Nick Hornby on Great Writers

Nick Hornby is featured on the new episode of Great Writers

GREAT WRITERS

"Slam," the new novel by Nick Hornby, is ostensibly for young adults, but its 16-year-old protagonist's struggle with an unplanned pregnancy and an equally unplanned launch into adulthood resonates just as genuinely with adult readers.

During a recent appearance at Brookline Booksmith, Hornby had the adult audience laughing and groaning along with an excerpt of the book that described Sam's lame attempt at solving his problems by running away to a run-down resort town by the English seaside. That appearance is featured in the current episode of Great Writers, the Boston Globe's books podcast.

Hornby, the author of the bestsellers "About a Boy," "High Fidelity," and "Fever Pitch," is the acknowledged master of creating adult male characters who act like boys. In "Slam," he reverses field and writes about a boy grappling too soon with manhood, and Sam's wry-yet-naive observations about parenthood, employment, and the other big decisions of adult life are the best part of the book.

Or, as the New York Times put it:

Hornby has a knack, in “Slam,” for taking predictable moments and turning them into gently glowing satire.

Click here to listen to the latest Great Writers episode featuring Nick Hornby.

Click here to visit the Globe's podcasts page.

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-- Ralph Ranalli