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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I watched the Hugh Grant movie back in the day when it originally came out and enjoyed it. I've been trying to watch the new tv series (I've only seen one episode, not that impressed so far) and I've always meant to get around to the book. Finally picked it up, read it in a week or so. I liked it infinitely more than the tv show and more than the Hugh Grant movie, as well. I won't give anything away but I wish the film had stuck to some later points that get brought up in the book. I really enjoyed it though and I like Hornby's writing. I'm interested in trying A Long Way Down next, the voices he gives his characters is interesting, not completely honest or entirely realistic but very, very close. Even though the book is set in the early 90's, I think it's aged well. The main themes it explores for adulthood and the beginning teen years are still very relavent.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loaned to me by a friend after I mentioned re-watching the movie recently. And while the book and movie are similar, they are actually quite different. That being so, they are still both great. I'm glad I saw the movie before reading the book, so I wouldn't be annoyed by bits and details left out.
Prima verhaal. Af en toe nogal kort door de bocht en personages voelen soms erg cliche. Ik realiseerde me ook tijdens het lezen hoe erg Groetjes Danny (die ik een maand geleden gelezen heb) een ripoff is van deze, dus misschien voelde het daarom nogal herkauwt. Ben wel benieuwd naar de verfilming nu.
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Mostly listened to the audio - apparently I read the hard copy ten years ago. Of all of the books lying around my shelves at the moment, this was the only one that didn’t seem to make my humidity headache throb harder.
It’s very true to the film adaptation, which I’ve probably seen, what, twice, over the years? Rather, I should say that the film adaptation is very true to the book. While I remember enjoying the movie, I certainly wasn’t obsessed with it, and have never been a Hornby devotee, but every beat of the story seemed so familiar, down to the dialogue. Somehow this one made an impression, I guess - it's strange how the most unexpected things can get seared in your brain.
It’s very true to the film adaptation, which I’ve probably seen, what, twice, over the years? Rather, I should say that the film adaptation is very true to the book. While I remember enjoying the movie, I certainly wasn’t obsessed with it, and have never been a Hornby devotee, but every beat of the story seemed so familiar, down to the dialogue. Somehow this one made an impression, I guess - it's strange how the most unexpected things can get seared in your brain.
Somewhere between 3.5 and 4; the 3.8 average on Goodreads suits this book well.
The extreme over-analysis of even the smallest things in day-to-day situations that both Will and Marcus tend to do is charming and funny at the beginning of the book, but gets a tad annoying towards the end...
Overall, though, the story and writing are still "entertaining and endearing", as the Times so aptly put it. I took a lot of unwanted breaks in reading this book, but whenever I had the time, I could read it for hours on end, which is something I don't have with a lot of non-suspenseful reads. Even though I could relate to none of the characters fully, the elements of each character that connects them spoke to me.
The extreme over-analysis of even the smallest things in day-to-day situations that both Will and Marcus tend to do is charming and funny at the beginning of the book, but gets a tad annoying towards the end...
Overall, though, the story and writing are still "entertaining and endearing", as the Times so aptly put it. I took a lot of unwanted breaks in reading this book, but whenever I had the time, I could read it for hours on end, which is something I don't have with a lot of non-suspenseful reads. Even though I could relate to none of the characters fully, the elements of each character that connects them spoke to me.
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
First half 4.5, second half brought it back down for me. I just love the movie too much and it went in a completely different direction and felt I couldn’t disconnect from the film enough to enjoy it.