(B) A Long Way Down (Nick Hornby) Grade: C+
I’m surprised that this is only Hornby’s fourth novel, perhaps a telling indication of his already established place in the world of pop culture/popular fiction. But his latest is quite simply a difficult read, as he tackles the dark subject matter of suicide and fails to execute it successfully. In fact, reading Long Way felt more like reading the first draft than the completed piece. The plot travels in pointless, occasionally grating directions, the narrative is both disjointed (four-person narrative) and distractingly similar (often re-checked to remind myself who is speaking) and the most relevant criticism: I was never convinced that these characters were ever suicidal. Hornby’s last novel How to be Good was similarly difficult because it was near impossible to endear yourself to the characters, but I found it merely challenging rather than irritating. Although Washington Post gave Long Way moderate praise, I found this point the most precise: There’s a nagging sense that the characters are merely killing time (instead of themselves). I suggest killing time in more productive ways.