After reading Nick Hornby's Slam earlier this year (review) and enjoying it fairly well, I thought I might read a few others from his backlist, since they seem to be nice light reads quite suited to train rides and down moments. About a Boy is the first of those I've picked up, and I found it even a bit funnier than Slam. As in Slam, Hornby has mastered the perspective of an adolescent boy; he complements that here by also mastering the perspective of an adolescent man (who manages to grow up a bit whether he likes it or not).
Dealing with deeply emotional issues (divorce, suicide, &c.) in an affecting way by combining depth with his trademark humor, quirky style, and fascinatingly rich (and reliably odd) characters, Hornby pulls it off again with this one.
