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A Long Way Down
by Nick Hornby
The story of 4 men and women who come together to find meaning in a difficult world.
Nick Hornby’s A Long Way Down is the story of Martin, Maureen, Jess, and JJ—four people who meet for the first time on New Year’s Eve. Though they have all come to the roof of a building called Topper’s House from different places, they find that they each share the same goal: to commit suicide. Instead of ending it all, however, the four finish their night together, eating pizza and discussing their problems.
From Maureen, whose life is devoted to her disabled son, to Jess, who convinces the group to postpone suicide long enough to help her confront her ex-boyfriend, the characters in Hornby’s novel reveal the daily struggles that have become too much for them to handle. As Martin deals with the fallout of cheating on his wife with an underage girl and JJ accepts his life following the breakup of his band, the four begin to serve almost as a support group for each other, working together through the problems that at one point almost ended their lives.
Though some of the book seems predictable, as readers can tell right from the start that the four would-be suicide victims will grow to become important to one another, Hornby’s skill at describing and developing his characters inspires readers to accept the plot that is presented to them and go along for the ride. The ever changing narrative voice moves between each of the principal characters. It allows readers to better understand the struggles facing Martin, Maureen, Jess, and JJ and infuses a sense of humor into the text as the characters’ personalities are developed. Nick Hornby’s A Long Way Down skillfully deals with such a serious topic, effortlessly infusing compassion and humanity into his characters and their struggles.
Title: A Long Way Down
Author: Nick Hornby
Publisher: Riverhead Trade
ISBN: 1594481938
Review written by: Meghan Moynihan
Reviewer's Rating:8.5
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0
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