How to Be Good
Hornby, NickDr Kate Carr wants a divorce from her husband David, an under-employed writer with a regular local newspaper column entitled, "The Angriest Man in Holloway". Family life is turned on its head when David experiences a personal transformation at the hands of a faith healer.
Comments from Groups
We had a lively discussion about the nature of 'goodness'. Opinions were divided about the book. Some thought it wittily and honestly written. Others thought that the style was too flippant for the situation. Hamilton 029 Most of us enjoyed the humour in this book. Many struggled to relate to a woman's perspective by a male author. Although we didn't relate to, or like the main character Katie, the consensus was that we'd recommend the book as a good light read. Auckland 276 Our group was evenly split between those who enjoyed the book and those who didn't. Most of the discussion was around what it means to be good, what the motivations are, and in fact how does one define goodness. Leith 001 One person loved it, most enjoyed but were not as enthusiastic. Several of us found the heroine very annoying, and the endless soul-searching irritating. However, the humour appealed to all of us and we had some laughs over particular scenes and interactions. Martinborough 003 Easy to read, humorous and full of social commentary. It provoked an interesting and lively discussion. Masterton 005 We did not think the book was the 'funny read' described on the cover. Having said that, we had a very lively discussion, and on reflection there was much to be learned. Invercargill 017 Most felt frustrated with the characters and their decisions... Christchurch 316 Lots of good laughs. Auckland
Pages
243
243
Year
2001
2001
Reviews
25-07-2022
One half of our group enjoyed it - thought it was insightful and hilarious. The other half really disliked it - thought it had a totally unbelievable storyline with unlikeable characters!! Good discussion.
25-07-2022
Mostly enjoyed as an easy read, although a bit long. Some confusion around the ending.
25-07-2022
Nobody in our group seemed to enjoy this book, although some of us felt it would make a good movie. The book seemed to lack direction - much like the main character's life.
25-07-2022
A mixed response to this one. Some could not relate to the story while others enjoyed the humour.
25-07-2022
Most enjoyed the humour. Wide-ranging discussion which brought in many other books we had read. Would like to see other books by Nick Hornby in the catalogue.
25-07-2022
Our group quite enjoyed this book. Our discussion was quite lively although we found some of the questions too "heavy".
25-07-2022
Mixed reviews from members. Those who had read other Nick Hornby Books didn't like it. The doctors in the group thought it was very funny.
25-07-2022
Most of us enjoyed it although some were irritated by the characters, especially the Dr. It certainly prompted a great deal of discussion about "goodness".
25-07-2022
Everyone read the book. A few enjoyed it but the majority thought it was repetitive after a while.
25-07-2022
Lots of good laughs.
25-07-2022
Lively discussion. Most enjoyed the book although we didn't think it could be classed as "hilarious".
25-07-2022
Not relished as much as some other Nick Hornby novels. It was a bit fantastical, and it was hard to relate to the characters as real.
25-07-2022
This book created the most conversation and opinions for some time, on everything from humour to bullying. An excellent result.
16-06-2022
This was a great book for Book Club discussions.