-Introduction
They were all staring so hard at the scene of the crime that they didn't notice the park-keeper standing next to them. Marcus felt very frightened.
He would be in big trouble now.
'One of your ducks has died,' said Will. He made it sound like the saddest thing he'd ever seen. Marcus looked up at him. Maybe Will wasn 't such a bad guy.
About a Boy is the story of the growing relationship between
Marcus, a twelve-year-old boy, and Will, a 36-year-old man. Marcus is having problems at home and at school. Will wants a life without responsibilities; he isn't interested in children, marriage or work.
But Will is interested in attractive single mothers, and he invents a two-year-old son so that he can join a single parents' group. When he meets Marcus and his mother, his life begins to change.
About a Boy is very funny and enjoyable, but it also has a much more serious side.
The writer, Nick Hornby, was born in 1957 and grew up in north London. He studied English at Cambridge University, then worked for the Korean company Samsung. Later, he worked as a teacher and journalist before starting to write fiction.
Nick Hornby has written four books: Fever Pitch (1992); High
Fidelity (1995); About a Boy (1998) and How to be Good (2001).
The stories all take place in north London, and are mainly about relationships. The first three books have been made into successful films. In About a Boy, the popular British actor Hugh
Grant plays the character of Will. The end of the story was changed for the film. Which ending do you prefer?
IV
Chapter 1 A Man and a Boy
Will Freeman was thirty-six years old and he had never had a job in his life. Sometimes he thought about working. He looked through the job advertisements in newspapers and wrote occasional letters to employers, but he was never invited to interviews.
He didn't mind. He was OK as he was. He was a cool guy with a cool lifestyle. He read quite a lot; he saw films in the afternoons; he went running; he cooked nice meals for himself and his friends. When he got bored, he went to Rome or New
York or Barcelona for a few days.
Will didn't need to work for money because in 1938 his father had written a very successful Christmas song. Many famous singers had made recordings of this song, and each time Will's father had received royalties. Since his death the royalties had come to Will.