A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby

Review by Marlene Baird

You have probably never thought of the contemplation of suicide as being funny, but it can be. Nick Hornby's A Long Way Down will make you laugh on every page. Four potential suicides meet at a famous London 'jumping off place' on New Year's Eve. Their reasons for ending this life are as varied as their personalities: a TV talk show host who has defamed himself, a musician whose band has broken up, a teenage girl who has been dumped and a mother with a crisis.

One of my favorite parts is where we learn the rock musician thinks that suicide carries a glamorous cache. In thinking about killing himself, he associates himself with the likes of Sylvia Plath and Virigina Wolff. When he finds himself on the roof with a bunch of 'losers' he is sorely disappointed.

For writers: It is written in the first person - each section in the view of an alternating character.

Hornby gives the reader a lot to think about besides the value of life. You'll enjoy exploring the book.

Marlene Baird started her writing career after working as a legal assistant, and raising three children. She is the author of short stories and four novels, Murder Times Two, The Filigree Cross, Minnie and the Manatees, and Claire Walker, all recipients of local and regional awards.

Return to List of Reviews