The book club returns to fiction this month with Nick Hornby's A Long Way Down. The novel breaks new ground for Hornby as it follows the fortunes of four would-be suicides - a disgraced former TV presenter, a downtrodden mum, a foul-mouthed teen rebel and a solipsistic muso - who meet on a rooftop and form an alliance. Told through the voice of each character in turn, Hornby examines how people deal with hopelessness without ever becoming mawkish or losing his sense of humour.
John Mullan begins by looking at how Hornby deals with his four narrators, examining how they aid and abet each other in telling the story. Read his columns in full, and let us know what you think.
~ John Mullan is professor of English at University College London. Join him and Nick Hornby to discuss A Long Way Down on May 15 at the Newsroom, 60 Farringdon Road, London EC1. Doors open at 6.30pm and entry costs £7. To reserve a ticket call 020 7886 9281 or email book.club@theguardian.com.
