Back from hiatus

Hello, all of my loyal readers and fans. I apologize for the long hiatus. And now, for the promised book review.

A Long Way Down
By Nicolas Hornby

Mr. Hornby is known, of course, for his sympathetic portrayals of somewhat seedy characters, his emphasis on light, satirical humor, and, of course, the propensity with which his novels are made into movies. It would not, then, be at all surprising to me if this piece were also converted into the film medium.

I would like to begin by mentioning that this book is identical to Bridge Club Thursdays--Amy, at least, would recognize this. Beside the point.

The novel focuses upon four characters, all of whom meet on a London rooftop while contemplating suicide. One is a middle aged woman, trapped in a life that bores her, with a son in a vegetative state since birth. One is a fallen media icon, an early morning talk show host who engaged in sexual activities with a minor and has since lost job, family, and respect. One is an American musician, finally facing the fact that he lacks either the talent or the resources to become a successful artist, and the final main character is a rebellious teenager with quicksilver moods and a slightly psychotic temperament.

Of course the characters do not jump, and the book chronicles the myriad ways in which they try to get their lives back on track. Amusing at times, poignant at others, A Long Way Down does not delve terribly deeply into the character's psyches, but provides a slight gloss which makes for enjoyable reading, if not terribly enlightening.

The greatest strengths, as ever, are Hornby's ability to capture his narrator's voice along with deftly interweaving humor into every scene. It is always a pleasure to read his works. Here, especially, he shines as he switches between these four incredibly different narrators with ease. The middle aged woman is as believable as the youthful musician. Compassion is carefully constructed for all four characters--despite their occassionally unsavory activities, there is still a desire to see them do well for themselves.

The book is far from ambitious, however. Rather than constructing characters who are serious about suicide, Hornby's men and women are dabblers, people who are curious, or show-offs, and not those who seriously entertain the idea of death. While this keeps the book from becoming overly morbid, it also prohibits greater exploration. Similarly, each character has one concrete reason for contemplating suicide, many of which are somewhat cliched. Though it is mentioned again and again that characters are depressed, such deep emotion is not displayed through action.

Hornby is a great writer of summer fun. Difficult to imagine reading of four suicidal people as fun, yet Hornby, magically, creates such a book. HIghly recommended for a rainy day or day at the beach--the mood could fit either atmosphere. Crime and Punishment it is not, but A Long Way Down is definitely still worth the read.

-J