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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
I wish I could give it less than 1 star. An awful book, an absolute drool to get through. I understand having unlikable characters in a book but there could be at least one that is likeable. Rob is a whiney, narcissistic music snob and just a miserable human being. I couldn’t wait to be done and move on from this book.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Loving it so far but am hearing John Cusack, Todd Luiso and Jack Black say the lines. Not that I object because I loved the movie before I loved the book.
Rob Flemming is every man I had a crush on in university
Entertaining, easy to read, maybe the second best Nick Horby book I've read so far (the first being Juliet Naked).
We do not like this sort of man in this house.
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can say that I am now an unabashed Nick Hornby fan. A fellow book lover pal of mine mailed me their copy of About a Boy which started me on my road to fandom. It was delightful, and I remembered enjoying the film of High Fidelity so I decided to read the book. Luckily, it had been a long while since I've seen the movie so I was able to still have th element of surprise. It. Was. Great.
Rob owns a record shop and leads a fairly uneventful life in England. He has two bumbling employes, a live-in long time girlfriend, and not much else going on. He's coasted through life for the most part and though not terribly unhappy, his life hasn't turned out the way he has wanted it to. He has enough ennui to be eligible for a quarter life crisis, if he could find enough motivation to care.
When he discovers that his girlfriend, Laura is ending this relationship and leaving him for another man, this starts a period of introspection and questions as to where it all went wrong. He's fairly certain it can't be his fault though, so he decides to revisit his old girlfriends to understand how he became the man he is today, and where it all went askew. It's really more of an intellectual exercise and a way to pass the time, as he is simultaneously doing everything he can to avoid learning, or growing.
As a woman of a certain age, I relate to the push/pull of unrealized dreams and stagnancy. Hornby portrays relationships and men with a frankness and humor that is refreshing and will put a smile on your face. I only wish there was an author that did the same for women. If anyone knows of one, please let me know!!
Rob owns a record shop and leads a fairly uneventful life in England. He has two bumbling employes, a live-in long time girlfriend, and not much else going on. He's coasted through life for the most part and though not terribly unhappy, his life hasn't turned out the way he has wanted it to. He has enough ennui to be eligible for a quarter life crisis, if he could find enough motivation to care.
When he discovers that his girlfriend, Laura is ending this relationship and leaving him for another man, this starts a period of introspection and questions as to where it all went wrong. He's fairly certain it can't be his fault though, so he decides to revisit his old girlfriends to understand how he became the man he is today, and where it all went askew. It's really more of an intellectual exercise and a way to pass the time, as he is simultaneously doing everything he can to avoid learning, or growing.
As a woman of a certain age, I relate to the push/pull of unrealized dreams and stagnancy. Hornby portrays relationships and men with a frankness and humor that is refreshing and will put a smile on your face. I only wish there was an author that did the same for women. If anyone knows of one, please let me know!!
So I finally read High Fidelity.
After reading another of Nick Hornby's books (About a Boy), I was very skeptical about picking up this one since the writing had me wanting to pull my hair out. Is the writing of High Fidelity all that different? No. But I enjoyed it significantly more.
That being said, I dont know that I will be reading any more from him. Read one read em all. It seems like the protagonist of every novel is the same insecure average bloke who is scared of real relationships and later learns to love. Bleh. The subject matter of this one worked more for me than the last, but a lot of the jokes ended up antiquated and feeling very stuck in the 90's in a way that was not cute.
I'd love to watch the Hulu series staring Zoe Kravitz, it seems like it retains what works about the book (humor, setting) and ditches what doesnt.
My Top 5 Favorite Lines/Moments
1. Description of a London Pub
2. Exploration of Girlfriends Past
3. Beatles References (skipping over "Something" on Abbey Road)
4. Any scene with Dick and Barry
5. The Golden Age of Wit
Sidenote: Nick Hornby could be a solid stand-up comedian.
After reading another of Nick Hornby's books (About a Boy), I was very skeptical about picking up this one since the writing had me wanting to pull my hair out. Is the writing of High Fidelity all that different? No. But I enjoyed it significantly more.
That being said, I dont know that I will be reading any more from him. Read one read em all. It seems like the protagonist of every novel is the same insecure average bloke who is scared of real relationships and later learns to love. Bleh. The subject matter of this one worked more for me than the last, but a lot of the jokes ended up antiquated and feeling very stuck in the 90's in a way that was not cute.
I'd love to watch the Hulu series staring Zoe Kravitz, it seems like it retains what works about the book (humor, setting) and ditches what doesnt.
My Top 5 Favorite Lines/Moments
1. Description of a London Pub
2. Exploration of Girlfriends Past
3. Beatles References (skipping over "Something" on Abbey Road)
4. Any scene with Dick and Barry
5. The Golden Age of Wit
Sidenote: Nick Hornby could be a solid stand-up comedian.
Solid book that follows Rob's breakup with Laura. He goes through the motions, the justifications, the fake happiness and relief, the avoidance of falling into spiraling depression, until he realizes he's stuck. Revisiting his past five all-time memorable breakups, defining his identity and existence by the marks these women have left on his life, Rob finds himself lost in a world of stagnancy, being 36 and single and wondering if this is what life is all about. Hornby captures the instability of life post breakup, the scary places in the everyman's mind, and the quest for meaning in a life often times devoid of it. Not to mention, it's pretty funny.