Marcus is twelve. Will is thirty-six. Why can't they both act their age? In his second novel Nick Hornby explores the connections people make when the so-called ideal family model does not apply. As he did with football in Fever Pitch and with record collections in High Fidelity, he keeps his eye on the subject while revealing much more - always cutting through received rubbish with a singular sense of purpose.And in the process he connects with a huge number of people who find his view of the world funny, wise and disarmingly entertaining.
Nick Hornby was born in 1957 and worked as a teacher before becoming a full-time writer. Fever Pitch, his memoir of football fandom, and High Fidelity, his first novel, nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1997, have both enjoyed outstanding critical and popular success.He lives in north London.

Here's what the members of the Reading Group based at our Raheny branch library think of About A Boy:

This is humorous yet serious novel about two misfits who transform each other's lives. The story revolves around Marcus, an unhappy twelve-year-old boy who has a suicidal mother. He is bullied at school for being a nerd, weirdo and a geek. He meets up with Will, a fun-loving irresponsible thirty-six-year-old bachelor. This story is about their relationship. Marcus has a miserable existence living in London with his unhappy mother. The author contrasts Marcus's life with that of Will's, a hip, Peter Pan character. Will lives of the royalties of a song that his father wrote. He does not want the responsibility of Marcus's friendship. He is looking for a lover. Some of the funniest parts in the book are about his failed attempts to find a lover. Will's lovers and Marcus's mother play the support roles in this story. The story is set in London in the world of rented flats and bedsits, which seems entirely appropriate. It is written in a downbeat style. In a humorous and serious way it looks at the effect on parents and children in one-parent families - where there are no live-in fathers. In this story, Marcus's mother is depressed, unavailable and unaware of her son's unhappiness. It would be easy to paint a bleak view of this world. Instead, this is a story of hope and redemption. Hope for a boy that someone else can play the fathering role in his life, and hope for a man that he can mature to being a responsible adult. It allows for a different type of family arrangement, where kind strangers can take on the role of the absent parent, and children can reclaim their childhood. This is a most enjoyable book. Like Fever Pitch, Nick Hornby has written about the 'angst' and confusion of being a child in a grown-up world. It is a compelling read. I would strongly recommend it. (Member of Raheny Library Reading Group.)