Narrated in turns by a dowdy, middle-aged woman, a half-crazed adolescent, a disgraced breakfast TV presenter and an American rock star cum pizza delivery boy, A Long Way Down is the story of the Toppers House Four, aka Maureen, Jess, Martin and JJ. A low-rent crowd with absolutely nothing in common - save where they end up that New Year's Eve night. And what they do next, of course. Funny, sad, and wonderfully humane, Nick Hornby's new novel asks some of the big questions: about life and death, strangers and friendship, love and pain, and whether a slice of pizza can really see you through a long, dark night of the soul.
A Long Way Down
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"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.
-- "Publishers Weekly" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
Nick Hornby was born in 1957, is the author of three previous novels, High Fidelity, About a Boy and How to be Good, and two works of non-fiction, Fever Pitch and 31 Songs, and the editor of two anthologies, My Favourite Year and Speaking with the Angel. In 1999 he was awarded the E. M. Forster Award by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. 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
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
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!
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
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
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.
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.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By Sam Holliday
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Hardcover
Nick Hornby can rightfully claim to be the king of modern day intelligent 'lad-lit' and he deserves immense credit for getting many 30something males reading again.
His first three major works - two superb novels About A Boy and High Fidelity plus Fever Pitch, his touchingly honest account of the male passion for football - put him into a league of his own and made subsequent books must-buys.
To be honest, however, his last two novels (including this on) have been let downs.
This one has an excellent premise - it is about four people who are about to commit suicide at the same time at a well -known 'suicide spot' deciding against it and forming an unlikely bond. The problem is that the unlikely bond is simply too unlikely because the four people are just so different that I doubt they could convince a child to eat sweets let alone stop each other killing themselves!
Told in turn by the four very different characters, the story has a nice pace and is very readable but it simply lacks credibility. Worst of all is the creation of a screwed up teenager - Jess - who is simply so unlikable and horrible there won't be anybody reading this who wouldn't have wished she had indeed jumped in chapter one. That the three relatively sane and intelligent people around here would have befriended her and ignored her OTT exploits is one of those unlikely premises on which this book is based and I am afraid that by the end of the book I felt a little bit cheated that a potentially fascinating plot had simply failed to deliver or offer nearly enough of Hornby's usually spot-on insights into the psyche.
Nick Hornby remains an important writer and a very good wordsmith and ideas man but he needs another 'great' book I think. And this isn't it.
His first three major works - two superb novels About A Boy and High Fidelity plus Fever Pitch, his touchingly honest account of the male passion for football - put him into a league of his own and made subsequent books must-buys.
To be honest, however, his last two novels (including this on) have been let downs.
This one has an excellent premise - it is about four people who are about to commit suicide at the same time at a well -known 'suicide spot' deciding against it and forming an unlikely bond. The problem is that the unlikely bond is simply too unlikely because the four people are just so different that I doubt they could convince a child to eat sweets let alone stop each other killing themselves!
Told in turn by the four very different characters, the story has a nice pace and is very readable but it simply lacks credibility. Worst of all is the creation of a screwed up teenager - Jess - who is simply so unlikable and horrible there won't be anybody reading this who wouldn't have wished she had indeed jumped in chapter one. That the three relatively sane and intelligent people around here would have befriended her and ignored her OTT exploits is one of those unlikely premises on which this book is based and I am afraid that by the end of the book I felt a little bit cheated that a potentially fascinating plot had simply failed to deliver or offer nearly enough of Hornby's usually spot-on insights into the psyche.
Nick Hornby remains an important writer and a very good wordsmith and ideas man but he needs another 'great' book I think. And this isn't it.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It is perhaps no surprise that this book has garnered such diverse scorings on Amazon and similar sites. Those who give it a low score tend to attribute this to the fact that thay cannot "identify with" most or all of the characters, and those who praise it seem to focus on Hornby's ability to portray different character viewpoints and the cleverness of the conceit.
Neither of these viewpoints is wrong. If you read a book hoping to identify and sympathise with a character, then you are bound to feel alienated from at least three of the protagonists - it's more than possible that you will not identify with any of them.
On the other hand, if you are looking for literery conceipt and the ability to switch between viewpoints, you will find it here in abundance. Pay your money and take your choice.
Trying to steer between the two stools is difficult. The multi-person narrative is a device that allows the author to flash a few of his skills, but ultimately is does make it difficult to care about any of the main protagonists in particular. Given that the central plot drive is "will they or will they not sort their lives out?" this is a serious flaw, but not fatal, as the characters and their voices are at least believable. I am also heartened that Hornby didn't try and create some unbelievably sugary ending that tied everyone's lives up in a happy ending that so rarely occurs, and that I still feel that each of the characters has a life oustide of the book that I wish to explore in more detail.
To me it's a clever little tale that never quite pays off, but which is at least not predictable and does remain in the memory
Neither of these viewpoints is wrong. If you read a book hoping to identify and sympathise with a character, then you are bound to feel alienated from at least three of the protagonists - it's more than possible that you will not identify with any of them.
On the other hand, if you are looking for literery conceipt and the ability to switch between viewpoints, you will find it here in abundance. Pay your money and take your choice.
Trying to steer between the two stools is difficult. The multi-person narrative is a device that allows the author to flash a few of his skills, but ultimately is does make it difficult to care about any of the main protagonists in particular. Given that the central plot drive is "will they or will they not sort their lives out?" this is a serious flaw, but not fatal, as the characters and their voices are at least believable. I am also heartened that Hornby didn't try and create some unbelievably sugary ending that tied everyone's lives up in a happy ending that so rarely occurs, and that I still feel that each of the characters has a life oustide of the book that I wish to explore in more detail.
To me it's a clever little tale that never quite pays off, but which is at least not predictable and does remain in the memory
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3.7 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A long way down
4/5 a book that is written about failed suicide attempts from the four different perspectives of people who met whilst trying to kill themselves.
Published 3 days ago by Nicholas Garman
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 2 months 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 2 months 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
Recommend to others
Published 3 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 3 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 3 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 3 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.
a worthwhile read.
Published 4 months ago by Lucy
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