A Long Way Down

Title: A Long Way Down

Author: Nick Hornby
Genre: fiction
Rating:

What they said: Links to reviews

What I say:

I'll admit to you right off the bat, that I loved High Fidelity. What I loved most about it was that it had a pretty ending, and unless you've read the book and not simply seen the hollywoodised version, you think it's a happily-ever-after deal. Nick Hornby doesn't seem to go in for happily-ever-afters.

A tale told in four voices, A Long Way Down initially struck me as schizophrenic. All the narrators flipping back and forth like that made my head spin at first. Then finally I got to know them well enough to recognize their voices. Which meant I knew them well enough to care. Which meant I was sunk. Which also meant this was a very well-written book.

I cannot synopsize this novel without making it sound ridiculous, trite, or pappy. So I won't. Let it simply be said that four desperate strangers poised to do a desperate thing, don't.

You will roll your eyes. You'll laugh, both at and with them. You will hate each of them at one point or another. But you will not leave them, like they will not leave each other. And there will be no hollywood ending, but there will be hope.

~a m i~