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An Education

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Slam (09) by Hornby, Nick [Paperback (2009)]

Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

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About the author

Nick Hornby

137 books10.1k followers
Nicholas Peter John Hornby is an English writer and lyricist. He is best known for his memoir Fever Pitch (1992) and novels High Fidelity and About a Boy, all of which were adapted into feature films. Hornby's work frequently touches upon music, sport, and the aimless and obsessive natures of his protagonists. His books have sold more than 5 million copies worldwide as of 2018. In a 2004 poll for the BBC, Hornby was named the 29th most influential person in British culture. He has received two Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay nominations for An Education (2009), and Brooklyn (2015).

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5 stars
409 (22%)
4 stars
705 (39%)
3 stars
536 (29%)
2 stars
127 (7%)
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28 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
Profile Image for Kelly (and the Book Boar).
2,819 reviews9,513 followers
March 25, 2022


If this film hasn’t been canceled yet I’m sure it’s simply an oversight due to a lack of awareness of its existence. Now that the actual – rather than only virtual – library is back open for business full time (and no longer even with a mask ordinance *gasp*!) I went and checked out fourteen books at once (and that’s in addition to all of the other library checkouts and ARCs already being neglected on my Kindle). Then I thought “how in the eff am I going to read all of these in just a few weeks???” So I started with the shortest and knocked three out in one day like the no-life having loser I am : )

So back to my original thought: There’s no way this puppy would ever pass the sniff test with generation butthurt as most likely the only thing that would ever be noted is that the story is about a sixteen year old who gets involved with a man twice her age. And I’ll admit having said relationship go pretty much unquestioned by everyone else in the story (parents especially) came as a bit of a shock to my soft sensibilities as well. But this story is not about shock and awe, or the taboo – it is simply about a decision to be made. Should Jenny follow her (father’s) dream and attend Oxford or should she simply resign herself to marriage and a middle-class lifestyle immediately upon graduation? What sacrifices will she make whichever choice she makes?

I’ve read everything Hornby has written – which was pretty much the only reason I grabbed this. I didn’t know anything about it before beginning and since I’m a book reader and not a screenplay reader I’m sure the film version would have been more satisfying for me since there is little depth in the page count allotted. That being said, the more I got to know David the more intrigued I became and the big reveal was certainly worth the price of admission. If I ever come across the movie I’ll give it a looky-look.
Profile Image for Patrick.
297 reviews111 followers
December 3, 2010
I picked this book up for two reasons: 1)Because it was Nick Hornby and I'd buy his grocery list if it came with a 30 page forward about how and why he chose the items on his list; and 2) it was $4 in the bargain rack at Barnes & Noble, and I had a gift card.

It's basically just the screenplay for the film of the same name, with a foreward describing Nick Hornby's process in both being approached to write a screenplay for the first time, and how it differed from his usual approach to writing. It was interesting and insightful, and also included an outsider's perspective on Sundance. It was neat and worth the read.

The screenplay itself was good. It was an interesting story, well told, and although I've not seen the film (I have a newborn baby at home, and these days I pretty much don't see anything anymore, in theaters or DVD), I do plan on seeking it out at some point down the line. I like Peter Sarsgaard a lot as an actor, and I think he probably did a lot with the role that probably can't be translated on the page. It's a breezy read (I finished it in a couple of days without devoting much time to it other than commuting on the train and just before bed) and is a nice change of pace from novels. Would I have paid more than $4 for it? Probably not, but if you can pick it up on the cheap, it's worth a read.
Profile Image for Marianna Rainolter.
1,643 reviews23 followers
August 1, 2015
4,5 +
La mia prima vera sceneggiatura e l'ho adorata! Certo fa molto strano e ora sono curiosissima di vedere il film, ma è stato tutto molto interessante! Bella la spiegazione dell'incubazione di sceneggiatura e film e dell'esperienza del Sundace, con pure il finale alternativo
Profile Image for Bunny.
248 reviews95 followers
September 28, 2013
È stato bello leggerlo e rivedere nella mia mente le scene del film, un film che ho adorato e che a molti potrà apparire banale ma che io conservo gelosamente per motivi affettivi.
Profile Image for Valmir Almagro.
75 reviews4 followers
August 7, 2020
Jenny has a dilemma: go to Oxford or get married with a much older man.
On Education reveals the lightness and depth of becoming an adult. It’s really worth reading this one.
Profile Image for Violet-May Davey.
154 reviews
January 25, 2024
The plot of this play was well thought out and I liked how they also included the original ending as well. I feel like the moral of the experience that Jenny had with David really educates them with a new perspective on life and what they are meant to do. They both change and end up on different paths yet, they learnt through their relationship with one another. Also, 'An Education' as the title relates to the characters and the readers as well. I enjoyed this and would read it again.
Profile Image for Andrea Mullarkey.
459 reviews
August 2, 2012
When a colleague told me we’d gotten this screenplay and that we now own the book, the screenplay and the movie I thought it would make a great choice for our Book Into Film series. For no reason I can fathom, I read the screenplay before the memoir. It was wonderful, witty and fast and a bit heart-breaking. After the screenplay I watched the film and was pleased to see that Lone Scherfig had captured all of that and the wonderful style of 1960s London.

Charmed by both the screenplay and the film I turned to Lynn Barber’s memoir. I knew that it covered her entire life and not just the one chapter on which the film was based. Encountering Barber’s direct prose and unembellished style I saw how a relatively short chapter could become a feature-length film. But what surprised me was how different the stories were. Hornby said in his introduction to the screenplay that he wanted to change the names of the leads to allow him some license with the story. But he took such license that I am not sure I would have recognized the story if I’d read them in the other order. There were certain moments that were lifted straight from Barber’s narrative and I could follow these like beads on a string. Still, I know why the opening credits say the film was “inspired by” Barber’s memoir.

Nevertheless, it was not so distracting that I couldn’t enjoy the book. Barber has led quite a life. Every era was fascinating from her child hood as the daughter of an elocution teacher through her young adult life as a party girl at Oxford and into her journalism career which took her from Penthouse to writing sex manuals and finally to writing for The Independent and Vanity Fair. Not every chapter is fun or funny, but each resonates with emotion and the excitement of a life fully lived. The story on which the film is based is simply another entertaining chapter in an engrossing story.

In the end I would say the best thing I did when reading these two was to read them in the order I did. As different as the screenplay is from the memoir I think I would have been disappointed if I became attached to the real Lynn Barber and then saw her life turned inside out for the film. But reading the screenplay first, I could enjoy Jenny and David’s story and then meet Lynn as her own person. And given that, I would recommend them both and encourage readers and viewers to save the memoir for after the screenplay and film.
Profile Image for Maryam .
72 reviews2 followers
Read
April 4, 2025
watched An Education long before I got my hands on this book, and picked it up without hesitation. The story feels like a modern retelling of both Jane Eyre and Lolita. In many ways, Jenny, the main character, does what I always wished Jane Eyre would do. One of the reasons why I adore this story so much. The screenplay, preceded by an introduction about the film’s creation, didn’t necessarily add anything new to the story, but it was an immersive experience for a fan.
Profile Image for Giulia Astarita.
109 reviews3 followers
December 24, 2015
Quando vidi l'omonimo film qualche anno fa, non avevo idea che la sceneggiatura fosse di Hornby. L'ho scoperto per caso qualche giorno fa e non ho resistito alla tentazione di leggere la sceneggiatura per poi rivedere subito il film.
Il libro si apre con una sorta di "diario di bordo" in cui Hornby racconta, con il suo solito stile scanzonato e accattivante, come è nata la storia e la sua esperienza al Sundance Film Festival per la promozione e distribuzione del film.
La storia, di per sé è semplice ma allo stesso tempo molto accattivante, è ambientata a Twickenham, un sobborgo di Londra, nel 1961. La sedicenne Jenny è una studentessa modello e suona il violoncello. Tuttavia, mentre i suoi genitori sognano di vederla andare ad Oxford, lei sogna Parigi e Juliette Gréco. La sua vita, relativamente tranquilla, verrà sconvolta alla fermata dell'autobus in un giorno di pioggia, quando una Bristol rossa fiammante le si accosta. Ad attaccare bottone è il bello e tenebroso David, trentacinquenne appassionato d'arte e di musica.
Sarà lui ad introdurla in un mondo totalmente diverso dal suo, fatto di concerti, locali notturni, bei vestiti, champagne e sigarette francesi.
Da un breve scritto autobiografico della giornalista Lynn Barber, Nick Hornby trae ispirazione per una storia che racconta il difficile passaggio dall'adolescenza all'età adulta, accompagnato dall'inevitabile perdita dell'innocenza. Il film è molto bello e Carey Mulligan è deliziosa e perfetta nei panni dell'innocente Jenny.
7,5/10
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Profile Image for Carla Jane Valentino .
9 reviews2 followers
January 1, 2018
As it's a script i flew through this, forgot how much I liked this screenplay and film, I need to watch it again!!
Profile Image for Letizia.
36 reviews
September 22, 2014
I found this screenplay mildly interesting. It explores the first experiences of a sixteen-year-old girl who wants to live life to the fullest but is constantly pulled back by the restraints of middle-class society, back in the 60s. At least until she meets an attractive stranger (or as Woody Allen would say "a tall, dark stranger") who seems able to give her exactly what she desires.
Light reading (well, it is a screenplay after all). It's okay if you don't have nothing better on the shelf, if you ask me. Otherwise, not really worth your time. Even if it comes down to less then a couple of hours.
58 reviews2 followers
May 31, 2018
Nick Hornby is in a group of writers whose voice I have internalized to the point that reading their work - regardless of objective 'literary quality', to be perfectly honest - feels like listening to an old friend.

So of course I loved this. I've seen the movie before, and mistakenly thought that this was a novella from which the screenplay was adapted. Apparently no such book exists, and what I had bought from Amazon was the screenplay itself.

I've never enjoyed reading plays (or poetry for that matter- I just like straight prose), so was pleasantly surprised at how readable this was, and how much Hornby's voice comes through.


Profile Image for Utti.
510 reviews35 followers
May 10, 2018
Actually, when I decided to buy this book I didn't really understand it was a screenplay. It was a choice "nick hornby"-driven :)
But in the end I couldn't stop reading, the story of Jenny was so simple and at the same time so complicated that I was really looking forward to find out what was going on.
Enjoyable
Profile Image for SHUiZMZ.
230 reviews
March 19, 2017
An enjoyable screenplay and I am looking forward to watching the film now.
Profile Image for Alice.
690 reviews20 followers
October 22, 2018
Questo libro ha rappresentato ufficialmente il mio primo incontro con Nick Hornby.
Non ricordo se avessi già visto il film omonimo o meno - probabilmente sì, ma nella fine 2011/inizio 2012 stavo facendo il tirocinio universitario in biblioteca e l'occhio mi era caduto sulla cover perché avevo riconosciuto gli attori.
E poi avevo visto il nome dell'autore e sapevo che l'avevo già sentito nominare, ma ignoravo che fosse stato lui a scrivere la sceneggiatura del film - e tre anni anni dopo, nel 2014, avrei acquistato e letto High Fidelity e lì sarebbe cominciato un amore per questo autore che dura ancora oggi.

Questo libro contiene la scenggiatura del film, introdotto da pagine scritte dallo stesso Nick Hornby in cui narra l'origine del tutto - dall'articolo autobiografico di Lynn Barber che poi avrebbe ispirato Hornby a creare Jenny al diverso approccio usato rispetto alla stesura di un romanzo, dal coinvolgimento della moglie produttrice alla difficoltà di trovare/convincere i finanziatori finché la BBC Films non diede loro una mano, dalla scelta del cast e alle continue revisioni di sceneggiatura fino ad arrivare al Sundance nella speranza di trovare un distributore americano.

Questa è la storia di Jenny Mellor, sedicenne agli inizi degli anni '60, ancora ingenua e con una passione per la Francia malvista da suo padre - che invece la vorrebbe concentrata sullo studio del latino per riuscire ad essere ammessa ad Oxford.
Questa è la storia di Jenny e della sua infatuazione per David, un uomo molto più grande di lei che la introdurrà insieme ai suoi amici in un mondo fatto di concerti, cene eleganti, divertimento e arte e che sarà capace di abbagliare anche i genitori di Jenny.
E Jenny è convinta che sia questa l'unica educazione di cui ha bisogno - ma sarà davvero così?

Sono passati diversi anni da quando ho visto il film, ma con la sceneggiatura e alcune immagini tratte dalle scene del film è stato davvero facile immergermi di nuovo nell'atmosfera di quella Londra costituita da persone che stanno ancora cercando un'identità, delle aspirazioni che poteva e doveva avere una donna all'epoca e del difficile rapporto tra genitori e figli.
Profile Image for Ash.
595 reviews115 followers
January 24, 2020
The shooting script of An Education, a movie which I loved and has nothing to do with my obsession with Carey Mulligan. It's based off Lynn Barber's great memoir. I love her too.

Essentially, it takes places in the 1960s. Studious Jenny is taken off course by an older, charming swindler named David. With him, she thinks she'll express her true Francophile self: eat French food, watch French cinema, smoke French cigarettes, etc but realizes that David isn't all that he seems.

It's a lesson about knowing one's self and maintaining morals. Especially in situations one is particularly bankrupt. It's changing with the times but just forgetting what one stands for. It's all about growing up and realizing the world is not all fun and games; Hard work is needed to achieve one's desires.

I liked the diary of Hornsby in the Festival. It was nice to hear his inner thoughts. Oddly enough, although this is a adapted screenplay, I want to read more of his works. I might start with High Fidelity since it's about to be a Hulu series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sophie.
292 reviews
August 29, 2021
This is my first time to read a modern screenplay. And the preface by the author helped to understand the background and how differences were adjusted between the film and Lynn Barber's memoir.

Shy of two decades after WWII, 4o-ish parents' who had lived most of their life in fear, knowing little about fun life, and confined their adolescent, Jenny, to a "boring" studying life in pursuit of attending a good university like Oxford. When there was a glamours and sophisticated older man, David, who seemed to know a lot about art, classical music, good food, and fancy clubs, Jenny was lured to the fun life. With the encouragement from her parents who didn't insist on Jenny should go to Oxford anymore if she had a chance to marry up and be took care of, Jenny threw away her high school life and was ready to be a bride until she found David was not and would never be the one she should exchange vows. In the end, Jenny finally realized that if she wanted a fun and good life, there was no short cut by giving up what she had always been working hard with.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Rosie.
35 reviews27 followers
December 26, 2020
This screenplay is well written, I must say. It built both tension and the characters very clearly. When I read something, I like the ending to be satisfying and with this - I have mixed feelings. Jenny of course, does prove herself as a girl who can learn from her mistakes and I did enjoy seeing her character's journey and growth. The idea of social expectation and how much pressure parents and school puts of teens is an interesting topic to write about. Especially as it is set in the 1960s, which made it something new and different. I would recommend reading this screenplay. There were definitely moments during this where I was on the edge of my seat or grasping the pages with anticipation. It is good for teenagers who want to giggle at the relate-ability of nagging parents, first love and the problem of having to decide on your future at school.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Judith Squires.
406 reviews4 followers
January 26, 2024
I absolutely loved this movie and was pleased to find a copy of Nick Hornby's script for it. The story resonates because it tells the story of a young girl's involvement with a married man (and criminal) who charms his way into her life. But the reward to the story is that she is fully able to learn from the experience and continue with her desire to go to Oxford. The story takes place in 1962, so the time and circumstances resonates with me, as I was a naive teenager in that era myself. I could relate to Jenny and her well-meaning but hapless parents and even they seemed taken in by the "older man" David. Jenny is also helped by a very wise teacher who helps her find her way.
Profile Image for Beatrice.
476 reviews219 followers
October 7, 2018
"It's funny though, isn't it? All that poetry and all those songs, about something that lasts no time at all."

"An Education" is one of my favorite movies, so when I found the script in my local library I literally gasped. I found this screenplay to be everything I appreciate in movies... funny, witty, deep and implicitly teaching a lesson. Jenny's coming of age story is still valid in the XXI century.

Also, I really loved the first part about how the screenplay was written and how the final casting was decided. I am a movie buff, sorry.
Profile Image for Joshua Tuttelman.
76 reviews
April 8, 2025
Called him being a crappy dude from the JUMP

Genre: Screenplay


I’ve never read a screenplay before but I like the movie so much that I wanted to see if the book was any different and I discovered that the book was a companion novel to the screenplay?? I had to read. Overall mainly a cool experience just to see what the liner notes were especially after watching the movie, and to hear about the making of it, as well it’s Sundance run, docked a few points because it had a very slow start to the introduction (like an extra 20 pages)

Rating 6.4/10
Book: 12/30
Profile Image for Jitendra Kotai.
Author 2 books11 followers
May 3, 2021
This is a fascinating story about a young girl who is charmed by an older man and thinks that he is her prince charming. But it indeed is an education for young girls. They need to understand and choose wisely. Especially stay away from manipulative men who are only trying to use them and win them over as a conquest. I read the screenplay before the movie. It will interesting to watch the movie now.
417 reviews5 followers
January 25, 2021
Kurzer Auszug aus HansBlog.de:
Das Drehbuch (2009):
Hornby schreibt scharfe Dialoge: kultiviert, witzig, psychologisch genau und zugleich hintergründig bedrohlich in der Annäherung des charmant-öligen Älteren an die 16jährige Bürgertochter Jenny. Dazu kommen die vielen schnellen Szenenwechsel und die anstehenden Entwicklungen - ich konnte die dünne Fibel kaum weglegen.
Profile Image for cordelia..
17 reviews
February 8, 2023
JENNY
Yes. I had fun. But I had fun with the wrong person, at all the wrong times. And I can’t ever get those times back, now. It was as if I got lost, and ended up in the middle of somebody else’s life. But I’ve got my own life back now. (beat) Look, David. I’m in Oxford.

"Look, David. I’m in Oxford."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
151 reviews
April 13, 2024
One two English books at a bookstore in Buenos Aires, this and the Milan Kundera I just read. Not having read anything in screenplay form for a long time it was interesting to revisit. The story itself was not particularly compelling and felt dated, but there was something to feel invested in and I enjoyed the ending. I think worth watching the film to see how it translated.
Profile Image for Liv.
1,191 reviews56 followers
November 1, 2018
I haven't seen the movie (I know, I know), but this was a very quick, simple read. Nothing too dramatic, just a 16 year old girl trying out new things. What a weird guy though. Also, her parents were a little daft, no? Something very melodic about the style though.
Profile Image for Chris.
790 reviews10 followers
September 23, 2023
I listened to the audiobook and it’s pretty good. It was interesting and kept me engaged and was suspenseful.

Lynn Barber led an interesting life and the end of he book was difficult to read/hear.

I can recommend this book.
183 reviews10 followers
February 20, 2017
divertissant mais peu de surprise , un peu simple et attendu
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews

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