description: This is nonfiction commentary. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: About a Boy, High Fidelity, a Long Way Down, Slam, Juliet, Naked, How to Be Good, Click. Source: Wikipedia. Free updates online. Not illustrated. Excerpt: A Long Way Down is a novel written by British author Nick Hornby, published in 2005. It is a dark comedy, playing off the themes of suicide, angst, depression and promiscuity. The story is written in the first-person narrative from the points of view of the four main characters, Martin, Maureen, Jess and JJ. These four strangers happen to meet on the roof of a high building called Topper's House in London on New Year's Eve, each with the intent of committing suicide. Their plans for death in solitude, however, are ruined when they meet. The novel recounts their misadventures as they decide to come down from the roof alive - however temporarily that may be. Disgraced TV presenter Martin Sharp, the lonely housewife Maureen (51years old), the unsuccessful musician JJ and the rude teenager Jess (18 years old) meet at Topper's House in London at New Year's Eve. They all want to commit suicide by jumping from the roof. Their plans for death in solitude, however, are ruined when they meet. After telling their individual stories to the others, they decide to hold off on jumping and to protect themselves. Thus a group of four unfortunate and very individual people forms. Jess' condition not to jump is that they help her to find her ex-boyfriend Chas. So they take a taxi and drive to the party they suppose Chas to be at. After finding and talking to Chas they decide to go to Martin's place where they find Penny, who has obviously been crying. She accuses Martin of cheating on her because he had left the party they'd both attended that evening without any explanation. The next morning the newspapers claim t...More: http: //booksllc.net/?id=225310
title: Novels By Nick Hornby (Study Guide): About A Boy, High Fidelity, A Long Way Down, Slam, Juliet, Naked, How To Be Good, Click