About a Boy
Singleton meets kid
About a Boy is a 1998 novel by Nick Hornby about a shallow, unemployed Londoner who befriends an awkward twelve-year-old, each filling gaps in the other's life.
The 2002 film adaptation starred Hugh Grant.
The title plays on the phrase "about a boy"—it's literally about a boy, but also about what it means to grow up.
- romantic comedyHumorous love story genre
- coming-of-ageYouth becoming adulthood
- MarcusTraditional Roman praenomen
- odd coupleUnlikely twosome
- single motherWoman raising children alone
Nick Hornby · Hugh Grant · single dad · awkward · lonely · friendship · bachelor · adolescence · bullying · misfit · outcast · growing up · inner child · London · schoolboy · reluctant · unconventional · suicide
- 90s BooksHarry Potter, Fight Club, Jurassic Park, The English Patient, Bridget Jones
- British FilmBFI, British comedy, Alfred Hitchcock, Danny Boyle, Christopher Nolan
- DramediesBoJack Horseman, Barry, Atlanta, The Bear, Orange Is the New Black
romantic centrality
About a BoyNotting Hill
Affluent West London district
The Notebook · Romeo and Juliet · Love Actually · Pride and Prejudice · Sleepless in Seattle