Rating: 
Summary: Incredibly Funny novel Hard to Put down
Review: I really enjoyed this book, becuase it was quite humorous and had a wonderful storyline to it. This book kept me wanting to read more and didn't allow me to put it down. It was also laugh out loud funny. I remeber sitting at school reading the book and almost cracking up in the middle of class. The reason for it "four star" review is that at the end i sort of didn't feel full from the book i had this hollow feel to it, but other than that i really enjoyed the book and hope that other readers take the oppurtunity to read it.
Rating:
Summary: Sophisticated fast read...
Review: Hornby masters the art of balancing intelligent, richly layered writing with a fast pace and a light touch. As usual, the novel beats the film by a long shot. Really worth a look. The subtle emotional impact of this one sneaks up on you.
Rating:
Summary: The essence of men?
Review: About a Boy is in some ways the male version of Bridget Jones Diary, exposing the shallow aspect of our nature. The hero Will stumbles on single mothers as the ideal no strings, not ready for a relationship woman for him to prey on. To this end he attends a single parent group meeting and invents a two year old son with hilarious results. Will despite his cynical "I am an island" attitude, becomes ensnared and outsmarted by Marcus a 12 year old role model of uncool, that he meets through this sad little group. Naturally as we have come to expect in such tales, underneath the public facade Will is found to our and his surprise to be much more than first we were led to believe. Love, the non narcissic variety as in all classic cases of redemption, proves to be the catalyst in unearthing the real Will. Nothing new in the storyline, but there is in the insight Hornby brings to the story. Very funny novels rarely explore serious subjects such as suicide, loneliness, social rejection and the effects of parenting without understanding. Hornby does dive into real world issues blending the comedy and the tragedy we all experience in a way few can. The result is a subtle presentation of real life, funny and sad, each facet dependant on the others rather than standing alone. An amusing but thought provoking package, an extremely well written package at that, a cut above the famous Diary for my money.
Rating:
Summary: Fun (but not so light) read
Review: Nick Hornby has not only crafted a book with a great comic touch, but also a novel that at the same time, looks into sadness and depression. As I am sure many have already synposized this novel, there is no real point in relaying the events of the book again. Suffice it to say that this is an enjoyable read. Hornby has a very sharp writing style that is humorous without being smug. He genuinely likes his characters, and that comes through. The book is unpredictable, hilarious and poignant. Definitely worth a second and/or third read.
Rating: 
Summary: Love the skin you're in.
Review: It was an incredibly intelligent British novel but simple in its "philosophy" and flawless in its snarky, comedic execution. The kid versus the adult dynamic was a fun contrast. I think some authors underestimate the intelligence of children and this book proves that sometimes, kids are smarter than their older counterparts. Aside from the trials and tribulations, there was a lot of heart in their observations. It wasn't a conventional storyline by any means but completely believable and interesting in the way that it followed through. In other words, I loved it.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Outstanding, and a lot of fun...
Review: What a great and fun book to read. I have not watched the movie, but this is just excellent. The way the writer describes the different situations, and the different characters is just outstanding. What a relationship between Marcus (the boy) and Will, they both needed each other, and they were so cool about it. They got to a point that they had to face reality, and that by itself just created one of the best win-win situations around. Never a dull moment in the book, and you get so attached to every story, and can't wait to see what goes on next... as I said just outstanding, and so much fun
Rating:
Summary: Boys Growing Up
Review: About a Boy really gets to the heart of what it means to be a boy, and as we all know, boys come in all ages. The two main characters are Will and Marcus. Will is a professional at keeping disconnected. He lives off of the royalties from a song his father wrote. This has allowed him to live a carefree life of unemployment. However, there is a dark side to this. The song ruined his father's career, and slowly it's eating away at Will's soul as well, even though Will likes to pretend that he is happy with his life.
Enter Marcus. Marcus a 12 year old product of a broken home, changes Will's life forever. In the end, both boys find their own way of growing up.
If you're a woman and you have trouble understanding what men are thinking, this will show you the inner workings of a man's mind better than a thousand books on relationships. Be careful though, the truth might be a little scary for you. As for guys, you might realize some things about yourself that you have never thought about before.
For those who have seen the movie and are wondering if they should read the book or not, you should know that the ending of the book is completely different from the movie. You really should give it a read.
Rating: 
Summary: Having read the book in class - by Sara Schütz
Review: When I read the reviews of this book by other customers, I thought it would stay pretty close to the surface. But when I read the book by myself, I found out that there where some unexpected depths. But those depths were not numerous and they were too fast settled. I disliked the ending of the story it abolished the big differences between the characters. This made it very uninteresting for me because I think it is very flat to just adapt the characters to each other. I learned nothing from the book and it gave me nothing very emotional so it is no book I would feel reading again. The language of the book is not very poetic or even demanding so there was nothing I wanted to read twice just to enjoy it.
But all in all I think the book is okay if you have to read it (in class). At least, it could have been much worse.
Rating:
Summary: an amusing read
Review: I wasn't expecting this to be an analytical and introspective book, but it was. Some parts of that kinda slowed the story down sometimes, but for the most part, this was an enjoyable read. There were quite a few amusing parts, which I enjoyed. The relationship between do-nothing Will and picked-on Marcus develops into a strange father-son, older brother-younger brother type thing, but in the end it works.
Rating:
Summary: one of the best i've ever read
Review: "About A Boy" was poignant and amazing. I read the book and i love the fact that the movie is as great as this excellent book. Will is the coolest, heartless character ever. Mr. Hornby just knows how to write books. I equally enjoyed "HIgh Fidelity". The characters are eloquent and are full of surprises, yet they are regular folks that can be living right next door to you. I recommend it and i just believe that it's a great book. I also enjoyed that fact that Kurt Cobain was part of this book. Marcus is hilarious, Fiona is sad, the SPAT ladies are crazy, Rachel is a cool chick and Will - well "how cool is Will! Sub - zero! Dry ice!" no, really one of the greatest characters ever.
Everyone read this book, you'll really enjoy it! :)
|
