A Long Way Down
Ratings59
Average rating3.5
Meet Martin, JJ, Jess, and Maureen. Four people who come together on New Year's Eve: a former TV talk show host, a musician, a teenage girl, and a mother. Three are British, one is American. They encounter one another on the roof of Topper's House, a London destination famous as the last stop for those ready to end their lives.
In four distinct and riveting first-person voices, Nick Hornby tells a story of four individuals confronting the limits of choice, circumstance, and their own mortality. This is a tale of connections made and missed, punishing regrets, and the grace of second chances.
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Am listening to this in the car now. Really loving the voice actors. Now that I'm done, the only part I really enjoyed were the actors. I would certainly have stopped reading the book if I weren't listening to it.
When I found this book I was actually looking for another of the author's books (About A Boy.) The used bookstore that I frequent didn't have what I was looking for, but they had this one instead. It sounded interesting, I've never read anything by this author before, so I figured I might as well try it out. I would probably normally never have picked up this book or given it a second thought because I despise the cover, but I know the author is generally well thought of so.. shrugs.
There are 4 characters with very different backgrounds and stories. The chapters (at most a few pages each) switch from one character to another. I appreciated how well Hornby captured the language and writing style of each character, as well as their different thought patterns. Jess in particular seemed a difficult one, and I loved how well she was written, she really stood out, writing-wise. The other three were well written but I sometimes felt that their characters blended together.
This book is separated into three parts. I found the first part to be interesting, though not entirely captivating. There really isn't much to say about it. The second part was sort of dreadful, I felt like it droned on and on. It was less dialogue, more train of thought and not much action. I understand that it was probably necessary to the story as it showed how each character moved through the time they allotted themselves when choosing whether to stay alive or not. The third part was my favorite. It really showed character development and another side of each of them. I appreciated that there was no huge turning point for any of them that made them want to stay alive. It was much more realistic in that way. It was just...life. There was no big happy ending or sad ending. It just ended. And I loved that.
It was a book about life. I loved that each of the characters were so different, it really showed especially in the last part. Everyone has their own struggle. Everyone has their own way of getting through it or not getting through it.
Would I recommend this book?
I wouldn't recommend it for everyone. If you are (or have been) depressed, it could be triggering. It's VERY English, so if that's not your thing, you probably won't enjoy it. I would recommend it for someone who isn't triggered by mental illness. If you have ever had a suicidal thought, I think you will probably relate to someone in this book. Honestly, it was good but I'm not sure who I'd recommend it for!
Rating: 3.5/5
