This well-written
classic has of course been made into an engaging film as well.
Intriguingly Will screams
out to be played by Hugh Grant and of course he was.
We have two equally
significant main characters in this story, Will and Marcus. The story shifts between the two of them. Both have convincing voices and both are rounded,
authentic characters. This is not a “happy ever after story” and one of the novel’s
many strengths is that it shows us life as it is.
Both characters
are unusual. Will doesn’t work – he lives
off the royalties from his father’s Christmas song. Marcus lives with his mum,
a single parent who has mental health problems. He is an awkward child and gets
bullied. Will ends up being as a bit of a reluctant hero.
Nick Hornby portrays
the ups and downs of these complex characters and in the end it’s all About a Boy
