One of my all-time favourite films, Nick Hornby's 1998 novel About a Boy is a book that I'm pretty sure could be read in a day. It's fast-paced, lively, amusing and interesting, all in one.
For anyone who hasn't seen or read it, I'll provide a small back-story. Will is a 36 year old Londoner who, apart from the odd day here and there, has never worked, not been married and is childless.
Marcus is the weird kid everyone avoids at school.
About a Boy is what happens when they meet.
Set in London around 1993 younger readers may find the book a little outdated. However, older readers who remember the 90s may just like the travel back in time. Along with this there is also the death of Kurt Cobain featured near the end.
As a casual read, this book is extremely entertaining, funny and heart-warming. I'd recommend it to anyone who has (or hasn't, for that matter) seen the film version. If easy reads are your thing, this is probably a book for you. It's also very easy to follow and doesn't contain any complicated plots anywhere.
I seem to recall myself cringing at some of the characters' comments or actions, most notably Marcus's who, before he meets Will (followed by Ellie) is extremely awkward, sings in class and listens to people like Toni Bennett. However, his meeting and hanging out with Will results in Marcus becoming somewhat 'cooler' and dressing a bit better.
Through my reading of About a Boy I did sometimes find a couple of characters (notably Will and Marcus) to be a little annoying in their comments or attitudes. I'm not sure if this was intentional from Hornby or not, but nonetheless, it didn't stop me from enjoying the book and being one I feel I'll be reading again sometime.
I found it to be well-written and researched and Hornby certainly knows how to put together a book that a lot of people will enjoy.
Overall rating: 4.5/5
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