Sunday, September 19, 2021

Little Boy Blue and a Grown Man Too: Empathy Never Gets Old

Thirty-six-year-old Will.  Twelve-year-old Marcus.  They seem to have nothing in common and meet only because Will joins SPAT (Single Parents Alone Together) to pick up chicks.  But a traumatic event in Marcus's life bonds and changes them forever.  Can a twelve-year-old outcast with a weird mother and an absentee father ever find peace?  And can a grown man who's never had a job or a real relationship find something to fill his life other than cool clothes, music, and TV?  Nick Hornby's About a Boy intends to find out.  Now, I know what you may be thinking.  Tote Trove Lady, didn't you already blog about this when you reviewed Hornby's High Fidelity and Juliet, Naked and also the non-Hornby but hauntingly similar The Wishbones by Tom Perrotta?  Well, yeah.  But the whole arrested development theme is one that's near and dear to my heart.  Furthermore, this book's about more than a manchild; it's also about a boy.  It says so in the title.

When we meet Will, he's disgusted by parenthood.  He hates the way colorful toys litter the once-hip home of his best mate and the way a squalling infant can turn otherwise intelligent people into idiots.  And perhaps, most importantly, he hates the way children chip away at one's individuality and freedom, usurping every ounce of time and energy until even listening to a favorite record becomes an act of sedition.  And so, at thirty-six, he's contentedly childless and single, living off the royalties from his father's smash hit "Santa's Super Sleigh."  Unlike everyone else he knows, he has no complications and feels like he's got the secret to life figured out.  If you're having trouble picturing such a man, then I invite you to envision Hugh Grant, who played Will in the 2002 movie.  You know, charming and hangdog and harmless.  Unlike the real Hugh Grant, i.e., the horndog who got caught with that prostitute. 

That said, here are some of my favorite parts:      

This is a Will thought that's funny and (although I have a job) relatable:

". . . he had reached a stage where he wondered how his friends could juggle life and a job.  Life took up so much time, so how could one work and, say, take a bath on the same day?  He suspected that one or two people he knew were making some pretty unsavory shortcuts." (81)

Then again, Will also thinks this:

"That was the point of fashion, as far as Will was concerned; it meant that you were with the cool and the powerful, and against the alienated and the weak, just where Will wanted to be, and he'd successfully avoided being bullied by bullying furiously and enthusiastically." (141)  

It seems that Will isn't so harmless after all.  As an ex-bully and emotional drifter, not to mention a clotheshorse for all the wrong reasons, he's unequivocally part of the problem.  That's why he needs to learn from Marcus, a boy bullied so mercilessly that he gets a crush on his older protector, Ellie.  It's Ellie who introduces Marcus to Nirvana; she wears a Kurt Cobain sweatshirt every day.  (Did I mention that this book takes place in 1993 and 1994?).  At first, Will finds any correlation between Cobain and Marcus odd (he too is a Nirvana fan) but later realizes that it makes a strange sort of sense.  When Cobain's suicide spurs Ellie and Marcus on an ill-advised adventure, Will makes this observation:

"It was hard to imagine two less kindred spirits than Marcus and Kurt Cobain, and yet they had both managed to pull off the same trick: Marcus forced unlikely connections in cars and police stations and Kurt Cobain did the same thing on international television." (287)

Marcus and Cobain make people feel, even people who don't know them -- or themselves.  And that's just what Will needs in his life.  Just as Marcus needs Will's confidence, however misguided. 

So, what happens to Will at the end of this heart-warming if offbeat and sometimes sad story?  For once I'm not going to tell you.  I'll just say that About a Boy isn't about having a kid or being a kid or even growing up, but learning to look at things differently.

While still making time for clothes and TV and, of course, communing with Kurt.

7 comments:

Luda Tischenko said...

Interesting post

ellie said...

Oh, I just remember the movie and I loved Nic Hoult in it..who I thought stole the show from Hugh (who I began to think wasn't such a clever actor after all). I do like Hornby(I always want to give him a musician's last name), yet sometimes always felt his ML's were just a wee too selfish even when doing their best to be kind. I guess this book might be regarded as a classic now. A way to think back on the 90's. I guess what hit me was the casual fact that single moms with kids never depended on the fathers. Now days, here in the states..find that man, make him responsible.

Thanks so much for your review. Delightful as always!

Hope that creativity of yours is doing well. I have had a few struggles with medications as of late. I got taken off one that was bad for my heart, but it was actually the one controlling my blood sugar too. So I can eat the complexes of carbs and still have a high blood sugar..but it's not in the danger zone yet. And I worked the weekend. It was great catching up on a few patrons I haven't seen in a while. I guess the most interesting was Diago going to the car just to bring back his passport so he could checkout movies for his girlfriend and friend who is visiting...he was the last of the last of patrons checking out. When I asked his girlfriend, "Are you taking any classes this semester?" "Oh no, I'm just working on my spirituality and mental health at the moment."

Caitlin&Megan said...

Awesome review! Wow, I haven't thought of this title in so long. Thanks for bringing a blast from the past! Such wonderful quotes you found. He is a friend of mine's favorite author. She will read his stuff no matter what. Such great pop culture too.

I hope all is going well with all your creativity, too. I spoke with a man who checked out a book on how to make a knife. He says he does a lot of woodwork, but likes changing it up. "I don't like getting bored." He told me. I can only imagine all the furniture he's made. Possibly, it might be best not to actually see it.

Ivy's Closet said...

Thanks for bringing us this Iconic Book. Most definitely, it does need to be read. And enjoyed! Thanks so much for this Throwback! This book does make you think. I love your take on it. And if some say it's dated..then let's remember the history of the 90's too!

Kathy Leonia said...

this book looks really cool and interesting:)

Samantha said...

What a fascinating-sounding read!!! I love how the title of the book is a nod to the Nirvana song "About a Girl." And that it's set in the 90's - what a win! A read that inspires you to look at things differently is always a plus; I also like the excerpts from the story that you included. I never saw the movie but I could totally picture Hugh Grant in this role! It's really cool that Kurt Cobain plays a central theme in this story. Great review!! ❤️

Jewel Divas Style said...

Haven't read the book, but have seen the movie, for the most part. It wasn't bad.