Book Banter -- About a Boy

Title: About a Boy
Author: Nick Hornby

Length: 307 pages

Genre: fiction

Plot Basics: Will, a 30-something in London, is trying to figure out a new plan for meeting women. What he dreams up is a non-existent kid so he can chat up single moms at a single parents support group. Through the group he meets Marcus, an all-elbows 12-year-old desperately in need of somebody just like Will as a role-model. Will doesn't want to get involved as a grown-up with responsibilities for Marcus, but it turns out, they both have things to teach each other.

Banter Points: Hornby's prose is so good. It reads effortlessly. Word Nerd was surprised how much she liked this book, because she read Hornby's "High Fidelity" and didn't like it at all (not for the writing quality, but the general storyline.) About a Boy on the other hand brings the reader in contact with engaging characters and feelings that anyone who's ever been 12 can relate to.

Bummer Points: Word Nerd watched the movie before knowing that it was an adaptation of a novel. Maybe this isn't such a bummer, but the whole time Word Nerd was reading, it was Hugh Grant's voice in her head because of the movie. (OK, writing that down makes is sound far more odd than it was.)

Word Nerd Recommendation: For literary fiction, this book was completely accessible and enjoyable.