When was about a boy written

Watch options. Storyline Edit. Twelve year old Marcus Brewer lives with his chronically depressed single mother, Fiona Brewer. Both Fiona and Marcus beat to their own respective drummers. Marcus will do whatever he can to make his depressed mother happy, even if it causes himself grief.

As such, he realizes that he is perceived as different than most kids, as even the self-professed weird kids don't want to hang out with him as he is the target of bullying. Part of the taunts against him are the fact that he sings and speaks to himself without even realizing that he is doing it. Meanwhile, thirty-eight year old Will Freeman is a slacker who has lived comfortably off the royalties of a song written by his deceased father, and as such has never had to work a day in his life.

He is a solitary man who places himself as the first and only priority in life. He comes across the idea that dating single moms meets his selfish carnal needs. It is in this capacity that Will meets Marcus, as one of Will's single mother conquests, Suzie, is friends with the Brewers. Trying to escape his life but wanting Will to date Fiona, Marcus infiltrates Will's life, much to Will's chagrin. Will slowly begins to realize that Marcus is more than just a nuisance, but rather someone who needs some guidance navigating through the trials of adolescence and the trials of dealing with a suicidal mother, and perhaps he can be a small part of providing that direction.

Conversely, Marcus may be able to show Will the path to becoming a real adult. Growing up has nothing to do with age. Rated PG for brief strong language and some thematic elements. Did you know Edit. Trivia The shot of Will reflected in the mirror when he is depressed was actually taken when Hugh Grant was taking a break.

The directors noticed him doing this and from behind he looked depressed, so they shot it without him knowing. Quotes Christine : You will end up childless and alone. Alternate versions UK airings on ITV2 cut out all the profanity and swearing to make a clean film language-wise.

When the film appeared on Film4 in pre-watershed airings a large chunk of the profanity was retained save for the stronger words and certain phrases.

User reviews Review. Top review. Analysis of Aesthetic devices in 'About a Boy' 'About a Boy', written in by Nick Hornby explores the themes of mental health, 's culture and family through the friendship of two characters; Will, a thirty-six-year-old bachelor and Marcus, A year-old outcast. In 'About a Boy', the author has used a range of aesthetic devices that shape character representation. Funny and wise, sweet and true.

Hornby graduated from. The study of stylistics enables reader to scrutinize a specific literary discourse to get a deep insight about the use of language in it. Therefore, the components of stylistics such as the lexical features, the elements of narration and interpretation of characters are utilized to examine the excerpt from the novel, About a Boy. Based on the excerpt, the sentence structure is not complex. I cannot file him as junk food reading because he is much too earnest and positive: reading his book has an uplifting effect on me and that if definitely not a guilty pleasure.

I will shamelessly admit to liking all 3, but the original work is still the best! I think that the movie and TV show while it lasted worked as well as they did because Hornby created wonderful and endearing characters you want keep seeing over and over again. He had musical aspirations of his own at some point, but he abandoned them in favor of simply enjoying the lifestyle his inheritance could afford him.

In his quest for single women, he winds up at a single parents meeting — and can only justify his being there by posing as a single parent himself… This leads to an accidental friendship with Marcus, a hopelessly eccentric read: lame 12 year-old, raised by a depressive hippie mother.

Hornby describes some tough situations in this book, and while his style is light, it never makes fun of or trivializes the issues tackled, such as depression, suicide, single-parenthood.

Will is cynical, selfish and immature. Both of them are effectively isolated until they meet and find a weird place where they can talk to each other. Their friendship is unconventional but they obviously care about and understand each other the way no one else in their lives does.

They have plenty to learn from each other and their evolution is often hilarious as Marcus tries to become a little more hip and as Will attempts to enter into a real relationship with Rachel. This is a lovely, surprisingly deep little book about friendship, coming of age, love and family. Originally, I picked up a friend's copy of this while watching babysitting, simply as a means of amusing myself while the kid was happily playing with some toys.

I'd already seen the movie, and figured the book would probably be something that I could pick up and put down fairly easily.

I was wrong. See, I went into this thinking I obviously knew the story and the characters - but what happened was I quickly forgot about the movie version, and became fascinated with the story of Will, the selfish Originally, I picked up a friend's copy of this while watching babysitting, simply as a means of amusing myself while the kid was happily playing with some toys.

See, I went into this thinking I obviously knew the story and the characters - but what happened was I quickly forgot about the movie version, and became fascinated with the story of Will, the selfish slacker who doesn't really have much of a point, and Marcus, the nerdy little boy who makes Will realize that yes, he does.

Once I started reading, I was hooked, and ended up purchasing my own copy, which I quickly devoured in about 4 days. Beautiful read for the end of the year. Such a thoughtful book. I love an effortless read with depth. This is an interesting and at times hilarious story with very relatable characters and a delightful perspective on relationships.

Apr 17, Janelle rated it really liked it Shelves: This was a fun read. The major difference between them is the book being about 10yrs older ie set early 90s Nirvana and Kurt cobain are an important part of the story as Ellie is a big fan. The chapters alternate from the points of view of Marcus and Will making it evenly balanced over the two characters.

Oct 28, Daniel Clausen rated it it was amazing. What a surprising read! I found this book in the Fujisawa library in Japan. My other choices were D. Lawrence and other books that boasted intimidating thickness. I suppose I chose this book because I thought it would be a breezy read.

It was a breezy read! A breezy, enjoyable read with a surprising amount of depth and charm. I had previously read one other Nick Hornby book: A Long Way Down, which was a morbid look at the lives of several people who try to commit suicide. About a Boy shares so What a surprising read! About a Boy shares some of the morbid outlook of that book, but comes up feeling lighter and more entertaining.

If I was entirely secure with the word "trash novel" I might call it that--as a compliment of course. Despite its entire lack of pretensions or perhaps because of it it turns out to be a minor masterpiece. It doesn't try to be overly deep, and it sort of rejects any sort of glib endings or hints at elaborate and deep structures to the world other than: "We're all messed up someway and we do our best to go on.

It has the basic elements of great fiction: even despicable characters are likable, they go through important changes by the end of the book, and we are forced to come to terms about how we feel about these changes and whether they are good or bad.

So, if you're holding a can of beer or a glass of wine, let's cheer this no-so-trashy trash novel: a light read of great literary quality that also happens to have Hugh Grant's face on the cover. It's toss-up. I will say that "About a Boy" is probably one of my favorite Hornby novels. The story is about a spoiled rich man-child in the movie adaptation, played brilliantly by Hugh Grant who befriends an awkward high school kid and, in the process, learns how to be a better person and man.

Very funny and very moving. Jan 21, Helene Jeppesen rated it really liked it. This is an interesting book with a lot of different characters and character development. It was my first book by Nick Hornby but it's definitely not going to be my last : This is an interesting book with a lot of different characters and character development.

It was my first book by Nick Hornby but it's definitely not going to be my last Jul 11, Nastya rated it it was amazing. The way he writes. The way his characters develop. His humour. The ending is somewhat vague, but that is so not the point, the actual point is in the process itself, in Horny's style, his characters whom he has the power to describe so believably that I can see right through them, can understand everything they're feeling; in funny moments which the book is full of.

I just laughed out loud several times during one chapter. I fell in love with the way Hornby describes things. I fell in love with "About Boy" almost at first sight. That is certainly a book to savour. Dec 04, Laurie rated it it was amazing Shelves: fiction. This was a terrific book from beginning to end. Equally funny and sad but never dreary despite the very serious overtones of the book.

Marcus was a peculiar, wonderful boy with a huge burden on his shoulders and I really enjoyed watching him become a stronger, confident person. Will was also great. I loved the fact that he was a such a self-centered jerk and completely content to remain that way. No guilt, no remorse, no commitments. Until he meets Marcus, that is. Their relationship was laugh o This was a terrific book from beginning to end.

Their relationship was laugh out loud funny and so very believable. I had a very difficult time putting this book down. Jan 04, Titas I read in bed rated it it was amazing. This is the story of the most immature adult meeting the most mature child. Who's right? Who's wrong? You decide! First of all Nick Hornby, I bow to thee for your awesomeness! You write like you are actually telling me the story sitting in front of me.

As if you have known me for a long time and everything just rolls right out of your tongue! Will is the cool dude, the funky awesome one who doesn't even have to work; money just falls right into his laps. And that leave him with endless a Attaboy! And that leave him with endless amount of free time to do 'things' ranging from eating ice cream to planning long schemes to bang single mothers because in his opinion - they are are best all day!

While executing one such plan he meets with Marcus who is always the odd one in his class yet the most mature child in the universe. This book should not even exist. It is too good to be true! I don't even know how to characterize this one.

Sometime it is too funny, sometime it's gut punching. A dictionary full of wonderful characters and a saga of self-realization may be one way to put it. Do yourself a favor and read this book at least once in your life just a humble request from a fellow passenger of life! What an absolutely delightful book. I watched the movie many years ago and I have to say that Hugh Grant is the perfect Will.

Hornby does magnificent character writing, but with quite a lot of humour - there were so many laugh out loud moments! Fabulous audio narration too - highly recommended.

One similarity between the books though is that all of Hornby's characters seem to be really annoying. Will cared about nobody but h 3. Will cared about nobody but himself and I thought that some of the things he said and did were absolutely repulsive but he was also very self-aware and I thought that was interesting to read.

Marcus perfectly embodied a 12 year old who was very mature because of his circumstances but yet also very naive and innocent because he is only a child. The story itself focuses on relationships. Relationships we have with friends, family, strangers, lovers etc and the impact that those relationships have on us. Will ends up realising that maybe being intertwined with people isn't such a bad thing while Marcus learns that relationships come and go.

If you don't have a solid relationship with your mother, it doesn't really matter as long as you have other healthy relationships with people who support you. Perhaps it's not a typical happy ending but the sentiments are realistic ones. The only thing that annoyed me about the ending was that in the last chapter, Will describes Marcus as having changed dramatically.

I know that some time passed but he transforms from being the odd, quirky kid that made him Marcus to being a typical teenager. I'd have preferred if that chapter wasn't there or we got more from Marcus that explained why he changed so much.

Throughout the book it was like Marcus had an inability to understand certain things like pop culture, appropriate things to say and what to wear but then at the end he knows what to say, he knows what to wear and he seems to know more about pop culture. The writing was good enough. The best thing about the writing was definitely the characters Hornby wrote.

They were so elaborate and even though the story is quite ordinary, I think everything about the characters were top notch. They were just so three-dimensional and I'm just really impressed with how good they were. I would have liked to have seen a good likeable character but just because I'm curious to see how Hornby would write that character.

Out of all the characters I think Will was my favourite. Fiona was my least favourite character, look I know mental illness is serious and should not be ignored but to do what she did SPOILER try to kill her self was some what selfish on her part, she has an only child and she needs to think about him, he should be a distraction and help her in some areas.

She continuously embarrassed and manipulated her son, telling him to start and think for himself while contradicting and twisting his and her words to get him to end up doing what she wants. I truly felt bad for Marcus but other times I wanted to shake him and tell him to stand up for himself. The bullies were just fucking assholes, hated them all for giving Marcus a hard time, a hard time at school is the last thing he needed considering his home life.

I just wish adults were more understanding of teens and children. The ending was the best part because it seemed as though things were starting to look up and they all became as close to family as anybody else is. All in all it was a remarkable read and I strongly recommend.

View all 5 comments. I'm going to say something that I don't say very often: The film is better than the book I think I can say that about a total of three books. But don't let that put you off from reading the book. Actually, the film is quite faithful to the book, almost word-for-word.

It's just the musical tastes that change the book is set in , and part of the plot pivots around Kurt Cobain, and the film has less of a musical influence, but refers mainly to rap and the ending, which, in the film, is a bi I'm going to say something that I don't say very often: The film is better than the book I think I can say that about a total of three books.

It's just the musical tastes that change the book is set in , and part of the plot pivots around Kurt Cobain, and the film has less of a musical influence, but refers mainly to rap and the ending, which, in the film, is a bit lighter than the book.

However, the book is really a gem on its own. It is so rare to find a book that is wonderfully charming, with laugh-out-loud dry British humor, yet speaks to the human realities of suicide, depression, loneliness, and bullying without feeling heavy. I'd recommend High Fidelity to the music-obsessed young man, but About a Boy is for everyone.

A very easy, breezy book that doesn't have the to me anyway expected ending. I know, I'm late to the party on this one and it explains finding it at a book sale but I'm guessing the book was better than the movie. Very odd cover though. View all 4 comments. Sep 12, Dale rated it it was amazing.

Nick Hornby is a master of writing a heartwarming book that isn't heartwarming I mean that as praise, in case that wasn't clear. His brilliant method is to make the main character as self-centered and unadmirable as possible, then make him do something incredibly good, but rationalize his or her actions to him or herself in self-interested reasons. In this book, an unemployed, consumerist slacker named Will he doesn't need to work as his father wrote a pathetically embarassing Christmas song, Nick Hornby is a master of writing a heartwarming book that isn't heartwarming I mean that as praise, in case that wasn't clear.

In this book, an unemployed, consumerist slacker named Will he doesn't need to work as his father wrote a pathetically embarassing Christmas song, and Will now lives quite comfortably off the royalties discovers that dating single mothers is a dream-- the sex is great, the women are generally gorgeous, and they generally end the relationship relatively quickly because of unresolved issues with the ex.