A Long Way Down and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more

Buy Used
Used - Very Good See details
Price: £1.35

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available for
Colour:
Image not available

 
Start reading A Long Way Down on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

A Long Way Down [Paperback]

Nick Hornby , Sophie Thompson , Walter Lewis , Morwenna Banks , Neil Pearson
3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (126 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition £6.99  
Hardcover --  
Paperback £6.74  
Paperback, 6 April 2006 --  
Audio, CD, Audiobook, Unabridged £12.17  
Audio Download, Abridged £5.17 or Free with Audible.co.uk 30-day free trial
Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Learn more.

Book Description

6 April 2006

'Can I explain why I wanted to jump off the top of a tower block?'

For disgraced TV presenter Martin Sharp the answer's pretty simple: he has, in his own words, 'pissed his life away'. And on New Year's Eve, he's going to end it all ... But not, as it happens, alone. Because first single-mum Maureen, then eighteen-year-old Jess and lastly American rock-god JJ turn up and crash Martin's private party. They've stolen his idea - but brought their own reasons.

Yet it's hard to jump when you've got an audience queuing impatiently behind you. A few heated words and some slices of cold pizza later and these four strangers are suddenly allies. But is their unlikely friendship a good enough reason to carry on living?



Product details

  • Paperback: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin (6 April 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0140287027
  • ISBN-13: 978-0140287028
  • Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 1.7 x 19.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (126 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 260,397 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, and more.

Product Description

Review

"This is a brave and absorbing book. It's a thrill to watch a writer as talented as Hornby take on the grimmest of subjects without flinching."
-- "Publishers Weekly" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Nick Hornby is the bestselling author of High Fidelity, About a Boy and How to be Good, as well as two works of non-fiction, Fever Pitch and 31 Songs, and the editor of Speaking with the Angel. In 1999 he was awarded the E. M. Forster Award. In 2002 he won the W.H.Smith Award for Fiction and in 2003 was honoured with the Writers' Writer Award at the Orange Word International Writers Festival. He lives in Highbury, North London.

Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Urban fairytale meets real life 5 Jun 2006
Format:Paperback
I just read a few of the reviews for this book and I was taken aback by the amount of negative feedback it generated. I was totally enthused by A Long Way Down and read it in one sitting. Thinking back on it now it's true that there wasn't much of a plot, that the messy situations the characters are in don't get fully resolved at the end, and that the basic premise is contrived: four strangers who are intending to top themselves meet by chance on top of a building on New Year's Eve, and as a result end up forming a weird support group and don't kill themselves. Well, all that's true but it didn't bother me in the slightest as I didn't feel that that was the point of the book - or rather, it was as these apparent weaknesses are in fact what make this book amazing, and I'm sure it's completely intentional on the part of the author. The contrived aspects give a sort of urban fairytale feel to the book, but it's pretty obvious that it's tongue in cheek and meant to be that way - I think the whole episode about the imaginary angel confirms this. Perhaps the reason why a lot of readers didn't like it is because in spite of the contrived elements it's a lot like real life, therefore unpredictable and not like a "proper book", with plot, dénouement etc. To sum up: an incredibly wise, compassionate and at times hilarious exploration of human despair and frailties, and also a joyful celebration of life in all its weirdness and unresolvedness. You will absolutely love it if you've found yourself in limbo at least once in your life, thinking you can't carry on while still keeping a glimmer of hope on the back burner. But if you're looking for a clever plot and storyline don't buy this book!
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Clever 18 April 2006
By Phil
Format:Paperback
This is a very bold book, but Hornby pulls it off with minimalist simplicity and drollness. The tale, about suicide and hopelessness, that unfolds is a curious and impulsive one. An odd quartet of suicidals becomes a kind of surrogate family; each individual makes a move at creating a bearable future, while constantly getting on each other's nerves. Hornby retains a lovely comic undertone. Life is worth living
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Thought provoking novel about four strangers who find themselves on the roof of a block of flats on New Years Eve. Rather than jumping from this notorious suicide spot, they all come down and form a sort of informal self-help group as they try to rebuild their lives. The four - a disgraced TV presenter, tragically sad middle-aged single mother who has devoted her life to her disabled son, failed rock star and fowl-mouthed teen - have little in common but form an unspoken bond.

Hornby's novel is excellent in that it is moving at times and offers some hope without lapsing into sentimentality - everything is not resolved at the end. Bringing up plenty of other thought provoking issues as it proceeds, it is a real page-turner. The flow is aided by its format with each of the four telling the story in turn for a few pages at a time. Very effective as is the whole story. A superb novel.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?   Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars failed try
Not the best book. I found the different characters intriguing at first, however they use of language, wording and style is not convincing. they all sound very much the same. Read more
Published 1 month ago by marei33
3.0 out of 5 stars Not up to his usual standard
OK, but not as good as his other books, I felt that this story dragged a bit at times. I finished it, but only because I never leave books unfinished, so I'm slightly disappointed.
Published 1 month ago by Margaret Schofield
3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad
An entertaining read, though lacked the usual humour you would expect from Nick Hornby. There were moments of super writing and observation, but not enough to give a higher rating.
Published 2 months ago by maeelizabeth
5.0 out of 5 stars My favourite book
My favourite book. Read it through in one night, because it's was impossible to put it down.
Recommend to others
Published 2 months ago by Kadri Veer
2.0 out of 5 stars Not my cuppa tea
I've only read one previous Nick Hornby but didn't like this as much. Gave up after a couple of chapters and archived it.
Published 2 months ago by Roger Thurston
3.0 out of 5 stars It's ok
Readable but not gripping, not the best Nick Hornby book I have read, quite funny in places, but nothing special.
Published 2 months ago by rachel poole
3.0 out of 5 stars Ok
This was the first book I downloaded to my kindle, I found that although I read the book through to the end - more to do with getting to grips with the kindle than the book - I... Read more
Published 2 months ago by mrs summer
3.0 out of 5 stars Life goes on
So suffering from depression myself and reading this around New Year's Eve, when this was set, made this rather personal at times, and I felt the characters were all well defined... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Cb Browning
4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good
This was a good book overall. However a lot happened in the first half and the second half was a little slow. But all in all a
a worthwhile read.
Published 3 months ago by Lucy
4.0 out of 5 stars A long way down
A funny and thought-provoking book. Very believable characters and an interesting story line with good pace. A good read all in all.
Published 3 months ago by Ray G
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback