Originally Posted by Karen 1st October 2005


JJ starts out by telling a big fat lie about why he was there that night. Did you as a reader look at him differently because he felt compelled to lie? Why do you think he lied at first? Also, how did his music make him the person he turned out to be?

MerryK


First JJ showed up on that rooftop not really expecting to see anyone else up there with the exact same thoughts of jumping as he did. When he stumbled upon them I think .. in his mind.. he felt that his true reasons would not seem valid enough in the eyes of others. I cant recall.. did he already use that he had a disease excuse with his other acquaintances before the rooftop incident?

As for his music.. I dont think the music makes the person.. I think the music is more of an extension of who that person is and is a way for them to express it. Maybe that could be a reason why the bands he were in were not successful.

Jae


I think JJ had a problem with not being good enough...not a good enough musician, not a good enough band member, not a good enough boyfriend...and not a good enough reason to be on the tower block. So, he made his story more tragic. It was easier than the truth. He sensationalized it. I think he lives more in the "drama" of a situation...and not the mechanics of making things happen. He is not a nuts and bolts person...someone who can implement. He lived in the drama of his band. When it didn't happen as a band...I wondered why he didn't go on to pursue a solo career? I just don't think he could pull it together enough to make it happen...so he stayed stuck in the drama of betrayal of his ex-band mates. I think the music was a by-product of his need for drama...not the drama was the by-product of his need to be a musician.

Deppraved


I did feel sorry for JJ that he thought he was such a loser that his reasons for jumping didn't measure up and he needed to tell that lie to make himself feel more important! He immediately regretted it, almost as he was saying it, but then he was stuck. I think he's a very insecure man but not a dishonest one.

JJ put too much of his identity into musician gig. He failed to realise that the failure of the band was not a personal failure. He was not a one-man band, therefore each member had a share in the failure.

Karen


JJ intrigued me a bit as I think he may have been developed by someone Hornby knew...or maybe a part of himself. He likes to include bits of his love of music in his characters.