A Long Way Down.

A LONG WAY DOWN. Nick Hornby. 2005. Read by Scott Brick, Simon Vance, Kate Reading. 8 cds. 9 hrs. Penguin Audiobooks. 0-14-305760-x. $39.95. Cardboard; plot, author, reader notes. A

Four strangers end up on a London tower block roof on New Year's Eve, all prepared to jump to their deaths. The presence of the others prevents each from doing so, thus beginning relationships between and among the four that will profoundly affect each. If this sounds like a beginning that would result in a depressing and morbid book, it doesn't. The book is full of humor (as well as pathos) and the relationships that form are complex, interesting, and compelling.

The three narrators perfectly match the persons they portray. The experience and skill of Brick, Reading, and Vance are evident in their outstanding narrations. The book is written in the first person, in the shifting voices of the four, so each narrator must portray both his/her character and the others as retold by the person speaking. All do an exemplary job with regional British accents (and an American one as well), the emotions of the four, and the drama of all the situations in which everyone finds him/ herself. Strong language is spoken, but feels natural to the characters. Melody Moxley, Admin. Svcs. Mgr., Rowan PL, Salisbury, NC