A Long Way Down

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It's a hit!

i can't recall reading a book that was quite this hilarious. it actually made me laugh and cry at the same time. once again, Hornby's prose is ex... (show more)

i can't recall reading a book that was quite this hilarious. it actually made me laugh and cry at the same time. once again, Hornby's prose is excellent, but here he does a nice trick by writing first person with four different narrators. his approach to the topic of suicide is note perfect. you recognize how ridiculous the situation is but also see why it's so serious for the characters. if you didn't appreciate the seriousness it would all be a joke in questionable taste. and if you didn't see the ridiculousness you'd run the risk of romanticizing suicidal ideation. it'd be another stupid book about people who are just too sensitive or too deep for this world and i certainly don't need to read that BS.

like High Fidelity, this book talks about things people don't normally talk about. only this time, the subject is a bit more taboo, a bit grimmer. but anyone who's ever stared down from a long height and thought, even for a moment, about going over the edge should appreciate this story.

in short, i loved it. (show less)

 

 

by William Ethan August Meyer

No, it's a flop!

this is one of those books where i'll never be able to make up my mind; is it good or bad? is it worth reading or not? i honestly can't make up my ... (show more)

this is one of those books where i'll never be able to make up my mind; is it good or bad? is it worth reading or not? i honestly can't make up my mind!! (show less)

 

 

by Louise Green Jeppsson

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  Dieses Buch ist ein stückweit nervtötend und anstrengend. Die Geschichte aber interessant und so bleibt man dabei.
  Es geht um vier Menschen, die alle zufällig am gleichen Abend in London von einem Hochhaus in den Tod springen wollen.
  Sie treffen dort oben aufeinander und halten sich gegenseitig von der Tat ab. Anschließend beschliessen sie sich gegenseitig zu helfen und unterstützen sich bei regelmässigen Treffen. Da ist die ältere Maureen, die einen behinderten Sohn hat und nur noch für ih... (show more)

  Dieses Buch ist ein stückweit nervtötend und anstrengend. Die Geschichte aber interessant und so bleibt man dabei.
  Es geht um vier Menschen, die alle zufällig am gleichen Abend in London von einem Hochhaus in den Tod springen wollen.
  Sie treffen dort oben aufeinander und halten sich gegenseitig von der Tat ab. Anschließend beschliessen sie sich gegenseitig zu helfen und unterstützen sich bei regelmässigen Treffen. Da ist die ältere Maureen, die einen behinderten Sohn hat und nur noch für ihn lebt. Martin, ein bekannter Fernsehmoderator, der mit einer Minderjähringen geschlafen hat und dessen Familie ihn verlassen hat. Jess, eine rotzfreche Halbstarke, die sich mit niemandem zu verstehen scheint und alles und jeden beleidigt und schliesslich JJ, ein erfolgloser Musiker. Jeder der Vier schreibt aus der eigenen Perspektive. Es ist erstaunlich wie gut sich Hornby in die Stimmen einzelnen versetzt; gerade das macht die Passagen von Jess so anstrengend zu lesen. Letztendlich bleibt die Geschichte aber trivial, weil sie ohne grosse Überraschungen auskommt und genau so ausgeht,
  wie man sich das am Anfang vorstellt. (show less)

   

   

  by Facebook User on Mar 06, 2009 at 11:57PM

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  I rushed into a charity shop one lunchtime looking for something to read at the bus stop and picked this book off the shelf for 50p! What a bargain! Previously known for his book (and film) about Arsenal supporters, this book goes off in a totally different direction, introducing the reader to four disparate characters who all decide to jump off a high building on New Year's Eve. They meet, inadvertently and unwillingly, on the roof.

  After some posturing and complaining, the four reluct... (show more)

  I rushed into a charity shop one lunchtime looking for something to read at the bus stop and picked this book off the shelf for 50p! What a bargain! Previously known for his book (and film) about Arsenal supporters, this book goes off in a totally different direction, introducing the reader to four disparate characters who all decide to jump off a high building on New Year's Eve. They meet, inadvertently and unwillingly, on the roof.

  After some posturing and complaining, the four reluctantly agree that jumping on this night of all nights is not going to work for them. They come down from the roof, but realise something significant is linking them together now, so they plan to meet again.

  The rest of the book records their meetings, through which we find out more about each character and their reason for wanting to end it all. At times the book is very funny indeed (if you appreciate our peculiarly British humour!) but underlying it is a real compassion for the loneliness of life in 21st century Britain - especially if you're a single mum with a handicapped son to care for.

  It's a commentary on 'life as we know it', to all appearances light and humorous, but revealing some much darker truths about those who fall through the various safety nets of government and local authorities.

  It's not a book that brings any resolution to society's problems, but it does show that having friends, even extremely unlikely ones, can make a difference to how you face the next day, and the next day, and the next month... (show less)

   

   

  by Facebook User on Oct 31, 2009 at 04:11PM

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