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gjermis's review against another edition
3.0
Tidvis interessante fortellinger men litt vel flatt og kort. Men har hvert fall gitt meg en del nye låter å sjekke ut, og hva mer kan man egentlig forlange av en bok som dette?
narniaru's review against another edition
1.0
Apparently Mr. Hornby has also decided that writing he is good enough to write any ol piece of garbage. Sure it`s a good idea, but I just don`t feel he actually believe in any of it. Except for maybe one chapter, I did not feel he was writing about himself at all. What a waste of time
savvinaki's review against another edition
4.0
If you are considering reading this book, then my guess is that you are either a Nick Hornby fan (like me) or always curious about music-related text (like me) or born in the late 50s (not like me) - or even all three if you are Hornby himself.
And I say do it. It is a sweet and sour collection of thoughts on the state and evolution of music post World War II. There is some interesting insight, but the main attraction for me was his language. It's neither exactly funny nor exactly serious, but it's uniquely his, and if you remember yourself not being able to put down his "Juliet, naked", then you will know what I mean.
On top of that, it's entertaining to see how wrong or right he was about 2022's music climate 20 years ago. It's certainly interesting how he viewed Destiny's Child existence in the top 10 back then ("unmemorable"), when Beyonce ended up becoming who she is today. It tells you that critics, like all of us, are people and are also in danger of getting old and too possessive with their own youth, their own pop, their own definitions of what makes music memorable or worthy.
[Last thing: I will know I have made it when people care which 31 songs permanently marked my life.]
And I say do it. It is a sweet and sour collection of thoughts on the state and evolution of music post World War II. There is some interesting insight, but the main attraction for me was his language. It's neither exactly funny nor exactly serious, but it's uniquely his, and if you remember yourself not being able to put down his "Juliet, naked", then you will know what I mean.
On top of that, it's entertaining to see how wrong or right he was about 2022's music climate 20 years ago. It's certainly interesting how he viewed Destiny's Child existence in the top 10 back then ("unmemorable"), when Beyonce ended up becoming who she is today. It tells you that critics, like all of us, are people and are also in danger of getting old and too possessive with their own youth, their own pop, their own definitions of what makes music memorable or worthy.
[Last thing: I will know I have made it when people care which 31 songs permanently marked my life.]
dani_goldfinch's review against another edition
4.0
Makes me want to listen to more music again, which is probably the best thing that can be said about a book about music.
I like Hornbys style and sense of humour, and unless he makes up a story involving ghosts and an apocalypse he can probably do no wrong for me.
I like Hornbys style and sense of humour, and unless he makes up a story involving ghosts and an apocalypse he can probably do no wrong for me.
peter_xxx's review against another edition
4.0
31 songs is exactly what the title suggests. A collection of musings about music and life inspired by 31 songs. The love for music that Nick Hornby shows in these writings hit so close to home that I could not put this book down. Even though he might be about 20 year older then me, the emotions and revelations feel so familiar that this book really resonated with me. It helps that I listened to these songs while reading about them. And it also helps that some of these songs are also songs I dearly love.
In the end of this version there are some, almost 20 year old, reviews or colums about music that he (I guess)wrote for the New Yorker and those have aged a bit less well. But still worth reading if you like music.
In the end of this version there are some, almost 20 year old, reviews or colums about music that he (I guess)wrote for the New Yorker and those have aged a bit less well. But still worth reading if you like music.
rannveig's review against another edition
4.0
'but the truly great songs, the ones that age and golden-oldies radio stations cannot wither, are about our romantic feelings. and this is not because songwriters have anything to add to the subject; it's just that romance, with its dips and turns and glooms and highs, its swoops and swoons and blues, is a natural metaphor for music itself.'
_dunno_'s review against another edition
4.0
I was playing Queen for my daughter today, thinking it's 24 years since I first consciously listened to their music and irremediably fell in love with them (read Freddie, mostly) and I just realized I didn't say a word about this little lovely book.
"Sometimes, very occasionally, songs and books and films and pictures express who you are, perfectly. And they don’t do this in words or images, necessarily; the connection is a lot less direct and more complicated than that"
This quote really sums up what 31 Songs (Songbook) is about. There's a lot of love in it, for music, obviously, for Danny, his autistic son, for friends, for places, for Bruce (Springsteen), for Lee (not Bruce Lee, though :-)), there's sadness and there's joy. It's almost like an open invitation to introspection. I'd love to do it, but I'm not sure I'm ready to dig so deep into myself.
"Sometimes, very occasionally, songs and books and films and pictures express who you are, perfectly. And they don’t do this in words or images, necessarily; the connection is a lot less direct and more complicated than that"
This quote really sums up what 31 Songs (Songbook) is about. There's a lot of love in it, for music, obviously, for Danny, his autistic son, for friends, for places, for Bruce (Springsteen), for Lee (not Bruce Lee, though :-)), there's sadness and there's joy. It's almost like an open invitation to introspection. I'd love to do it, but I'm not sure I'm ready to dig so deep into myself.
pamela_g's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
lumakip's review
3.0
This is like listening to a record store employee wax philosophically on their favorite tracks while dismissing any and everything that isn't them. It's irritating, interesting, and boring, and illuminating all at once