About a Boy by Nick Hornby Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of About a Boy
Book Review: About two boys
Summary: 4 Stars
Nick Hornby is perhaps the premier writer of lad-lit, the male counterpart of chick-lit. And "About A Boy" is one of his best novels, with its sensitive looks not only at male fears, but at how they relate to women and children. It's a far smarter, wittier book than you'd think.
Will is a single thirtysomething, self-absorbed and consumed with his own coolness, unattachedness and ability to live off his dad's song royalties. After dating single mom Angie, he realizes how to instantly give his sex life and image a boost: date single mothers, beautiful and desperate. So he invents a nasty ex-wife and a toddler son, and begins going to SPAT (Single Parents, Alone Together).
But when he meets attractive Suzie, he also meets the boy she's babysitting -- Marcus, a troubled, intelligent preteen who is picked on at school. Marcus's home life isn't much better -- his depressed mother has just attempted suicide. Despite Will's commitment to noncommitment, he finds himself slipping into the role of father and friend for Marcus.
Single moms, precocious kids, immature lads -- none of these things are terribly original. It's Hornby's way of handling them that is really original. And the way he wrote "About A Boy" gives unusual life to what could have been a TV-movie-of-the-week/lame-sitcom plot, with cliched characters.
Instead, Hornby has created a surprisingly mature book, by showing a realistic portrayal of an immature man growing up whether he likes it or not. But Hornby's quietly insightful prose is a little less self-consciously cool than in "High Fidelity," and it's also more focused on human experiences. And no, not just Will picking up single mums.
Will is a pretty accurate portrayal of men who work hard at being immature -- believe me, he's accurate. And that makes it even more satisfying to see him graduating into adulthood. Marcus's chapters are deeper, however, and it's this pensive kid who grounds the book. He may be young, but thanks to his saddening life, his mind is a lot more mature than Will's.
Postmodern Peter Pans and precocious preteens are at the heart of "About A Boy," Nick Hornby's sensitive look at the sexes and their children.
Book Review: Two Coming of Age Tales
Summary: 4 Stars
It's a great story about the coming of age of two males - 12 year old Marcus, son of a weird, New Age London mom - and Will, 36 year old bachelor boy living off his father's royalties for a notorious Christmas jingle. It is unclear which is the more mature as Will joins SPAT (Single Parents, Alone Together) in order to meet hot chicks. In the process he invents an imaginary son, wife and hilarious circumstances. While on a SPAT picnic he meets Marcus and despite themselves, they become close.
Summary - Fiona (Marcus's mom) tries to commit suicide, Marcus struggles to stay upbeat despite the attempt and his daily torments at school. At least he meets and falls for an older teen girl who has her own problems and in the end all concerned manage to work out there problems and procede to the next stage of life.