Rating: 
Summary: wonderful the second time around
Review: i saw the movie, about a boy, and i absolutely loved it. when i saw the book i immediate grabbed it and read/skimmed it in a day. i was very disappointed by the book, but later i read it again, this time very slowly. this is an amazing book. the characters have a lot of depth, and so many observations about human nature and life in general are made unknowingly during the charming narratives. i can only reccomend this book, and also the movie, which i think was perfect in capturing th essence of the novel. however the original ending did seem to fit better once the book was read.
Rating:
Summary: A fun and fast-paced bit of reading
Review: "About a Boy" is a book that I just gobbled up. Weighing in at around 80% dialog, the book was consumed over the course a few meager train rides. This is an ultimate popcorn book. Page after page flows through your hands, never really engaging your thinking brain but fully engaging your wit. The characters were smooth and the dialog was dry and clever. There is a rough plot, just barely enough to string together a cast of characters and to give them something to quip about. Alot of the drama, is seemingly heavy, but seen through the eyes of the characters it soon descends into just another bit of life about which to make smart remarks. The teen angst has all the power of any teen angst, and remains just that. This is my first Nick Hornsby book, although there will be others. Lots of fun all around. A nice break between more weighty books, and there is nothing wrong with that at all.
Rating:
Summary: Funny because of, rather than inspite of the serious themes
Review: Nick Hornby's writing never ceases to amaze me. Few writers I can think of have his ability to write witty, hilariously funny prose whilst managing not to be irreverent or disrespectful of the serious themes he explores. In 'About a Boy' he manages this trick again, very succesfully. Depression, suicide and loneliness are all experienced by the two main protagonists, Marcus and Will. Yet the over-riding irony of the book, the fact that 12-year old Marcus teaches 36-year old Will how to be an adult, whilst learning how to be a child from Will, manages to show us the humerous side of what could be a tragic situation. There are some truly hilarious scenes in the book, most often stemming from Marcus' earnestness and Will's desire to be painfully hip. The transformation of both Will and Marcus, through the shared experience of Marcus' mother's attempted suicide, bullying at school and Will falling in love, is a real treat to read and satisfyingly plausible. I would recommend 'About a Boy' ahead of 'How to be Good', which was less convincing with Hornby writing from a female perspective. I'd also read this before watching the film, as it has considerably more depth, although the film is good itself.
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious and Perceptive
Review: I wish I read this book BEFORE the movie came out. Although I hadn't seen the movie yet, and I'm glad of this, I still had the image of Hugh Grant as Will throughout this story, which isn't fair. I like having my own ideas of what the characters look like when I read a story. Oh well... Despite the Hugh Grant image, I enjoyed this novel very much. I think that Nick Hornby has a gift of taking very typical problems and solving them in a very unusual way. Just like in his other novel, "How To Be Good," one expects things to turn out a certain way, and they don't. Hornby refuses to cater our want for cliche endings, I can see that now. He's very realistic in his resolutions, but fortunately, just because they're realistic outcomes doesn't mean that they're depressing! Immediately I was attracted to the setting of this story. Taking place in the early 90s, drawing largely on popular music and culture at that time, I could totally relate, as a young twenty-something (sniff, sniff...those were the days) in that decade. Anyway there was a nice parallel between the lives of the main characters, Will, Fiona, twelve-year-old Marcus, his school friend, Ellie, and Kurt Cobain of Nirvana. To me, that parallel was how much life in general just traumatizes people and how each person deals with it, each in a very unique way. Some people cry, some hide away, some may choose to turn to stone emotionally, some lash out at the world, some kill themselves. The two big relationships here that most interested me were the one of course, between Will and Marcus, and the one between Marcus and his mom. I just chuckled at the fact that Will, a shallow and totally insensitive guy, decided to pretend to have a son so he could meet single moms, who, according to his theory, were so grateful to have a man in their lives, were extremely generous in all aspects of romantic relationships. Then he met Marcus by accident and formed a bond which forced Will to care about people besides himself. This opened him up to all sorts of feelings for which he wasn't prepared. However, one can clearly see that his life became much richer in the process of opening himself up to more risky situations. I like the development of Marcus, especially in terms of his relationship with his mom, Fiona. It never occurred to me that Marcus' vegetarian diet, his preoccupation for 70s music, and his lack of thought about his appearance, etc., were his mother's issues, forced upon him, without his even realizing it. So at what point would he become independent? At what point would he make his own decisions? Not only that, but because his mom made a point of not letting him fall prey to mainstream trends, she inadvertantly made him an outcast at school...which was even worse for a kid his age! Top that with the fact that they?d just moved to a new school, and his father was no longer in the picture. Basically, this illustration made me think about the kid's view a lot more closely. Whereas my own less significant beliefs are so important to me, how do they apply to my own child? I took many of these little things for granted and reading this story made me really sit and think about this! That's great! Nick Hornby's novels are very perceptive, very funny (I laughed out loud several times), and these days, very universal. Anyone can appreciate the characters he creates. Anyone can relate to the situations in which the characters find themselves.
Rating:
Summary: another fabulous hornby read
Review: the guy is amazing. laugh-out-loud funny, poignant. he trades and trespasses on your innermost feelings and thoughts. i saw and enjoyed the film, which i'd probably rate a 3 out of 5. the book is as good as they come.
Rating: 
Summary: Great!
Review: Hornby has a knack for drawing empathy for his characters. Both Will and Marcus have their odd behaviors which are hilarious. Great book!
Rating:
Summary: Stellar account of an unlikely relationship
Review: Will Freeman (his name is ironic, as he tries to free himself for responsibility for anyone but himself) is 36, single, no kids, hip, living in London on royalties from his father's one hit. Marcus is 12, solitary, teased, worried about his suicidal single mom, and "doesn't get" a lot of things. When Will comes up with a scheme to meet emotionally needy single moms by pretending to be a single father--he figures they will have affairs with him, then realize he is not right for their kids and dump him, so no commitments--the result is that he meets Marcus, who soon figures out that Will has no kid. What starts as blackmail on Marcus's part quickly evolves into a relationship somewhere between friend and uncle, a relationship opposed by Marcus's mother, who fears the obvious. The relationship is frayed, until Will decides to resurrect the "single parent" scheme, with Marcus in the role of the kid . . . A delightful and suddenly humorous journey to maturity for both Will and Marcus. Far better than the movie, and avoids the movie's soppy resolution. Written in the third person, Hornby still captures Marcus's literal-minded soul, and Will's reactions as he is dragged from his cocoon into caring for people almost against his will. Well done, and well worth a read.
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious and thoughtful
Review: I haven't seen the movie, and I'm not sure it would be possible to *make* a good film from this terrific book, since so much of it is third-person-omniscient. In fact, Hornby's dry and droll style is almost the epitome of English humorous fiction. Will Lightman, whose father wrote a classic pop Christmas tune and set up his son for life, is devoted to a life of idleness, coolness, and the pursuit of women. Will's not really an unlikable person -- merely a shallow one. He decides that single mothers are a target group he hasn't tried yet and invents a son so he can join a support group. This leads him to an acquaintance with Marcus, a rather nerdish twelve-year-old whose mother has made him a vegetarian and Joni Mitchell fan, and who has no idea who Kurt Cobain is (the story is set in 1990). Marcus adopts Will as a role model who can teach him all the things his depressive mother cannot. And Will eventually falls in love -- but not (surprisingly) with Will's mother -- and finds it necessary to change his life in important ways. This is a delightfully witty, sweet, and insightful book about the London middle class, the teenage world of the early '90s, and the relationships between men and women of all ages.
Rating: 
Summary: Who cares about a boy?
Review: Will Lightman, age 36, is a hip, single Londonite who doesn't wish to change that. However, he's happened upon the ulimate secret to getting women - target single mothers. Conjuring up a fictional child, Will joins a single parent support group and changes his life forever. Instead of finding a lover, he finds a friend in 12-year-old Marcus, a decidely "uncool" kid who's desperately in need of a father figure. From there on out, Will's life is never the same. "About a Boy" is one of those typical British novels, complete with British sarcasm and wit. The story, while original, failed to excite me very much. Though there were parts that were entertaining, they were buried beneath meaningless and boring fluff. Obviously we were meant to dislike Will - and I did - but I don't know that we were meant to dislike every other character - but I *did*. After slogging through the whole book in hopes of a redeeming ending, I was treated to a highly unsatisfying finish. This book, though it has its shining moments, falls flat.
Rating:
Summary: Fun from the first to the last page!
Review: Nick Hornby's About a Boy portrays the story of two people helping each other to grow up, fit in with others and face the challenges of living. Will is a thirty-six-year old Londoner who proudly acts like a teenager. He lives on his father's wealth and spends all his time browsing around for CDs, watching TV, and dating women. Marcus is a strange twelve-year-old who has trouble fitting in at school and dealing with his even stranger, depressed mother at home. Things are changed on the day Will and Marcus meet. Will is just chasing after a girl on a weekend picnic, when Marcus, with all his troubles, enters into his life. Reluctantly, Will becomes Marcus' friend, and Will's place becomes Marcus' escape from his school and his suicidal mother. As Will helps Marcus deal with his problems, Marcus brings Will back to face reality, and he helps fill the empty part of Will's life. The best thing about this novel is the way it was written. The voice of the characters truly illustrates their ages, and the readers feel as if they are listening to real people in a real situation. In spite of the darkness and seriousness of the events, Hornby's style is not depressive. While providing a sense of irony or humor, he turns simple everyday-life events into a drama. Will and Marcus are unique characters, who will make the story unforgettable. Hornby keeps the audience curious and wanting to continue. Marcus' good intentions and naive behavior are clearly evident in how he always cares about other people's feelings and tries to protect them from their misery. Also readers will enjoy Will's coolness, fashion and convenient lifestyle. They will see how Will's life is changed when he meets Marcus, "He'd had his whole life set up so that nobody's problem was his problem, and now everybody's problem was his problem, and he had no solutions for any of them." About a Boy is enjoyable from the first to the last page. It is funny, meaningful and worthwhile, and is suitable for adults as well as teenagers. Readers will enjoy the sarcasm and the humorous style. However, since the book often mentions serious issues about the meaning of life, a young audience might not understand or find it interesting. People who read this novel will, along with Will and Marcus, gain a better understanding about their position in the world, and they will become better survivors, while seeing the rewards of cherishing friends and family.
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