About a Boy is a book written by Nick Hornby in 1998.
Story recap
The story takes places in London, Will Freeman is 36 years old, he has a fancy appartment, the
newest shoes and a car, but yet he has no work. This is because Will’s dad had written a Christmas
song that became a smash hit. (Just like the Love Actually guy). But Will enjoys his free time and he
just doesn’t understand how people could have time to work. Sometimes Will visits married friends
with kids and his friends don’t understand why he hasn’t got married and why he isn’t a father yet.
Will thinks it’s too much effort. Will is obsessed with being cool: he even buys teen magazines and
fills in tests called: Cool-O-Meter because he’s likes to see if he still got it. Will is quite a player and
since Will has found out that divorced women are desperatly looking for relationships, Will joins
SPAT: Single Parents Together Alone!
Not that Will is a single parent, but it has too look like he is one. Will makes up a kid: Ned and he’s
two years old. He even mounts a child seat in his car. Because what’s more attractive than single dad
raising a cute little toddler? Absolutely nothing.
Well, it’s actually works out. Will meets a good-looking mom: Suzie. Suzie takes Will on a date. A little
less romantic is that Suzie takes her daughter with her, and the son of one of her friends. His name is
Marcus.
Marcus is a twelve year-old boy, who lives with his mom Fiona, also in London. He’s not popular at all
and that’s because he’s quite weird. His depressive mom is obsessed with all things biological. She’s a
true hippie, she literally hates all the modern music, she listens to Bob Marley and Joni Mitchell and
her favourite song is the awful Killing me softly, which is not cool at all. Will and Marcus are polar
opposites.
While they are picknicking, Suzie asks all kinds of annoying questions about the baby. When they
bring Marcus home, Fiona is lying on the floor. She attempted to commit suicide. An ambulance
comes and she’s taken to the hospital. Marcus mom survives, but Marcus realizes that if his mom
dies he would be on his own. So he needs a dad and although he doesn’t like Will that much, he
would be fair enough.
So, Marcus decides to match him with his mom, but this becomes quite awkward since Fiona is not
really Will’s type. Meanwhile, Will is still trying to act like he has a two-year old.
However, at a given moment, Marcus is standing at Will’s door and he tells Will, that he knows that
Will is not a dad and thereby a liar. But Marcus still likes Will. Will is actually a bit delighted to know
that he doesn’t have to pretend anymore. Will now focusses on another goal of his: making Marcus
cool. Together they listen to the newest songs, Will buys Marcus the trendiest shoes and gives him
tips and tricks for a nice haircut. Marcus also makes a friend: the tough emo-girl Ellie.
Eventually Fiona finds out that Will hasn’t got a kid and she forbids Marcus to visit him again. But
when Will invites Marcus for Christmas, Suzie is tagging along as well. When Suzie finds out he isn’t a
cute single dad, she decides to end the relationship.
But Will wouldn’t be Will if he didn’t find another woman: the next one is Rachel. And Will has really
got a thing for them, because surprisingly, Rachel is a single mother! At first he’s a bit afraid to go for
a real relationship. But at the end he goes for it. Ali (Rachels son) is in the beginning even bullying
Marcus, but and the end they get along. Will stays friends with Fiona.
Story recap
The story takes places in London, Will Freeman is 36 years old, he has a fancy appartment, the
newest shoes and a car, but yet he has no work. This is because Will’s dad had written a Christmas
song that became a smash hit. (Just like the Love Actually guy). But Will enjoys his free time and he
just doesn’t understand how people could have time to work. Sometimes Will visits married friends
with kids and his friends don’t understand why he hasn’t got married and why he isn’t a father yet.
Will thinks it’s too much effort. Will is obsessed with being cool: he even buys teen magazines and
fills in tests called: Cool-O-Meter because he’s likes to see if he still got it. Will is quite a player and
since Will has found out that divorced women are desperatly looking for relationships, Will joins
SPAT: Single Parents Together Alone!
Not that Will is a single parent, but it has too look like he is one. Will makes up a kid: Ned and he’s
two years old. He even mounts a child seat in his car. Because what’s more attractive than single dad
raising a cute little toddler? Absolutely nothing.
Well, it’s actually works out. Will meets a good-looking mom: Suzie. Suzie takes Will on a date. A little
less romantic is that Suzie takes her daughter with her, and the son of one of her friends. His name is
Marcus.
Marcus is a twelve year-old boy, who lives with his mom Fiona, also in London. He’s not popular at all
and that’s because he’s quite weird. His depressive mom is obsessed with all things biological. She’s a
true hippie, she literally hates all the modern music, she listens to Bob Marley and Joni Mitchell and
her favourite song is the awful Killing me softly, which is not cool at all. Will and Marcus are polar
opposites.
While they are picknicking, Suzie asks all kinds of annoying questions about the baby. When they
bring Marcus home, Fiona is lying on the floor. She attempted to commit suicide. An ambulance
comes and she’s taken to the hospital. Marcus mom survives, but Marcus realizes that if his mom
dies he would be on his own. So he needs a dad and although he doesn’t like Will that much, he
would be fair enough.
So, Marcus decides to match him with his mom, but this becomes quite awkward since Fiona is not
really Will’s type. Meanwhile, Will is still trying to act like he has a two-year old.
However, at a given moment, Marcus is standing at Will’s door and he tells Will, that he knows that
Will is not a dad and thereby a liar. But Marcus still likes Will. Will is actually a bit delighted to know
that he doesn’t have to pretend anymore. Will now focusses on another goal of his: making Marcus
cool. Together they listen to the newest songs, Will buys Marcus the trendiest shoes and gives him
tips and tricks for a nice haircut. Marcus also makes a friend: the tough emo-girl Ellie.
Eventually Fiona finds out that Will hasn’t got a kid and she forbids Marcus to visit him again. But
when Will invites Marcus for Christmas, Suzie is tagging along as well. When Suzie finds out he isn’t a
cute single dad, she decides to end the relationship.
But Will wouldn’t be Will if he didn’t find another woman: the next one is Rachel. And Will has really
got a thing for them, because surprisingly, Rachel is a single mother! At first he’s a bit afraid to go for
a real relationship. But at the end he goes for it. Ali (Rachels son) is in the beginning even bullying
Marcus, but and the end they get along. Will stays friends with Fiona.
