Reviews

A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby

hilkestockmans06's review against another edition

adventurous reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

dmgms's review against another edition

dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

lauraborkpower's review against another edition

2.0

I'd probably give this another half star, but I feel that it was ultimately an unsuccessful novel. It's as though Hornby had this brilliant idea for a story--a short story--and then didn't know what to do with it so he just let his characters try things out for a couple hundred pages past where he should have stopped. I didn't care much about the characters, other than Maureen, and they never really seemed to have much at stake. There were moments of beauty and pain, like when Jess was talking to the audience (speaking of this, he did a nice job of voice and point of view) about standing too close to the edge of the train platform. But those moments were few and almost too early in the book. They all just sort of fizzled out (except Maureen's bits, which were pretty consistent throughout) and I really didn't care much about them. Luckily it was a short book, but it shouldn't have been a book at all. This could have been a perfect short story, twenty pages and we're off the roof and wondering about the fates of these four interesting characters as they go their separate ways. Too bad.

megbfrye's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

sarkamatty's review against another edition

5.0

To jsem tak před týdnem přerovnávala poličku v knihovně a říkala si, jaká to byla chyba kupovat si tuhle knihu. Bylo to takové impulzivní rozhodnutí, kdy jsem si prostě chtěla udělat radost a v Levných Knihách narazila na tohle.
Před týdnem jsem toho začala litovat, protože mi došlo, že to pravděpodobně bude další kniha, kterou nikdy nepřečtu a nakonec se ji pokusím na blešáku prodat (a nikdo si ji nekoupí, a tak tu stejně zůstane.)
Jenže jak jsem ji tak vzala do ruky a následně otevřela na prvních stránkách, stalo se to, že jsem se po půlhodině našla, jak sedím v nepohodlné pozici na zemi, naprosto zaujatá příběhem.
Asi to není kniha, která vám změní život. Ale rozhodně by vás mohla na několik hodin zabavit a přimět vás přemýšlet o některých věcech. Je to knížka, která je právě tak zajímavá svou předstíranou nezajímavostí jako je sympatická nesympatičností hlavních postav. Protože je vážně těžké si někoho z nich úplně oblíbít a nejméně dva jsou vlastně docela šílení. Ale když se to vezme kolem a kolem, je to vážně zábava. :)

drleonj's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A scandal-plagued television personality goes to the roof of a tower block in London on New Year’s Eve to kill himself, but before he can do the deed, he meets three others who have gone there for the same reason. None of them have anything in common other than their wish to die and their inability to follow through, so they decide to band together for thirty days to see if they feel any better or still wish to go through with it. Thus begins Hornby’s ‘odd couple’ - or more accurately ‘odd quartet’ - narrative. Each of the four take turns narrating chapters, which helps us see them as they see themselves but also as they come across to others. The result is often painful, since each of the characters is pretty damaged, yet even the most objectionable of them have redeeming qualities, and at least one has a heart of gold. Also, the novel is often funny -hilarious even - although a wince almost always follows a chuckle. And although this is by no means an easy read, since it makes very few concessions to unrealistic plot twists or Hollywood endings, Hornby’s novel is both wise, and, ultimately hopeful. This definitely isn’t a novel for anyone. Although I’m a suicide attempt survivor myself and liked this book a lot, many who are emotionally fragile will find it tough reading, while those who insist on likable or consistently pleasant characters will be better off staying far away. But for an unflinching yet often humorous exploration of what, if anything, makes life worth living, A Long Way Down is a great novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

frostap's review against another edition

1.0

An exercise in disappointment. I thought this would get good and redemptive by the end, but I was ever so wrong. Wish the characters had jumped off the ledge and taken the manuscript with them.

bart_gunn's review against another edition

2.0

Jess is a pain in the arse. Please jump. Appreciate she is supposed to be an angsty teenager, but it's terrible that you cannot continue a book because a character is so irratible.

leannecoppola's review against another edition

5.0

This was a great character novel. Will make a great movie some day. Heard it's in the works!

valentina_05's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75