This is the premise of a long way down, a book which turns out to be a comedy. J a musician arrive to commit suicide in solitude however are quite surprised to meet each other. Jun 07, 2005 and now comes along nick hornbys only highconcept novel till date a long way down. Jj is a failed american rock star, jess a somewhat psychotic teenager, maureen a middleaged women with a disabled son, and martin a disgraced talk show host. A long way down 2014, directed by pascal chaumeil film. Explain precisely how and why the ending appropriately or inappropriately concludes the work. In his eagerly awaited fourth novel, new york timesbestselling author nick hornby mines the hearts and psyches of four lost souls who connect just when theyve reached the end of the line. Apr 30, 2005 a long way down by nick hornby 288pp, viking. Long way down book by jason reynolds official publisher. He is also the author of songbook, a finalist for a national book critics circle award, shakespeare wrote for money, and the polysyllabic spree, as well as the editor of the shortstory collection. The theme is very clear throughout the novel, but i have chosen this passage from the ending of the book. The story starts of with four different individuals intending to commit suicide on new years eve on toppers tower. Lad lits original gang leader has written about football, music, parental responsibility and morality.
Focused on the subject of gun violence, particularly the survivors journey from grief and trauma to catharsis. In a long long way, barry uses his exceptional gifts to tell the story of irelands entry into the first world war through the heart and mind of one young soldier. Independent booksellers jason reynolds new novel long way down is focused on a moment of decision. This dark comedy incorporates themes of existentialism and mental illness, including suicide and depression, in hornbys signature upbeat style. A stellar creepy, engaging, heartbreaking novel in verse, long way down is another example of what author jason reynolds does best. If you like jonathan coe, david sedaris and david nicholls, you will love this book.
In long way down, the ghosts of gun violence chill a plan for. A reading group guide to long way down by jason reynolds about the book will has known about the rules ever since his childhood friend was killed on the playground, and hes followed the first two. Theme and message in a long way down the book blogging. Thats the trouble with suicides, ive learned you cant cut the long story short, because its the long story that people are interested in. Pg wodehouse may have been the last lightcomic writer to be comfy in his pigeonhole. The story is written in the firstperson narrative from the points of view of the four main characters, martin, maureen, jess and jj. The novel follows four characters in a firstperson. In this novelinverse, the events are narrated by fifteenyearold william holloman whose nineteenyearold brother shawn was shot and killed the day before. One new years eve, four strangers meet each other on a rooftop, where each has gone to kill himself. Turtles all the way down by john green plot summary litcharts. Willie dunne, brother of annie from barrys previous novel annie dunne, joins the royal dublin fusiliers at age seventeen because he. But a long way down takes risks, and it does things that most authors are afraid to do, which is talk about suicide and it does it in such a smart way that it becomes a book that is actually against suicide in the long run.
All these details are clues in identifying the title and author of the book. What makes the book work is hornbys refusal to give an inch to sentimentality or cheap inspirational guff. Jul 11, 2014 based on a hit book by nick hornby high fidelity, about a boy that contained an emotional minefield maudlin enough that the film took nearly a decade to come into existence even though the hornby bandwagon was full in the 00s, a long way down is a textbook case of overdirection. Readers should take the time to explore the imagery and use of metaphors in the novel. Online resources can help with your search for a halfremembered book, even if all you have is a basic plot line. Please help to improve it, or discuss the issue on the talk page. Arlette miller smith praying at the altar red sheryll cashin dr. Will is ready to exact vengeance on the person who murdered his older brother shawn. The basketball court is where shawn is shot on the way home from the corner store where he picked up his mother. Jason reynolds talks long way down and writing about gun. Oct 24, 2017 jason reynolds new novel long way down is a study in restriction the book, which was longlisted for the 2017 national book award in young peoples literature, outlines a single minute in the. Especially if youre me, which regrettably i was, and still am to this day. Julia walton is the author of the youngadult novel words on.
Fifteenyearold will holloman decided to tell the story of what happened to him immediately following his older brother shawns death. A long way down is a good novel struggling to find a way out of the limitations of its own gimmick, but ultimately the conceit is so offbeam that one can almost ignore it and flow with the farce. Intense, hilarious, provocative, and moving, a long way down is a novel about suicide that is, surprisingly, full of life. Some works of literature use the element of time in a distinct way. A long way down is the story of what happens next, and of what doesnt. Long way down by jason reynolds by julia detmer on prezi. And it was just a long, long way from the setup phase of the book to the denouement. The main themes in a long way down is suicide, depression and that there is always hope. This study guide consists of approximately 48 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of long way down.
Time a dramatic, sad and thoroughly sidesplitting novel. Oct 30, 2017 in long way down, the ghosts of gun violence chill a plan for revenge jason reynolds new book follows a 15yearold who must make a crucial decision after the murder of his brother, all in the. Based on a hit book by nick hornby high fidelity, about a boy that contained an emotional minefield maudlin enough that the film took nearly a decade to come into existence even though the hornby bandwagon was full in the 00s, a long way down is a textbook case of overdirection. This book reminds me of something that chuck palahniuk would have written, only it is better written than that. Joey and mary alice dowdel are sent to stay with their grandma dowdel for a week each summer when theyre kids. A long way down by nick hornby new york magazine book.
His older brother, shawn, has been shot and killed, and wills sadness over shawns absence is like a tooth that has been ripped. Disgraced tv presenter martin sharp, the lonely housewife maureen 51 years old, the unsuccessful musician jj and the rude. It happens in an elevator teenaged will is on his way. First, readers meet martin, a tv personality who was arrested for sleeping with a 15 year old girl he was not aware of her age at the time.
Martin is a famous talk show host just out of jail, maureen is a lonely single mother, jess is young, reckless and heartbroken, and jj is an american realizing the failures in his life. Written by anne campbell plot summary add synopsis. Compare the development of these themes in reynoldss novel to a classic revenge story like romeo and juliet, hamlet, the iliad, or the count of monte cristo. An ode to put the damn guns down, this is new york times bestselle. Long way down is an elegantly crafted work by a writer who understands the tragedy of this subject. Part 1, page 28 jj provides one of the central questions of the book. But as he takes the elevator down, with a gun tucked in his pants, it stops on each floor and a ghost from wills past enters, all victims of gun violence, but will that be enough to change his mind.
Jason reynolds new novel long way down is focused on a moment of decision. Aug 18, 2018 long way down by prolific and award winning authorpoet jason reynolds tackles the troubling issue of gun violence. In jason reynoldss new novel in verse long way down, it all began with the. In long way down, the ghosts of gun violence chill. The inescapable theme of hornbys fourth novel is choose life. The novel a long way down is notquitevintage nick hornby.
Long way down is 322 pages long, but its story only lasts a few minutes, the time it takes will to go from the 6th floor of a building to ground level. Maureen interrupts martins attempt, however, when she asks to borrow his ladder. The book begins as will hollomon, a 15yearold boy living in a poor neighborhood in an. Long way down is a mystical realist novel for young adults by american author jason reynolds. The entire book takes place over 60 seconds of the main characters life, enough time for him to question everything hes been taught and change his life forever.
They encounter one another on the roof of toppers house, a london destination famous as the last stop for those ready to end their lives. In jason reynoldss verse novel long way down, is doesnt take long for the reader to come across the. This echoes his later sentiment that there might not be a difference between people who. She is probably the most different character in comparison to the other three characters of nick hornbys novel a long way down. It is a dark comedy, playing off the themes of suicide, angst, depression and promiscuity. Jess 18 year old,martin a middle aged, used to popular tv host, maureen a 51 year old, mother of a disabled son and j. This was the first confrontation between two different worlds in his life. And this is a disappointing film version, a bit hokey and fake. Essay on a long way down 1012 words nov 17, 2007 5 pages suicide and humor are two words not often associated with each other, but nick hornby takes the pair on in his novel a long way down, a dark comedy about suicide and life after a failed attempt.
Long way down is a 2017 young adults book by jason reynolds told in free verse. In this novel by british author, nick hornby, who also wrote high fidelity, four strangers meet on new years eve when they all. Interracial intimacy in america and the threat to white supremacy sustained dialogue is a practice where participants listen deeply enough to be. Ive never mastered the costeffective art of writing a short book. Ein langer weg hinab ist ein schwarz humoriger roman des britischen schriftstellers nick hornby aus dem jahr 2005. I just picked up this bargain book as i was intrigued by its plot. Joanna briscoe is glad that nick hornbys ending transcends the beginning of his highconcept novel, a long way down. Outline your novel fast with a simple story template.
The novel follows four characters in a firstperson, roundrobin style narration in which each character advances the plot in succession. Determined to avenge his 19yearold brothers death, will, age 15, takes his brothers gun out of their shared bedroom to kill the person hes certain is the murderer, but its a long way down in the elevator. In one minute, jason reynolds changes your perception of everything. A long way down is a 2005 novel by international bestselling british author nick hornby.
A long way down summary at wikisummaries, free book summaries. Long way down 2017 by jason reynolds is a young adult novel in free verse about will holloman, a young black boy struggling to make a decision after his. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of long way down by jason reynolds. To ask other readers questions about a long way down, please sign up. Long way down explores the perpetuation of a cycle of violence and the theme of revenge. A long way down summary at wikisummaries, free book. A long way down is told from the points of view of four very different people who meet on the roof of a london building each planning to commit suicide. Long way down is a novel written in verse that tells the story of fifteenyearold will who seeks to venge his murdered brother shawn. Finding a book when youve forgotten its title the new. Shortlisted for the 2005 whitbread award and the commonwealth writers prize, a long way down is a darkly hilarious and moving novel by bestselling author nick hornby. Its a long way down from the eighth floor to the lobby, but it only takes seven floors, 60 seconds and six ghosts to make him question his quest for revenge. Im not sure i quite understand the ending, could someone explain to me what happened. Anyway, to cut a long story short, i decided to kill myself.
It is set in an elevator, in which a young, angry boy gets on and begins his long journey down. Someone shot shawn while he was on the way back from the store to buy a special cream for his mothers eczema. It happens in an elevator teenaged will is on his way to. James buck father figure of the house he was murdered on his way home taught will everything he knew went to school with her when he was eight she was shot and died long way down jason reynolds mentor to brother shawn gave shawn his gun sold drugs until wills father was. I took an incident from the middle of the book a breakin, and a theft, but no violence, no real time action and i turned that into a long sequence involving the abduction of my protagonist. Reynolds elegant verse begs to be read aloud, and teachers will want to discuss what will might have taken away from each ghostly visit. View the study pack view the lesson plans study guide. Nick hornby is an english writer born at april 17 th 1957 in redhill, england as the son of a rich businessman and a housewife who divorced when he was 11 years old. The novel takes a big picture of the life of some of the kids of this neighbourhoods, most of whom live trapped in this atmosphere of darkness and believe theres no way out of it. From this dubious beginning they form a most unlikely friendship which we see develop from their alternating points of view over 3 months. Will is ready to exact vengeance on the person who murdered his. First, pin down everything you can remember about the book, plot, character names, time period in which the book may have been published, genre, etc.
Having lost his wife and children in the scandal, not to mention his. Nick hornby is the author of the novels a long way down, slam, how to be good, high fidelity, and about a boy, and the memoir fever pitch. Get all the key plot points of john greens turtles all the way down on one page. First assignment of a characterization of maureen february 25, 2007 posted by gruelli in characters, maureen.
While it can be read quickly, long way down challenges readers to really think about these issues in our communities. The following version of this book was used to create this study guide. On the evidence of a long way down, this notion has apparently stuck hard in our authors mind. A pageturning plot and rich, funny characters with several big laughs on every page. Analyze the following references and write down what this book teaches us about family and community in a war torn envir. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the. Through mutual pain and humour, this unlikely group take the long way down and figure out what will keep them alive until valentines day, one step at a time. A long way gone in chapter 15, discuss the ways in which the idea of family is configured, reconfigured, challenged and reaffirmed in this book. Plot summary a long way down is a 2005 novel by international bestselling british author nick hornby. Not as funny or exceptional as the book but with good actors and its heart in the right place. The novel is written in alternating chapters, creating a few unexpected plot developments, but much of it is predictable and forgettable due to thin characterization. In long way down, the ghosts of gun violence chill a. Having lost his wife and children in the scandal, not to mention his job, martin feels there is little left to live for. Wasting a talented cast on a terribly coincidental plot.
A long way down is a novel written by british author nick hornby, published in 2005. Nov 17, 2007 essay on a long way down 1012 words nov 17, 2007 5 pages suicide and humor are two words not often associated with each other, but nick hornby takes the pair on in his novel a long way down, a dark comedy about suicide and life after a failed attempt. The big problem is the book s playedforlaughs concept. Long way down became a new york times bestseller and received several prestigious honors in young adult literature, including a newbury honor, a coretta scott king honor, an edgar award, a walter dean myers book award, and a printz honor. A long way down movie tiein by nick hornby, paperback.
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