Ell
Well-Known Member
About A Boy is a book I normally wouldn't pick for myself. You might say, it, picked me. I had recently read an article in the newspaper about Book Crossing, a website that encourages readers and book lovers to set their books free "into the wild" once they are done reading them. A few days later, I found About A Boy on a magazine rack at a Starbucks inside the Safeway where I grocery shop. I figured it was too much of a coincidence and just had to read it. I'm glad I did.
Set in London, the story is equally that of Will, an attractive, single, 36 year-old man and Marcus, an odd-looking, nerdy, 12 year-old boy. Hornby gives equal weight to Marcus and Will by using the simple but effective method of alternating chapters as each tells the story from their own perspective.
Will is an irresponsible and completely self-involved individual, who, thanks to the royalties from a Christmas song written by his father, has never had to work a day in his life. He has a nice, ordered, tidy life. He is content. The only stress in his life involves figuring out how he can meet attractive women. He likes the idea of having a girlfriend, but plots his escape from them as soon as things get too serious or complicated. Anything that involves real emotion, or "mess" is not for him. He thinks he has found the perfect ploy when he joins a single-parents group called SPAT (Single Parents, Alone Together) where almost all the members are women. He invents Ned, a two year old son, and learns to act empathetic when the women complain about their exes. He is particularly attracted to Suzie. The problem is, she wants to meet Ned, and he is running out of excuses why she can't meet him.
Enter Marcus. He has just moved to London with his mother, Fiona, and has enrolled in a new school where he looks and feels totally out of place. Fiona has raised him surrounded by her own ex-hippy music (his favourite singer is Joni Mitchell), fashion, and ideals - virtually, in a bubble that excludes anything contemporary. Therefore, he doesn't know anything about the latest music groups, sports teams, latest fashions, or for that matter, current slang. He dresses oddly, but doesn't know it. What's worse, he takes everything literally. He has no sense of irony or sarcasm, so is ill-equiped to handle the rough and tumble of usual school-yard banter. He is the perfect target for bullies. However, he can't talk to his mother about it because she spends much of her time, inexplicably, crying. He knows his life is "crap", but he doesn't know why.
Both Marcus and Will can't seem to have normal relationships, but for totally different reasons; Will because he doesn't want to get involved in emotional and messy relationships, and Marcus because he doesn't know how to relate to people like a regular twelve year old.
Will's and Marcus's lives collide when Suzie, who is a friend of Fiona, agrees to take Marcus on a picnic with Will and her daughter. When they return from the picnic, they discover that Fiona has attempted suicide. From this point on, Will is dragged into Marcus's messy, crappy life. Their relationship is a bumpy one as Marcus clings to Will in the hope that Will can "fix" things and make his life better. Little does he know that Will hasn't an altruistic bone in his body and has no desire to get involved. Gradually, however, Marcus worms his way into Will's life by sheer determination (one time, he buzzes Will's flat for 30 minutes straight until Will answers).
I really liked this book. The contrast between the flippant, sarcastic Will and the sombre, literal Marcus made for some hilariously absurd moments. Was it realistic? I don't know, but it's kind of nice to think that two individuals who are so cut off from real life in totally different ways can change. In the end there is no straight-forward happy-ever-after ending, but there is a glimmer of hope that they've become better human-beings because of their friendship.
This is a hopeful, feel-good book. I've passed it back into the Book Crossing wild and hope someone else will pick it up and enjoy it as much as I did.
- August, 2002.
From Ell's Reviews
Set in London, the story is equally that of Will, an attractive, single, 36 year-old man and Marcus, an odd-looking, nerdy, 12 year-old boy. Hornby gives equal weight to Marcus and Will by using the simple but effective method of alternating chapters as each tells the story from their own perspective.
Will is an irresponsible and completely self-involved individual, who, thanks to the royalties from a Christmas song written by his father, has never had to work a day in his life. He has a nice, ordered, tidy life. He is content. The only stress in his life involves figuring out how he can meet attractive women. He likes the idea of having a girlfriend, but plots his escape from them as soon as things get too serious or complicated. Anything that involves real emotion, or "mess" is not for him. He thinks he has found the perfect ploy when he joins a single-parents group called SPAT (Single Parents, Alone Together) where almost all the members are women. He invents Ned, a two year old son, and learns to act empathetic when the women complain about their exes. He is particularly attracted to Suzie. The problem is, she wants to meet Ned, and he is running out of excuses why she can't meet him.
Enter Marcus. He has just moved to London with his mother, Fiona, and has enrolled in a new school where he looks and feels totally out of place. Fiona has raised him surrounded by her own ex-hippy music (his favourite singer is Joni Mitchell), fashion, and ideals - virtually, in a bubble that excludes anything contemporary. Therefore, he doesn't know anything about the latest music groups, sports teams, latest fashions, or for that matter, current slang. He dresses oddly, but doesn't know it. What's worse, he takes everything literally. He has no sense of irony or sarcasm, so is ill-equiped to handle the rough and tumble of usual school-yard banter. He is the perfect target for bullies. However, he can't talk to his mother about it because she spends much of her time, inexplicably, crying. He knows his life is "crap", but he doesn't know why.
Both Marcus and Will can't seem to have normal relationships, but for totally different reasons; Will because he doesn't want to get involved in emotional and messy relationships, and Marcus because he doesn't know how to relate to people like a regular twelve year old.
Will's and Marcus's lives collide when Suzie, who is a friend of Fiona, agrees to take Marcus on a picnic with Will and her daughter. When they return from the picnic, they discover that Fiona has attempted suicide. From this point on, Will is dragged into Marcus's messy, crappy life. Their relationship is a bumpy one as Marcus clings to Will in the hope that Will can "fix" things and make his life better. Little does he know that Will hasn't an altruistic bone in his body and has no desire to get involved. Gradually, however, Marcus worms his way into Will's life by sheer determination (one time, he buzzes Will's flat for 30 minutes straight until Will answers).
I really liked this book. The contrast between the flippant, sarcastic Will and the sombre, literal Marcus made for some hilariously absurd moments. Was it realistic? I don't know, but it's kind of nice to think that two individuals who are so cut off from real life in totally different ways can change. In the end there is no straight-forward happy-ever-after ending, but there is a glimmer of hope that they've become better human-beings because of their friendship.
This is a hopeful, feel-good book. I've passed it back into the Book Crossing wild and hope someone else will pick it up and enjoy it as much as I did.
- August, 2002.
From Ell's Reviews
