A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby

A Long Way Down

Nick Hornby

A novel about four potential suicides has to be a load of misery, doesn't it? No it doesn't! I found this book quite hilarious. But, be warned, the four characters must be the most irritating you'll come across in a novel. Short on description but dialogue and atmosphere very good.

Extract
And suddenly there I was with three potential suicides munching the pizzas I was supposed to deliver and staring at me. They were apparently expecting some kind of Gettyburg address about why their damaged and pointless lives were worth living. It was ironic, really, seeing as I didn't give a fuck whether they jumped or not. I didn't know them from Adam, and none of them looked like they were going to add much to the sum total of human achievement.
Parallels
  • The Trick is to Keep Breathing by Janice Galloway
  • About a Boy by Nick Hornby