It took me ages to get through this book and I wouldn't have persevered only I was hoping they'd all kill themselves at the end. Anyway, there are some great Hornby one-liners. That's all I can say to recommend this one, which disappointed me after reading About A Boy, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters in this one were just annoying. And their voices weren't different enough from one another - they are all Hornby of course - but even Maureen sounded a bit too much like Jess without the expletives. ( )

Really disjointed, a departure from good form for Nick Hornby - have a read of How to be Good, for a great Hornby book.Far too much dialogue and no character development. ( )

A surprisingly good read. An eccentric plot about four people that independently decide to commit suicide but all decide to do it at the same time by jumping off the top of a building - this is where they all meet. Some great characters. The 18 year old Jess is so obnoxious you want to hit her yourself. I would certainly read more of Hornby's books. ( )

Maureen, Martin, JJ, and Jess just happen to meet up one New Year's Eve on the roof of Topper's House, an establishment in London, but they're not there to celebrate the New Year. Each of these four people have made four different journeys to Topper's House to--top themselves, as the British would say. And three out of four of them are, in fact, British. Anyway, each of these people was expecting some privacy at a time like this, but instead, they wound up embarking on another journey altogether.

Nick Hornby is known for writing humorous stories, and in this novel, he successfully tells the story of how four depressed people grudgingly form a support group, albeit a very unorthodox one, with a good balance of humor and seriousness. The four characters take turns first telling their own stories, then telling their common story, each in a very different voice and perspective.

I was impressed by the way Jess, a teenaged girl who is easily one of the most annoying characters I've ever encountered in or out of a book, gradually morphs into a more controlled and likeable young woman. Her problems aren't miraculously going away, but she's better in every way by the end. And then there's Maureen, who seems to have the most obvious reasons to be depressed, but it turns out that a few doable changes is all she needs to feel much, much better. Martin and JJ need to develop their plan B's, and by the end, they are making a start at that, instead of just despairing.

The unusual thing about this group of four is that they really don't much enjoy each other, don't seem to make each other feel particularly better, but--they are hooked on meeting each other, nonetheless. It keeps them going, and the common connection they feel does force them to look outside of themselves. They become unlikely people in each other's lives, and therein lies most of the humor.

I like that the ending isn't perfect. Everyone is better off than they were the night they agreed to walk downstairs and out of Topper's House, but things are not perfect for any of them by a long shot. I also admire the way A Long Way Down manages to be engaging and light, while being so touching and sad at the same time. Nick Hornby has breathed life into these characters, four people with emerging hope for the future.

It's a very enjoyable, interesting read, and I'd recommend this book! ( )

This was my first Nick Hornby book and my first Audiobook. The combination of the two produced a very pleasurable ‘reading’ experience. I enjoy characters to whom I can relate, and I found something of that in each of them, even though I spent most of the book wanting to punch Jess and slap Martin! I can be easily confused by multiple first person perspectives, but the voices of the actors kept me on track. As for the story itself, a few of the ‘wisdoms’ scattered throughout were hammered home a little too forcefully, but the droll humour made up for it. There were even a few laugh-out-loud moments. I’ll definitely be reading/listening to more Nick Hornby. ( )