, they would listen. They have all been really nice so far.
Nick Hornby: Sharon, I will see you at the reading next week.
Nick Hornby: I didn't know anybody when I started writing. I know more people now, but I can't say that knowing people or not knowing people has any effect one way or the other. I think the London literary scene can be very bitchy and backstabbing, but I don't think they can actually affect your career one way or another.
Nick Hornby: No. I really like it, too, but I haven't come across anyone yet who has designed his own cover. I have come across quite a few who want to kill the person who designed the cover. Luckily I am not in that position.
Nick Hornby: I think that the responses to my work in England are slightly different, partly because my first book, FEVER PITCH, which isn't that well-known here, was a big success at home. And because it was a nonfiction book about soccer, it is like everything since has come in that context. I get much more of the "guy stuff," and I get blamed for all sorts of things, like "hooliganism," making football fashionable among middle-class people. In the States, it is much more as if I have only written two books, both of which are novels, and as a consequence, I get treated more as a novelist and less as some kind of weird cultural phenomenon. Also I think that American reviewers are much more used to the very simple and accessible writing that I aim for. In Britain, you tend to have to write with much more opacity if you want to be treated really seriously.
Nick Hornby: HIGH FIDELITY and ABOUT A BOY have both been bought by American studios, but I am not writing the screenplays. I loved doing "Fever Pitch," but I decided that I didn't want to spend my life adapting stuff I had finished while I was having ideas for other things. But I am writing a couple of original screenplays at the moment.
Nick Hornby: Not as far as I know. It is funny, but I had completely forgotten Dick Van Dyke when I chose their names, and quite a few Americans have asked me if it was deliberate. It wasn't, I can assure you.
Nick Hornby: I think when you are writing about a character who is in many ways very unsympathetic, you of course run a risk of alienating a readership. That is one of the reasons I chose to tell the story from Marcus's point of view as well, and using the alternate chapter structure, but I do think that Will's character is really rescued by his klutziness. He tries to be bad. But he is actually pretty incompetent, which I think gives the readers a way in. There was some debate during the editing process about how bad he should be, and he probably ended up slightly worse as a result of my editor's suggestions.
Nick Hornby: Pretty much since then. It took me about 18 months, all in all. But I had a false start. I didn't like what I had done at the beginning and I threw away a big chunk, right before I came to the U.S. in September '96. When I came back from that tour, I knew what I wanted to do with the characters and started again, and that part took me around nine to ten months.
Nick Hornby: There have been some changes, some of them straightforward vocabulary changes. "Diapers" for "nappies" and so on. And with both HIGH FIDELITY and ABOUT A BOY, there have been some cultural reference changes. For example, in the UK, at one point Marcus watches an Australian soap opera called "Neighbors," which just about every kid in Britain watches, but in the U.S. that became "Saved by the Bell." I quite like doing that, because I do think hard about the pop-culture references, and I would like them to have the same effect in the U.S. wherever possible.
Nick Hornby: How come it took nearly 40 minutes for somebody to ask me an Arsenal question? They are really, really, strong at the moment. This is definitely the best Arsenal team in my lifetime. But I do think English clubs are at a disadvantage because of the number of games they have to play. I would be very happy if we made the finals or even the semifinals.
Nick Hornby: No, I am not coming to Florida. I am going to 11 cities in three weeks. I am in L.A. until Sunday, then it's San Francisco. I am also visiting Seattle, Boulder, Chicago, Austin, and D.C. among others.
Nick Hornby: Basically, no.... I used to do much more of the smaller stuff (short stories and articles), but over the last couple of years it has been very hard to do that. The books have been successful in several European countries as well as the U.S., which means that when you finish a book, you pretty well spend a year promoting it, by which time publishers or film producers are going crazy at me. So unfortunately, the smaller things are the first to go.
Nick Hornby: I would like to say that an interesting, exciting new team will win the World Cup, but my bet is it will be the usual suspects, probably a Brazil/Germany final. It does appear as though the ticketing could be handled a lot better, although it seems to me that the basic problem is that millions want to go and there are only thousands of tickets available, and it is hard to blame the host country too much in those circumstances. Although, of course, the English will always do their best to blame the French for anything.
Nick Hornby: I was until it got one. It has a very small distribution field now, and will be shown in two or three cities some time in the next few months. I think that most U.S. distributors thought that the movie was impossible to market here. It is uncompromisingly British, but I still think there is a lot of stuff to enjoy in it from an American view.
Nick Hornby: One book that you must look out for is BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY by Helen Fielding, which will be published in the U.S. in the next couple of weeks. It is very funny -- in the UK there was a poster campaign which described the book as FEVER PITCH for girls, which indicates that we are kindred spirits. It has easily been the most popular book in Britain over the past year. Just about everybody in the world has read it.
Nick Hornby: I think Alexi Lalas's record in Europe speaks for itself. Enough said. Yes, I am sure that the sporting cultural divide will remain, although I read somewhere once that U.S. advertisers were becoming very frustrated that none of your sports are exportable and that if everyone in the U.S. played and watched soccer, it would make them a lot more money, which strikes me as a pretty good reason not to do it.
Nick Hornby: No, I don't even see myself leaving North London. I have all sorts of reasons to stay. But one of the most compelling at the moment is my desire to write films, and I think for someone like me, the UK film industry with its small budgets and concentration on character and dialogue is a much happier environment than Hollywood. Also London has everything that I need as a writer. I am homesick. I would even like to be in Strathom.
Nick Hornby: I haven't started it yet, and I don't think I will be able to start until '99. I have an idea for it, but I don't want to say anything about it in case it collapses on me. That's often what happens with ideas -- you need to jump on them a few times to check that they can support your weight before you start work.
Nick Hornby: Thank you all for being so interesting. I really enjoyed it, and I hope to see some of you at some of the readings. If anyone wants to turn up at Book Soup here in L.A. in an hour, I would know that there would be some kind of audience.
Nick Hornby presents a story with a title that is reflective of both of its main characters. It's quite fascinating to watch both of them change--even if they don't entirely grow up.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 26, 2011
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
8883298
Posted August 24, 2011
About a boy is clever realistic and sweet, i laughed aloud on the subway, and nobody gave me strange looks bc this is NYC, the characters are remarkable,
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.About a boy is the story of a friendship between a 36 years old man, Will, and a 12 years old boy, Marcus. Will is a rich and handsom man who especially likes women. We can't believe that Marcus and Will can be friends one day because of their differences; but in his way Will'll be very helpful to Marcus who's always bully at school. Marcus' mother, Fiona, spends her days crying so she can't understand what's happening to her son. At this moment Marcus and Will become "inseparable" and as in almost all the books or movies there's a happy end. The book and the movie aren't exactly the same as usual but it's a bit disappoining!
If you dont't know what to do or if it's a rainy day, I think it could be a good book to entertain.
I think that "About a boy" is a very well written book and I really enjoyed reading it. But I kept waiting for something a bit more exiting to happen, but it never really did.
The film was more dynamic and well casted. Especially, Hugh Grant fits very well with Will's character. Will is a 36 years old handsome rich man who has many girl friends for shot time. He is extremely selfish and enjoys single life style.
At the End of the story, I wondered why Will didn't love Fiona.
He listened to her story in order to prevent her from trying to kill herself again.
This is because of her son, Marcus, with whom he made a friendship.
This is because he thought that would be able to help someone for the first time in his life.
In addition, I expected that Fiona would be more beautiful woman in the film.
I also wondered if Will would have loved her if she had been more beautiful and attractive, but I don't think so.
From my point of view Marcus and Will and everyone else each learnt something valuable from the mixed up relationships that form throughout the book.
This is a test this is a test this is a test this is a test this is a test
This is a test this is a test this is a test this is a test this is a test
This is a test this is a test this is a test this is a test this is a test
This is a test this is a test this is a test this is a test this is a test
This is a test this is a test this is a test this is a test this is a test
This is a test this is a test this is a test this is a test this is a test
This book is good for a leisure read, but for the purpose of analyzing it is not good. While yes, the book did talk about deep topics such as suicide and father abandonment, it came out and said exactly what it meant. There were no hidden meanings.
That being said, I quite enjoyed the strange dynamics of the relationship between Will and Marcus. They have a nice balance of child and adult; each one making up for the lacks of the other. Marcus helps Will grow up a bit. Similarly, Will helps Marcus become more of a kid. Will sarcastic humor, and Marcus's dense literal intrepratations make for some funny conversations.
One thing I found disappointing in this book was that there wasn't a lot of excitement. The story seems real and I related to it, but sometimes it's the unrealistic climax that really makes a book. This story is somewhat lacking in that area.
Overall it was a good book, and I would suggest reading it on a rainy weekend when you need a good laugh.
"About a Boy" was the book I chose for my summer reading. At first when I read it, I had a hard time putting it down. I was attracted to the style of writing that Hornby took as he followed Will and Marcus throughout the story; it was very honest and humorous in that sense. Through the voices of the characters, it was apparent that each individual was well-thought out and had a distinctive personality. Although the plot was quite original, it wasn't the most interesting book I have ever read and there wasn't a whole lot of action. This story is more about the unique web of characters and their interactions with one another rather than being a suspenseful thriller or passionate love story. I kept waiting for something a bit more exciting to happen, but it never really did. The mood throughout the book was mostly static; it didn't change enough for me. The overall ending was satisfactory, but I didn't like the specific way that the book ended. Despite my high expectations and wanting more from this book, it wasn't terrible.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 15, 2009
This was the first Nick Hornby book I read. I was hooked from the start, laughing out loud even. I have recommended it to many friends, many whom have seen the movie. I will admit the movie is great and I own it. Yet, as we all know the book is almost always infinitely better.If you could pick any work by Nick Hornby, pick this.It has a lightheartedness and optimism that is needed during these trying times.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 2, 2005
Great movie about growing up and becoming mature, no matter what your age. It is great to see Hugh Grant's character evolve from a selfish, self-involved person, into someone who can reach out to others, almost against his will.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 3, 2005
I saw the movie when it came out, and recently picked up the book out of curiosity. I found the book charming and it rings true, more so than the movie. As Hornby points out, age has nothing to do with an arbitrary date, some of us just never grow up until presented with the occasion to; and some of us grow up too fast forgetting to enjoy childhood. When the two meet there is much laughter, and emotion that comes across easier with printed words than on film. Both Will and Marcus are fabulous characters.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 24, 2004
I bought this book because all the reviews were positive. It is supposed to be funny, but I did not think so. I thought it was a little depressing. I was very disappointed in it.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 26, 2004
This book is both intertaining and emotional and it explains how hard it may be to find someone who cares for you. We may take for granite all the people who care for us for we never had to find that person and work so hard to fit in, being an outcast.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 20, 2003
This is one of those books that you can't put down. I love the characters, Marcus is such a charming and eccentric little thing. It could have done without the cursing, but the story is truly wonderful and carries a sharp twang of reality. It had me in stitches, I liken this to the guilty pleasure of some Ben & Jerry's as a midnight snack.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 1, 2003
I thought that About A Boy was very well written. It did get confusing in some parts, but afetr I reread it, I understood it. I though it was great... VERY funny! The movie was great too! Hugh is so handsome.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 26, 2003
this book gives a twist of the up scale society and the lower society. it makes you want to keep reading just to see what the other will do next. this book is one of my absoulte favorites.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 20, 2002
I enjoyed this book very much at times, however I think there was a major cop out with Will meets Rachel and there is absolutely no explaination on why he feels so strongly for her. Why her over the entire flock of women? Nick Hornby is a very good writer and did have me laugh out loud at times.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 10, 2002
This book is written in a very fun style. Nick Hornby writes one chapter on Will and then one on Marcus. This pattern of writting makes you want to keep on reading and not put the book down. This book will become one of your favorites too!!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 9, 2002
I really loved this book. Marcus reminds me so much of myself as a pre-teen. So when I read that his birthday was the same day as mine, I just had to laugh. The action of the story is so crazy that it keeps you going, just to see how it all turns out. And, as in the perfect world of fiction, it all turns out for the best. Marcus and Will and everyone else each learn something valuable from the mixed up relationships that form throughout the book. This is definitely a recommend for pretty much anyone. There is quite a bit of profanity, though, for those of you who are bothered by strong language.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 10, 2002
This is my first book I've read of Hornby's and I loved it! He is now one of my favorite authors. Can't wait to read his other books!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Overview
Inventing a son got Will into a single parents support group, but rather than a fabulous new sex life, he found someone else's very real son--a 12-year-old with a lot to teach about being a grown up. From the acclaimed author of "High Fidelity" comes this national bestseller that "GQ" calls "Clever and winning".Winner of the 1999 E.M. Forster Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.