book / 1998
About a Boy
A selfish adult and an anxious boy become unlikely friends, forcing both to grow beyond the roles they use to survive.
Verified facts
- Author
- Nick Hornby
- Published
- 1998
- Language
- English
PlotGeeks explainer signals
Why read this explainer
Will can afford to avoid obligations, while Marcus needs more support than his mother alone can provide. Their friendship changes both positions.
PlotGeeks note
Marcus's difficulties expose the limits of Will's comfortable independence. Becoming useful to someone also gives Will a less isolated life.
Connected knowledge
Connected in PlotGeeks
Related explainers and browse pages for About a Boy.
- Compare with About a Boy (2002 film)
Compare what changes between the 1998 book and the 2002 film.
Timeline
Major events
- Will invents a son to meet single mothers
His dating scheme introduces him to Marcus and the difficulties surrounding Fiona's depression.
- Marcus keeps visiting Will
Their friendship survives exposure of the lie and gives Marcus help with school isolation.
- Friendships widen around Marcus
Ellie becomes a companion, while Rachel's arrival makes Will reconsider his habitual avoidance.
- The record-shop incident brings adults together
Ellie's vandalism ends at the police station, where Marcus can see support extending beyond his mother.
Story in 60 Seconds
The short version
Will Freeman lives comfortably on royalties from his father's Christmas song and avoids work or lasting obligations. To meet single mothers, he invents a young son and joins their support group. There he encounters Marcus, a bullied schoolboy worried about his mother Fiona's depression. After Fiona survives a suicide attempt, Marcus keeps visiting Will despite discovering his lie. Will helps him navigate clothes and music, while Marcus also befriends Ellie, a rebellious older pupil. Will's later interest in Rachel brings another deception about fatherhood and makes his genuine attachment to Marcus harder to ignore.
Spoiler sectionEnding ExplainedShow ending detailsHide ending details
On a trip to visit Marcus's father, Ellie breaks a record-shop window after Kurt Cobain's death, mistaking its display for exploitation. The police-station gathering brings Will, Fiona, and other adults together to help. Ellie learns the owner is also a grieving fan. Marcus has a wider circle of support, and Will continues his relationship with Rachel while accepting responsibilities he once avoided.
Original context
Why it matters
Marcus needs more than one reliable adult
Fiona's depression leaves Marcus frightened about losing the person he depends on. His friendship with Will gradually creates support outside the mother-and-son household without replacing it.
Key turning points
Marcus continues visiting after Will's lie is exposed
The invented child no longer explains their contact, but Marcus still wants the friendship. Will must decide whether to let an actual child matter to him.
Character links
Who connects to whom
Character motivations
Will's relationship with Rachel requires a different honesty
He again lets a woman believe Marcus is his son, then admits the truth. Rachel's interest makes his real care for Marcus more useful than the invented fatherhood.
Adaptation