BiblioBlog

August 12, 2003
How to be Good by Nick Hornby

How to be Good by Nick Hornby: Hornby is one of my friend’s favorite writers, so when I found this at a half price book store I picked it up. I’m certainly glad I did.

Apparently, this is one of Hornby’s more depressing and less fun books, but I found myself enthralled nonetheless. Katie, a GP who likes to think of herself as a good person despite having an affair, is married to David, the Angriest Man in Holloway (that’s actually the title of the column he writes).

Pretty soon into the book, David has a spiritual experience and decides to live his life the right way, the good way. He talks his neighbors into housing homeless children, he plans on how to redistribute wealth to those in need, he even talks his children into giving their toys away to those less fortunate.

The real story is Katie’s struggle with how this makes her feel. Sure, she’s against homelessness and for helping others, but why do all these good works make her hate David even more than she did? What he’s doing is good - why’s it driving her insane?

I was fascinated with how this book was going to end and what was going to happen to the people involved. It’s definitely not a cheery, light-hearted book at all, but I enjoyed it anyway. Hornby’s got a very easy to read style and his characters are very much real. Good book and highly recommended.



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Comments

nice photo of my favourite author nick hornby, taken in birmingham by pogus caesar it shows hornby smiling, relaxed and with hair..cool xx jen

Posted by: jennifer on May 13, 2005 07:52 AM




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