A long way down book plot

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. Long way down is an elegantly crafted work by a writer who understands the tragedy of this subject. 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. The story is written in the firstperson narrative from the points of view of the four main characters, martin, maureen, jess and jj. 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. Theme and message in a long way down the book blogging. A stellar creepy, engaging, heartbreaking novel in verse, long way down is another example of what author jason reynolds does best. A long way down is the story of what happens next, and of what doesnt. Long way down is a mystical realist novel for young adults by american author jason reynolds. 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 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. Online resources can help with your search for a halfremembered book, even if all you have is a basic plot line. A long way down summary at wikisummaries, free book. 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.

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. Joey and mary alice dowdel are sent to stay with their grandma dowdel for a week each summer when theyre kids. Joanna briscoe is glad that nick hornbys ending transcends the beginning of his highconcept novel, a long way down. Explain precisely how and why the ending appropriately or inappropriately concludes the work. What makes the book work is hornbys refusal to give an inch to sentimentality or cheap inspirational guff. 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 echoes his later sentiment that there might not be a difference between people who. 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. One new years eve, four strangers meet each other on a rooftop, where each has gone to kill himself. Aug 18, 2018 long way down by prolific and award winning authorpoet jason reynolds tackles the troubling issue of gun violence. 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. Turtles all the way down by john green plot summary litcharts.

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. Pg wodehouse may have been the last lightcomic writer to be comfy in his pigeonhole. Long way down book by jason reynolds official publisher. In long way down, the ghosts of gun violence chill. In this novelinverse, the events are narrated by fifteenyearold william holloman whose nineteenyearold brother shawn was shot and killed the day before. Jason reynolds talks long way down and writing about gun. I just picked up this bargain book as i was intrigued by its plot. A long way down 2014, directed by pascal chaumeil film. The main themes in a long way down is suicide, depression and that there is always hope. The inescapable theme of hornbys fourth novel is choose life.

In jason reynoldss verse novel long way down, is doesnt take long for the reader to come across the. 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. The basketball court is where shawn is shot on the way home from the corner store where he picked up his mother. Willie dunne, brother of annie from barrys previous novel annie dunne, joins the royal dublin fusiliers at age seventeen because he. This dark comedy incorporates themes of existentialism and mental illness, including suicide and depression, in hornbys signature upbeat style. 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. Having lost his wife and children in the scandal, not to mention his. Finding a book when youve forgotten its title the new. Readers should take the time to explore the imagery and use of metaphors in the novel. In one minute, jason reynolds changes your perception of everything.

Interracial intimacy in america and the threat to white supremacy sustained dialogue is a practice where participants listen deeply enough to be. The story starts of with four different individuals intending to commit suicide on new years eve on toppers tower. 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. The theme is very clear throughout the novel, but i have chosen this passage from the ending of the book. Reynolds elegant verse begs to be read aloud, and teachers will want to discuss what will might have taken away from each ghostly visit. 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. Ive never mastered the costeffective art of writing a short book. She is probably the most different character in comparison to the other three characters of nick hornbys novel 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.

The novel follows four characters in a firstperson, roundrobin style narration in which each character advances the plot in succession. Someone shot shawn while he was on the way back from the store to buy a special cream for his mothers eczema. 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. Will is ready to exact vengeance on the person who murdered his older brother shawn. Intense, hilarious, provocative, and moving, a long way down is a novel about suicide that is, surprisingly, full of life.

A long way down summary at wikisummaries, free book summaries. The novel a long way down is notquitevintage nick hornby. This was the first confrontation between two different worlds in his life. 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.

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. Part 1, page 28 jj provides one of the central questions of the book. And this is a disappointing film version, a bit hokey and fake. Apr 30, 2005 a long way down by nick hornby 288pp, viking. The book begins as will hollomon, a 15yearold boy living in a poor neighborhood in an. 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. Please help to improve it, or discuss the issue on the talk page.

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. Get all the key plot points of john greens turtles all the way down on one page. Wasting a talented cast on a terribly coincidental plot. This book reminds me of something that chuck palahniuk would have written, only it is better written than that. Long way down explores the perpetuation of a cycle of violence and the theme of revenge. First assignment of a characterization of maureen february 25, 2007 posted by gruelli in characters, maureen. If you like jonathan coe, david sedaris and david nicholls, you will love this book. It is a dark comedy, playing off the themes of suicide, angst, depression and promiscuity.

Especially if youre me, which regrettably i was, and still am to this day. Long way down by jason reynolds by julia detmer on prezi. Outline your novel fast with a simple story template. 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. The novel follows four characters in a firstperson.

It is set in an elevator, in which a young, angry boy gets on and begins his long journey down. A long way down is a 2005 novel by international bestselling british author nick hornby. Long way down is a novel written in verse that tells the story of fifteenyearold will who seeks to venge his murdered brother shawn. It happens in an elevator teenaged will is on his way. Arlette miller smith praying at the altar red sheryll cashin dr. 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. Written by anne campbell plot summary add synopsis. Maureen interrupts martins attempt, however, when she asks to borrow his ladder. 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. 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. 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. 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.

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. Jason reynolds new novel long way down is focused on a moment of decision. Will is ready to exact vengeance on the person who murdered his. To ask other readers questions about a long way down, please sign up. Having lost his wife and children in the scandal, not to mention his job, martin feels there is little left to live for. Im not sure i quite understand the ending, could someone explain to me what happened. 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. 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. 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. A pageturning plot and rich, funny characters with several big laughs on every page. 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.

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. His older brother, shawn, has been shot and killed, and wills sadness over shawns absence is like a tooth that has been ripped. And it was just a long, long way from the setup phase of the book to the denouement. Ein langer weg hinab ist ein schwarz humoriger roman des britischen schriftstellers nick hornby aus dem jahr 2005. A long way down movie tiein by nick hornby, paperback. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the. Plot summary a long way down is a 2005 novel by international bestselling british author nick hornby. In long way down, the ghosts of gun violence chill a. Analyze the following references and write down what this book teaches us about family and community in a war torn envir. A long way down is a novel written by british author nick hornby, published in 2005. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of long way down by jason reynolds.

An ode to put the damn guns down, this is new york times bestselle. All these details are clues in identifying the title and author of the book. Not as funny or exceptional as the book but with good actors and its heart in the right place. While it can be read quickly, long way down challenges readers to really think about these issues in our communities. Time a dramatic, sad and thoroughly sidesplitting novel. On the evidence of a long way down, this notion has apparently stuck hard in our authors mind. 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.

Disgraced tv presenter martin sharp, the lonely housewife maureen 51 years old, the unsuccessful musician jj and the rude. In long way down, the ghosts of gun violence chill a plan for. The following version of this book was used to create this study guide. From this dubious beginning they form a most unlikely friendship which we see develop from their alternating points of view over 3 months. Julia walton is the author of the youngadult novel words on. In jason reynoldss new novel in verse long way down, it all began with the. 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.

Some works of literature use the element of time in a distinct way. Focused on the subject of gun violence, particularly the survivors journey from grief and trauma to catharsis. Anyway, to cut a long story short, i decided to kill myself. It happens in an elevator teenaged will is on his way to. Lad lits original gang leader has written about football, music, parental responsibility and morality. Jun 07, 2005 and now comes along nick hornbys only highconcept novel till date a long way down. Fifteenyearold will holloman is, indeed, a hollow man as suggested by his last name. 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. I took an incident from the middle of the book a breakin, and a. Independent booksellers jason reynolds new novel long way down is focused on a moment of decision. View the study pack view the lesson plans study guide.