My favourite chapter

Hey guys,

today's post will be about my favourite chapter of the novel and about some questions to Nick Hornby, the auther of "Slam".

It's been hard for me to choose my favourite chapter because there are many situation I don't like really much. In my opinion the chapters were Sam is wizzed into the future aren't that cool. It's unrealistic seeing exactly the things which will happen in the future. So I was sure about choosing one without the wizzing-thing.

At least I decided to take chapter 2 as my favourite chapter.

In chapter 2 there happen a lot of things. But because I've already written a blog post about the content, I will just let you know the reasons why I chose it.

Chapter 2 starts with Sam talking to Rabbit about Annie. Rabbit is Sam's friend and they're often skating together. He's good at skating but he isn't that clever. Conversations with him are always pretty strange which makes the whole situation very funny. I like that, because even if it's a serious topic, it ends up being funny because of his strange way of speaking haha.

What I also like about this chapter is the conversation between Sam and his mum. It's something I've already written about aswell: the teenager-mum connection.
I like reading or hearing about teenagers and their connection to their mums because it's unique and nobody has the same as you do!

Do you remember Sam and Alicia meeting for the first time? At Andrea's birthday party?
This also happens in chapter 2. It's the start of the whole story and I like that it's not like you mostly imagine a boy and a girl meeting for the first time.
You'd probably imagine they'd meet at school or outside but not on a birthday party from your mother's friend. I like that it's not a "common" place to start a love story.
It's also not a "normal" start. I don't imagine starting a love story with ignoring each other and being unfriendly. But it's cool that the love story of "Slam" doesn't start like you imagine it to which makes it much more interesting!

"(...) who did she think she was, sitting there pouting and looking the other way?" (p.24, ll.29f)

 After the birthparty Sam is talking to Rabbit and again they're having a stupid conversation.

"What was she doing at the party? - She lives there. (...) - She lives at a party?" (p.37, ll.22-24)

I like Rabbit haha. He's so stupid and talks rubbish without recognizing it :D

Chapter 2 is my favourite chapter because there's much to laugh about and there happen important things aswell! It's the start of Sam's and Alicia's love story - the main topic of the book.
Sam's life is full of funny, nice and serious things. Maybe there aren't sooo many funny situations, but when Rabbit appears it's always funny and your only thought is how dopey he is! These situations are the contrast to the ones which Sam can't laugh about.
I think chapter 2 shows this contrast pretty good which is another reason for me choosing this one.

Everybody has once probably got one book in which something hasn't been clear and where you would've liked to ask the author something. Our task has been to think about those questions:

I would like to know why Nick Hornby chose London as the location of the story and most of all why did he choose exactly THIS story? I mean, why would you write aboout teenage-pregnancy? Did he experience it himself? Or some of his friends?
Are there some experiences in the story that he made himself? Some details that he took out of his own life, e.g. the divorce of the parents?
Is there any reason for writing about the "wizzing-thing"? Would he like to be able to see what the future is like and that's why Sam is able to?
Is Nick Hornby an admirer of Tony Hawk aswell? Could it be that he likes Tony and because of that the skater playes an important role in Sam's life?
Is there any reason for letting Sam and Alicia meet at a birthday party of a mother's friend? Why did the mums "connected" Sam and Alicia? Why didn't they meet any other way?
Why did Nick Hornby create such a silly boy as Rabbit? Has he got stupid friends aswell or did he think it would be funny having one character who is always talking rubbish?

I think that's all I'd like to ask Mr Hornby.

Have a nice sunday!

Maike