A Long Way Down
Ratings92
Average rating3.5
When I found this book I was actually looking for another of the author's books (About A Boy.) The used bookstore that I frequent didn't have what I was looking for, but they had this one instead. It sounded interesting, I've never read anything by this author before, so I figured I might as well try it out. I would probably normally never have picked up this book or given it a second thought because I despise the cover, but I know the author is generally well thought of so.. shrugs.
There are 4 characters with very different backgrounds and stories. The chapters (at most a few pages each) switch from one character to another. I appreciated how well Hornby captured the language and writing style of each character, as well as their different thought patterns. Jess in particular seemed a difficult one, and I loved how well she was written, she really stood out, writing-wise. The other three were well written but I sometimes felt that their characters blended together.
This book is separated into three parts. I found the first part to be interesting, though not entirely captivating. There really isn't much to say about it. The second part was sort of dreadful, I felt like it droned on and on. It was less dialogue, more train of thought and not much action. I understand that it was probably necessary to the story as it showed how each character moved through the time they allotted themselves when choosing whether to stay alive or not. The third part was my favorite. It really showed character development and another side of each of them. I appreciated that there was no huge turning point for any of them that made them want to stay alive. It was much more realistic in that way. It was just...life. There was no big happy ending or sad ending. It just ended. And I loved that.
It was a book about life. I loved that each of the characters were so different, it really showed especially in the last part. Everyone has their own struggle. Everyone has their own way of getting through it or not getting through it.
Would I recommend this book?
I wouldn't recommend it for everyone. If you are (or have been) depressed, it could be triggering. It's VERY English, so if that's not your thing, you probably won't enjoy it. I would recommend it for someone who isn't triggered by mental illness. If you have ever had a suicidal thought, I think you will probably relate to someone in this book. Honestly, it was good but I'm not sure who I'd recommend it for!
Rating: 3.5/5
Even though I was expecting a lot more (I've been wanting to read this for a few years), I did enjoy the story. Nick Hornby is a great author.
I think I would have liked Jess and JJ more had I read this when I was in high school (around the time when it was published). I would have thought that JJ was ‘deep' and that Jess was a bit more ‘appropriately anguished'. Hopefully they were fun to write, but I found that they were rarely insightful and were mostly plot tools.
I did love when Jess talked about being tied to others, now to see if I can find the quote.
Counting this as my UK book around the world.
I really like Nick Hornby, and this was by far one of my favorite books I read by him to date.
Am listening to this in the car now. Really loving the voice actors. Now that I'm done, the only part I really enjoyed were the actors. I would certainly have stopped reading the book if I weren't listening to it.
I mean in fairness I grabbed this off the PC library shelf specifically for when I needed a little light reading–I ended up reading this entirely in one feverish, bedridden day, and it kept me moderately entertained and did not overtax my addled brain. I think Nick Hornby is pretty overrated personally, and it made me outraged that the back cover referred to this as “The Breakfast Club written by Beckett.” What? No. Maybe the Breakfast Club written by Nick Hornby. Anyway, whatever, it was okay.