Search results for ""Author Nick Hornby""

Introduced by bestselling author Nick Hornby, this hilarious anthology of the funniest bits' from Dickens' novels is illustrated throughout with humorous line drawings from early editions.

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'Extremely funny . . . and wise' Sunday TimesNOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE__________________________'Can I explain why I wanted to jump off the top of a tower block?'For disgraced TV presenter Martin Sharp the answer's pretty simple: he has, in his own words, 'pissed his life away'. And on New Year's Eve he's going to end it all . . . but not, as it happens, alone. Because first single-mum Maureen, then eighteen-year-old Jess and lastly American rock-god JJ turn up and crash Martin's private party. They've stolen his idea - but brought their own reasons.Yet it's hard to jump when you've got an audience queuing impatiently behind you. A few heated words and some slices if cold pizza later and these four strangers are suddenly allies. But is their unlikely friendship a good enough reason to carry on living?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. __________________________'Hornby's best yet' Literary Review'Impossible to put down' Ruth Rendell, Guardian'Some of the finest writing I've ever had the pleasure of reading' Johnny Depp

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'Extremely funny . . . and wise' Sunday TimesNOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE__________________________'Can I explain why I wanted to jump off the top of a tower block?'For disgraced TV presenter Martin Sharp the answer's pretty simple: he has, in his own words, 'pissed his life away'. And on New Year's Eve he's going to end it all . . . but not, as it happens, alone. Because first single-mum Maureen, then eighteen-year-old Jess and lastly American rock-god JJ turn up and crash Martin's private party. They've stolen his idea - but brought their own reasons.Yet it's hard to jump when you've got an audience queuing impatiently behind you. A few heated words and some slices if cold pizza later and these four strangers are suddenly allies. But is their unlikely friendship a good enough reason to carry on living?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. __________________________'Hornby's best yet' Literary Review'Impossible to put down' Ruth Rendell, Guardian'Some of the finest writing I've ever had the pleasure of reading' Johnny Depp

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THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER SOON TO BE A TV SERIES STARRING GEMMA ARTERTON AND RUPERT EVERETT'Simply unputdownable' Guardian'Hilarious' Daily Telegraph'Highly entertaining' Sunday Times _________________Make them laugh, and they're yours forever . . .Barbara Parker is Miss Blackpool of 1964, but she doesn't want to be a beauty queen. She wants to make people laugh.So she leaves her hometown behind, takes herself to London, and overnight she becomes the lead in a new BBC comedy, Sophie Straw: charming, gorgeous, destined to win the nation's hearts.Funny Girl is the story of a smash-hit TV show and the people behind the scenes. But when life starts imitating art, they all face a choice. How long can they keep going before it's time to change the channel? ______________'Warm, funny, touching . . . winningly perceptive about human relationships and changing social trends' Daily Telegraph'Like all Hornby's best work, it is both hugely enjoyable and deceptively artful' Spectator'A beguiling, thoroughly enjoyable read' Sunday Times'Hugely enjoyable' Sunday Mirror'Resolutely, winningly light-hearted' Observer'Hornby's sunniest novel' Metro

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The Twentieth Anniversary Edition*WINNER OF THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR*Fever Pitch is Nick Hornby's million-copy-selling, award-winnning football classic'A spanking 7-0 away win of a football book. . . inventive, honest, funny, heroic, charming' IndependentFor many people watching football is mere entertainment, to some it's more like a ritual; but to others, its highs and lows provide a narrative to life itself. But, for Nick Hornby, his devotion to the game has provided one of few constants in a life where the meaningful things - like growing up, leaving home and forming relationships, both parental and romantic - have rarely been as simple or as uncomplicated as his love for Arsenal.'Hornby has put his finger on truths that have been unspoken for generations' Irish TimesBrimming with wit and honesty, Fever Pitch, catches perfectly what it really means to be a football fan - and in doing so, what it means to be a man. It sits side by side with the very finest football classics of the last twenty five years, from The Damned United by David Peace to A Life Too Short by Ronald Reng, but it is ultimately a book that defies categorization and can be enjoyed by all.'Funny, wise and true' Roddy Doyle

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What happens when a washed-up musician looks for another chance? And miles away, a restless woman looks for a change? NICK HORNBY'S HILARIOUS INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER IS NOW A MAJOR FILM'A comic delight' Evening Standard _____________In 1986, legendary musician Tucker Crowe disappeared from the public eye and for 20 years, his rabid fans have speculated his whereabouts. Annie lives in Gooleness, the north's answer to a question nobody asked, and has put fifteen years into a safe relationship with one such "Crowe-ologist", Duncan. And she wants her money back, please.Then Tucker releases new material. Duncan thinks it's genius, Annie does not, and when she dares to go public with her dislike, there are unexpected, life-changing consequences for all three . . .Juliet, Naked is a humblingly humorous novel about music, love, loneliness, and the struggle to live up to our own potential. If you like David Nicholls, David Sedaris and Jonathan Coe, you will love this book._________________'Ingenious, funny and moving' Daily Mail'Pitch-perfect' Observer'Sharply funny, touching' Daily Telegraph

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This reader is accompanied with a CD that contains the full audio of the text in MP3 format. Will Freeman wants an easy life with no responsibilities. But then he meets Marcus an unusual twelve year old boy with serious problems. About a Boy is a modern classic a very funny story about a very serious subject: love. It's also a popular movie starring Hugh Grant

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THE HILARIOUS COMING-OF-AGE NOVEL FROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF ABOUT A BOY'Touching, very funny' Guardian __________________ 'There was this time when everything seemed to have come together. And so obviously it was time to go and screw it all up.'Sam is sixteen and a skater. Just so there are no terrible misunderstandings: skating = skateboarding. There's no ice. Life is ticking along nicely for Sam; his Mum's got rid of her rubbish boyfriend, he's thinking about college and he's met someone. Alicia.Then a little accident happens. One with big consequences for someone just finding his way in life. Sam can't run (let alone skate) away from this one. He's a boy facing a man's problems and the question is - has he got what it takes to confront them?Slam is a novel about a boy who has to grow up in big, big hurry. It is The Catcher in the Rye for the 21st century.______________'Very funny...very real' Daily Telegraph'Hornby gets his point across with the subtlety and skill of a born novelist who always deserves to be read' Independent'A moving read for anyone' Elle

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THE MILLION COPY NO. 1 BESTSELLER THAT BECAME AN ACCLAIMED FILM STARRING HUGH GRANT AND NICOLAS HOULT 'A very entertaining and endearing read' The Times___________________Thirty-six-year-old Londoner Will loves his life. Living carefree off the royalties of his dad's Christmas song, he's rich, unattached and has zero responsibilities - just the way he likes it.But when Will meets Marcus, an awkward twelve-year-old who listens to Joni Mitchell and accidentally kills ducks with loaves of bread, an unlikely friendship starts to bloom. Can this odd duo teach each another how to finally act their age?Hugely funny and equally heartfelt, Nick Hornby's classic proves you're never too old to grow up. Perfect for fans of David Nicholls and Mike Gayle.___________________'A stunner of a novel. Utterly read-in-one-day, forget-where-you-are-on-the-tube-gripping' Marie Claire'About the awful, hilarious, embarrassing places where children and adults meet, and Hornby has captured it with delightful precision' Irish Times'It takes a writer with real talent to make this work, and Hornby has it - in buckets' Literary Review

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*THE SIDE-SPLITTING NEW COMIC SHORT FROM ONE OF BRITAIN'S BEST-LOVED WRITERS, NOW A MAJOR BBC TV SERIES*______________________________ 'It is as honest and multi-faceted an examination and appreciation of marriage as you could hope to find' The Guardian on Hornby's script adaptationEach week, Tom and Louise meet for a quick drink in the pub before they go to meet their marriage counsellor. Married for years and with two children, a recent incident has exposed the fault lines in their relationship in a way that Tom, for one, does not wish to think about.In the ten minutes in the pub they talk about the agenda for the session, what they talked about last week, what they will definitely not talk about with the counsellor, and how much better off they are than the couple whose counselling slot immediately precedes their own. Over the ten weeks that follow Tom and Louise begin to wonder: what if marriage is like a computer? When you take it apart to see how it works you might just be left with a million pieces you can't put back together . . .

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THE MILLION-COPY INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER & SOURCE OF THE 2020 HULU SERIES'One of my favourite novels' Zoë Kravitz in Vulture ________________Do you know your desert-island, all-time, top five most memorable break-ups? Rob does.But Laura isn't on it - even though she's just become his latest ex.Finding he can't get over Laura, record-store owner Rob decides to revisit his relationship top hits to figure out what went wrong. But soon, he's asking himself some big questions: about relationships, about life and about his own self-destructive tendencies. Astutely observed and wickedly funny, Nick Hornby's cult classic explores love, loss and the need for a good playlist. A must for readers of David Nicholls and music geeks everywhere!________________'A triumphant first novel. True to life, very funny and moving' Financial Times'Extremely cleverly observed' Mail on Sunday'If this book was a record, we would be calling it an instant classic. Because that's what it is' Guardian'Leaves you believing not only in the redemptive power of music but above all the redemptive power of love. Funny and wise, sweet and true' Independent

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*WINNER OF THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR*Fever Pitch is Nick Hornby's million-copy-selling, award-winnning football classic'A spanking 7-0 away win of a football book. . . inventive, honest, funny, heroic, charming' IndependentFor many people watching football is mere entertainment, to some it's more like a ritual; but to others, its highs and lows provide a narrative to life itself. But, for Nick Hornby, his devotion to the game has provided one of few constants in a life where the meaningful things - like growing up, leaving home and forming relationships, both parental and romantic - have rarely been as simple or as uncomplicated as his love for Arsenal.Brimming with wit and honesty, Fever Pitch, catches perfectly what it really means to be a football fan - and in doing so, what it means to be a man.'Hornby has put his finger on truths that have been unspoken for generations' Irish Times'Funny, wise and true' Roddy Doyle

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'A joyful examination of two artists from different centuries and the unlikely parallels in their life and work' Guardian'An ardent fan letter from Hornby that makes you want to reread Great Expectations whilst listening to Sign o'the Times' Vogue_____________________The essential gift for lovers of Prince, Dickens and everyone in between!In Nick Hornby's completely joyous and original new book two great figures share the stage. Charles Dickens and Prince. Two wildly different artists who caught fire and lit up the world in ways no others could. Where did their magic come from? How did they work so hard and produce so much? How did they manage or give in to the restlessness and intensity of their creativity? How did they use it, and did it kill them?With wit, curiosity and deep admiration Nick Hornby traces their extraordinary lives - from their difficult beginnings to the women they fell for to their limitless energy for work, to their money and the movies - and brilliantly illuminates their very particular kind of genius.'I love this. It's smart and funny and elegantly persuasive' Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, author of Becoming Dickens

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'A charming - and sharp - love story about what it means to fall for someone who is your polar opposite' Sunday Telegraph_______________________________________________________Lucy married just the sort of man you might expect: a university graduate who runs his own business. Unfortunately he turned out to have serious dependency issues.Joseph is shaking off the memory of his last date, a girl who ticked all the right boxes and also drove him up the wall.On an average Saturday morning in a butcher's shop in North London, Lucy and Joseph meet on opposite sides of the counter. She is a teacher and mother of two, with a past she is trying to forget; he is an aspiring DJ with a wide-open future that maybe needs to start becoming more focused. Lucy and Joseph are opposites in almost all ways. Can something life-changing grow from uncommon ground?Nick Hornby's brilliantly observed, tender and brutally funny new novel gets to the heart of what it means to fall headlong in love with the best possible person - someone who may not be just like you at all.Sunday Times Bestseller March 2023 _____________________________________________'Truly funny . . . immensely readable, sharp-eyed and at times hilarious' Guardian'Comedy for our times' Sunday Times'Sparkles with tip-top dialogue and pin-sharp comic timing' Daily Mail

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Nick Hornby's internationally bestselling first novel, available as a Penguin Essential for the first time.Do you know your desert-island, all-time, top five most memorable split-ups?Rob does. He keeps a list, in fact. But Laura isn't on it - even though she's just become his latest ex. He's got his life back, you see. He can just do what he wants when he wants: like listen to whatever music he likes, look up the girls that are on his list, and generally behave as if Laura never mattered. But Rob finds he can't move on. He's stuck in a really deep groove - and it's called Laura. Soon, he's asking himself some big questions: about love, about life - and about why we choose to share ours with the people we do.A million-copy bestseller, and adapted into a 2000 film starring John Cusack, High Fidelity explores the world of break-ups, make-ups and what it is to be in love. This astutely observed and wickedly funny book will be enjoyed by readers of David Nicholls and William Boyd, and by generations of readers to come.'It will give enormous pleasure at the same time as expanding in a small but worthwhile way, the range of English literature' Independent on Sunday'Leaves you believing not only in the redemptive power of music but above all the redemptive power of love. Funny and wise, sweet and true' Independent'A triumphant first novel. True to life, very funny and moving' Financial Times

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FROM THE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF ABOUT A BOY 31 Songs is best-selling author Nicky Hornby's ultimate desert island disksThrough thirty-one songs that he either loves or has loved, Nick Hornby tells us what music means to his life. These personal and passionate pieces - refreshingly free of pretension - are a celebration of the joy that certain songs have given him. Together with additional writings on music from his column in the new Yorker - seen in the UK for the first time - 31 Songs is for Hornby what many of us have always wanted: a soundtrack to accompany life.Winner of The National Book Critics Circle award, this funny and touchingly personal book is a must for music fans everywhere.'Original, well written and wholly lacking in pretension...as good a book about pop music as I have read in many years and the most accomplished of Hornby's books so far' Spectator'Funny, provocative, immensely readable. It is not simply about music...it is about Hornby, and us, and about being alive. His enthusiasm is such that he makes me want to be a better listener - and I can offer no better compliment. A triumph' Tim Lott, Evening Standard'Refreshing, candid, very moving. Reminds you why you loved music before you knew enough to explain your love away' Uncut

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THE HILARIOUS COMING-OF-AGE NOVEL FROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF ABOUT A BOY'Touching, very funny' Guardian __________________ 'There was this time when everything seemed to have come together. And so obviously it was time to go and screw it all up.'Sam is sixteen and a skater. Just so there are no terrible misunderstandings: skating = skateboarding. There's no ice. Life is ticking along nicely for Sam; his Mum's got rid of her rubbish boyfriend, he's thinking about college and he's met someone. Alicia.Then a little accident happens. One with big consequences for someone just finding his way in life. Sam can't run (let alone skate) away from this one. He's a boy facing a man's problems and the question is - has he got what it takes to confront them?Slam is a novel about a boy who has to grow up in big, big hurry. It is The Catcher in the Rye for the 21st century.______________'Very funny...very real' Daily Telegraph'Hornby gets his point across with the subtlety and skill of a born novelist who always deserves to be read' Independent'A moving read for anyone' Elle

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THE MILLION-COPY NO.1 BESTSELLER'Enormously powerful' Guardian'Hilarious, sophisticated, compulsive' The Times___________________'I am in a car park in Leeds when I tell my husband I don't want to be married to him any more. . . 'London GP Katie Carr always thought she was a good person. With her husband David making a living as 'The Angriest Man in Holloway', she figured she could put up with anything. Until, that is, David meets DJ Goodnews and becomes a good person too. A far-too-good person who starts committing crimes of charity like taking in the homeless and giving their kids' toys away. Suddenly Katie's feeling very bad about herself, and thinking that if charity begins at home, then maybe it's time to move. . . This laugh-out-loud novel, from the bestselling author of About a Boy and High Fidelity, will have you gripped from start to finish and will appeal to fans of David Nicholls and Jonathan Coe, as well as readers in need of a moral compass everywhere.___________________'Pins you in your armchair and won't let go . . . How to be Good? How to be bloody marvellous, more like' Mail on Sunday'It does exactly what it says on the cover. Hornby's prose is artful and effortless, his spiky wit as razored as a number-two cut' Independent'The writing is so funny, and the set-pieces so brilliant . . . Hornby's best book since Fever Pitch' Lynn Truss, The Times

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