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dtab62's review against another edition
3.0
I've heard a lot of good about Nick Hornby, but this was the first book of his I'd read. I didn't put much thought about which of his books to read first, I found this at a library book sale so that was that.
It was a bit more "out there" than I anticipated, but once I started to really get into it and seeing that much of the "out there" material was meant to be metaphorical, I did enjoy it more. And the dry humor was a constant, which was a plus.
I will indeed be seeking out more of Hornby's books.
It was a bit more "out there" than I anticipated, but once I started to really get into it and seeing that much of the "out there" material was meant to be metaphorical, I did enjoy it more. And the dry humor was a constant, which was a plus.
I will indeed be seeking out more of Hornby's books.
jufira42's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sians's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
babyruth510's review against another edition
3.0
This is probably my least-favorite of Hornby's books. Although I thought it was ok I wouldn't recommend it.
hayleybeale's review against another edition
3.0
Such an interesting premise, but the author doesn't quite know where to take it and it sort of fizzles out.
Katie Carr is having an affair and is bored with her marriage to David aka "The Angriest Man in Holloway." But David has a spiritual conversion after meeting DJ GoodNews and wants to be a good person, which means giving away their possessions and offering their spare room to a homeless young man. But Katie is maddened by David's unironic crusade to be good while also knowing she's on the wrong side.
This is a major tilt at comfortable middle class liberals who don't walk the talk but doesn't really reach a conclusion other than, yes, we should be good but, for some reason, we can't manage it.
Katie Carr is having an affair and is bored with her marriage to David aka "The Angriest Man in Holloway." But David has a spiritual conversion after meeting DJ GoodNews and wants to be a good person, which means giving away their possessions and offering their spare room to a homeless young man. But Katie is maddened by David's unironic crusade to be good while also knowing she's on the wrong side.
This is a major tilt at comfortable middle class liberals who don't walk the talk but doesn't really reach a conclusion other than, yes, we should be good but, for some reason, we can't manage it.
sparklethenpop's review against another edition
3.0
This book took me a while to get into it but then I did. It does raise some good questions about how to be a good person? Why do people behave in ways that are perceived to be good? How good of a person can a human be before they have trouble with their own human flaws? This book had funny parts and asked some good questions but it also just frustrated me. It some times seemed as though the main message of the book was that good people don't get divorced unless that may be the best choice to make. Maybe that wasn't the point at all but that's what I took out of it.
adrienneh1973's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
graceverse's review against another edition
1.0
I like Nick Hornby as an author. Even if he lives in the opposite ends of the world, something about his story or the voice of his characters or both feels familiar and completely relate-able. I have read a couple of his books which I enjoyed (Slam and Fever Pitch) and loved (About A Boy) but this one really made me scratch my head - at least when I came to the middle part and then it all went downhill from there.
The first few chapters were funny and there were a lot of clever lines and issues brought up that made me think. But then, I thought there'd be some change, like some spark of hope or realization on kindness and I don't know, I guess I was looking for something uplifting and not the depressingly repetitive whining from the main character, Katie.
By the end of the book Katie was depressed, her husband was depressed, the kids are depressed and I join them in that awful depression. I was kind of hoping that the whole family, with the exception of Tom (their youngest and the most likeable character in their family) to fall off that damn window and get it all over and done with.
The first few chapters were funny and there were a lot of clever lines and issues brought up that made me think. But then, I thought there'd be some change, like some spark of hope or realization on kindness and I don't know, I guess I was looking for something uplifting and not the depressingly repetitive whining from the main character, Katie.
By the end of the book Katie was depressed, her husband was depressed, the kids are depressed and I join them in that awful depression. I was kind of hoping that the whole family, with the exception of Tom (their youngest and the most likeable character in their family) to fall off that damn window and get it all over and done with.
akicrp's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0