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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Never read this book when you're leaving someone, or being left. Great proportion of irony and melancholy, just what's life is all about.
i liked hornby's writing but for future reference, if i wanna read about a self-depricating, self-centred, irony poisoned, misogynist loser who is just The Worst in the most casual ways men sometimes are, i should just look up incel forums.
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Nick Hornby is GOOD.
I guess there’s two ways to read this book: as itself, and as a now nostalgic sign of its time, representing the early 90‘s and music snobs and a world replaced by Spotify and smartphones.
Pretty odd to listen to the book soundtrack someone created on Spotify (also the soundtrack includes all the unmentionables like 'I Just Called to Say I Love You', hehe) while Rob is, you know, running a record shop and listening to vinyl and CDs. And using his landline to call people at work, because how else are you gonna reach anyone?
Questionable: Rob has two full-time employees and is supposed to be some kind of slacker? In a sorta failing business, but still.
Rob‘s somewhere between charming and funny and an annoying idiot who needs to start communicating properly. Still works though.
I found this quote in here on Rob‘s parents that I always thought was from Bridget Jones, so glad I found it again, but also, oops! Wrong British mid-90's book about a struggling adult!
I wish I wanted to see them more, but I don't, and when I've got nothing else to feel bad about, I feel bad about that.
Also:
'What can you play?'
'Nothing.' Barry's all-consuming desire to play at Madison Square Garden has never driven him to do anything as mundane as learn an instrument.
Been thinking about this gem since <checks notes> 2008. I just looked at my reading lists and realized I read Bridget Jones' Diary RIGHT AFTER High Fidelity. Ha!
And of course:
What came first, the music or the misery? Did I listen to music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to music?
Love the scene when Laura tricks him into hanging out with her friends, and they have a great night, and then it turns out they have a horrible taste in music (like owning a Tina Turner album, gasp). Also I want Nick Hornby to rewrite all YA I love as middle-aged characters. Thanks
I guess there’s two ways to read this book: as itself, and as a now nostalgic sign of its time, representing the early 90‘s and music snobs and a world replaced by Spotify and smartphones.
Pretty odd to listen to the book soundtrack someone created on Spotify (also the soundtrack includes all the unmentionables like 'I Just Called to Say I Love You', hehe) while Rob is, you know, running a record shop and listening to vinyl and CDs. And using his landline to call people at work, because how else are you gonna reach anyone?
Questionable: Rob has two full-time employees and is supposed to be some kind of slacker? In a sorta failing business, but still.
Rob‘s somewhere between charming and funny and an annoying idiot who needs to start communicating properly. Still works though.
I found this quote in here on Rob‘s parents that I always thought was from Bridget Jones, so glad I found it again, but also, oops! Wrong British mid-90's book about a struggling adult!
I wish I wanted to see them more, but I don't, and when I've got nothing else to feel bad about, I feel bad about that.
Also:
'What can you play?'
'Nothing.' Barry's all-consuming desire to play at Madison Square Garden has never driven him to do anything as mundane as learn an instrument.
Been thinking about this gem since <checks notes> 2008. I just looked at my reading lists and realized I read Bridget Jones' Diary RIGHT AFTER High Fidelity. Ha!
And of course:
What came first, the music or the misery? Did I listen to music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to music?
Love the scene when Laura tricks him into hanging out with her friends, and they have a great night, and then it turns out they have a horrible taste in music (like owning a Tina Turner album, gasp). Also I want Nick Hornby to rewrite all YA I love as middle-aged characters. Thanks
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Some bits in this book are a bit cringe and I don’t think this aged as well as the movie did, and I prefer the latter overall (Chicago instead of London, a lot of the sexism/commenraey about feminism placed on the back burner, etc). But the writing is so sharp, and Rob is so awful but so relatable, and I just love this story and his struggles and these characters. In general I adore stories about awful, selfish people who make mistakes constantly.
Definitely a comfort book. And so timeless! It makes me yearn for the pre-Internet era when life was more analog.
Definitely a comfort book. And so timeless! It makes me yearn for the pre-Internet era when life was more analog.
Loved this book....its another Hornby classic. Read it - and love it too!!!
If you’ve only seen the movie, you’re missing out! This book is like the movie times ten!
emotional
funny
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes