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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
I watched the movie first, which certainly influenced my impression of the book. It’s fascinating to observe how a male novelist and female screenwriters can take the same tale and, through slight variations in storyline, emphasize either Tucker’s or Annie’s journeys as the primary arc. In the novel... let’s be honest, it’s a Nick Hornby, so you know that the emphasis will be on a somewhat feckless man coming into maturity and personal growth, likely through a good female influence. Annie’s story is told well, but frankly the end of her story felt like something a guy would write, you know? An unexpected and pleasant surprise is how well this story captures the dynamics of working in small town museum. Overall it was sweet and sad and I’m glad I read it, but I prefer the Annie of the movie.
Somehow or other, I've managed to never read a Nick Hornby novel before Juliet, Naked. Now I'm scared to go back and read his older works in case I don't like them as much.
::: The Plot :::
Annie is an English museum curator in a small, seaside town in England. For the past fifteen years, she's been involved with Duncan, a university professor obsessed with the music and career of Tucker Crowe, an American singer-songwriter who inexplicably walked away from his music career some twenty years ago.
As Duncan's obsession goes beyond the web site he runs to a trip across America visiting rumored locations of pivotal moments in Crowe's life, his relationship with Annie starts to unravel without either of them realizing it, culminating in a break-up seemingly put in motion by the release of an acoustic demo version of Crowe's most famous album, "Juliet." Both Duncan and Annie post their reactions to the album online, but Annie's nets a response from the reclusive artist himself.
::: Funny Yet Heartbreaking :::
Juliet, Naked is both hilarious and a tear-jerker. Tucker's character is totally believable as a former musician; the type you obsessed about back in your younger days and always wondered what happened to after his big moment in the sun. He has a very jaded way of looking at where he ended up, and the reader is just as amused as he is about the misconceptions that result from the small but rabid fanbase he has left. Anyone who has been involved in an online fan community will be in stitches laughing at some of Duncan's interactions with fellow fans, and the way things are blown out of proportion and overanalyzed to the point of insanity.
Tucker's trail of ex-wives and estranged children is just as painful as Annie's childlessness, and the two seem like broken pieces of the same china pattern, both thinking they are too damaged and past their prime to be of any value. Both feel that they allowed time to sweep away the primes of their lives while they were doing nothing of any importance. The ending leaves the reader guessing, but it also allows you to come up with your own ending for Annie and Tucker.
This review originally published on Epinions: http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_Juliet_Naked_Nick_Hornby/content_513664388740
::: The Plot :::
Annie is an English museum curator in a small, seaside town in England. For the past fifteen years, she's been involved with Duncan, a university professor obsessed with the music and career of Tucker Crowe, an American singer-songwriter who inexplicably walked away from his music career some twenty years ago.
As Duncan's obsession goes beyond the web site he runs to a trip across America visiting rumored locations of pivotal moments in Crowe's life, his relationship with Annie starts to unravel without either of them realizing it, culminating in a break-up seemingly put in motion by the release of an acoustic demo version of Crowe's most famous album, "Juliet." Both Duncan and Annie post their reactions to the album online, but Annie's nets a response from the reclusive artist himself.
::: Funny Yet Heartbreaking :::
Juliet, Naked is both hilarious and a tear-jerker. Tucker's character is totally believable as a former musician; the type you obsessed about back in your younger days and always wondered what happened to after his big moment in the sun. He has a very jaded way of looking at where he ended up, and the reader is just as amused as he is about the misconceptions that result from the small but rabid fanbase he has left. Anyone who has been involved in an online fan community will be in stitches laughing at some of Duncan's interactions with fellow fans, and the way things are blown out of proportion and overanalyzed to the point of insanity.
Tucker's trail of ex-wives and estranged children is just as painful as Annie's childlessness, and the two seem like broken pieces of the same china pattern, both thinking they are too damaged and past their prime to be of any value. Both feel that they allowed time to sweep away the primes of their lives while they were doing nothing of any importance. The ending leaves the reader guessing, but it also allows you to come up with your own ending for Annie and Tucker.
This review originally published on Epinions: http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_Juliet_Naked_Nick_Hornby/content_513664388740
Fun little read. The story wasn't an A+ and not all the characters were likable, but the storytelling and dialogue are superb.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Anne has been dating Duncan (original Hipster--at least his state of mind is) for the past 15 years. And in all their time together she just now realizes that their loveless, lustless, relationship pales in comparison to Duncan's true love--his love of the obscure 80's rocker Tucker Crowe.
What I loved most about this book is what it has to say about obsessive fans and obsessive fans on the internet. Duncan runs a Tucker Crowe forum where only the most sophisticated and dedicated Tucker Crowe fans gather to discuss, analyze and search for the meaning of life in Tucker's music. Having some exposure to online forms, I found this part hilarious and sadly, sometimes incredibly accurate.
It is through these fans (and the fake Wikipedia pages) that help to flush out Tucker Crowe the legend. I say 'legend' literary, cause it turns out that the real Tucker Crowe is nothing like the recluse genius that his fans romanticize him to be.
Anne after posting her honest review of a stripped down version of Tucker's most famous album, Juliet, is emailed by Tucker Crowe himself. And though these emails she learns the truth about his life and together they face the truth about both of their lives.
The whole situation is a little unbelievable when you really think about it, but the characters for all of their faults were still likeable and redeemable in my eyes.
And even though I know that Tucker Crowe isn't real, the way that his career and his songs were described made me want to listen to his music anyway.
There are a few serious themes in this book, but on the whole it was kept lighthearted and full of humor. There were a few times where I laughed out loud.
All in all, a great read.
What I loved most about this book is what it has to say about obsessive fans and obsessive fans on the internet. Duncan runs a Tucker Crowe forum where only the most sophisticated and dedicated Tucker Crowe fans gather to discuss, analyze and search for the meaning of life in Tucker's music. Having some exposure to online forms, I found this part hilarious and sadly, sometimes incredibly accurate.
It is through these fans (and the fake Wikipedia pages) that help to flush out Tucker Crowe the legend. I say 'legend' literary, cause it turns out that the real Tucker Crowe is nothing like the recluse genius that his fans romanticize him to be.
Anne after posting her honest review of a stripped down version of Tucker's most famous album, Juliet, is emailed by Tucker Crowe himself. And though these emails she learns the truth about his life and together they face the truth about both of their lives.
The whole situation is a little unbelievable when you really think about it, but the characters for all of their faults were still likeable and redeemable in my eyes.
And even though I know that Tucker Crowe isn't real, the way that his career and his songs were described made me want to listen to his music anyway.
There are a few serious themes in this book, but on the whole it was kept lighthearted and full of humor. There were a few times where I laughed out loud.
All in all, a great read.
I always love the complicated emotional conundrums presented by Nick Hornby, and his characters always appeal to me in that messed-up-yet-redeemable-in-an-unusual-way aspect.
While I wouldn't rank this up there with his best work (About a Boy, obviously), I did find it enjoyable and intriguing. While I reveal that I am in the lower literary realm by admitting this, I would've liked a little more closure on the book. I'm like that. I like my stories wrapped up neatly, or otherwise COMPLETELY enigmatically. This ending didn't strike that right balance with me.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the book from its beginning to its end, and I'll continue being a Hornby fan. (Also, I really hope this is turned into a move, and I want Hugh Grant as Tucker. That's just a given. Please make this happen, cinema gods!)
While I wouldn't rank this up there with his best work (About a Boy, obviously), I did find it enjoyable and intriguing. While I reveal that I am in the lower literary realm by admitting this, I would've liked a little more closure on the book. I'm like that. I like my stories wrapped up neatly, or otherwise COMPLETELY enigmatically. This ending didn't strike that right balance with me.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the book from its beginning to its end, and I'll continue being a Hornby fan. (Also, I really hope this is turned into a move, and I want Hugh Grant as Tucker. That's just a given. Please make this happen, cinema gods!)
In Juliet, Naked, Annie lives with her boyfriend of 15 years, Duncan. They live in a dreary little town in northern England where not a lot happens and Annie works in a museum, attempting to put together an exciting exhibition on 1964, and all she’s got to show are various pictures of a dead shark in decay. Duncan is obsessed with the music of Tucker Crowe who disappeared some years ago, allegedly after an incident in a toilet, and Duncan runs a website where other obsessives can gather and discuss Tucker’s music and theories about his whereabouts.
Duncan receives a new album based on Tucker’s famous album, Juliet. What becomes known as Juliet, Naked is the early recordings, and Duncan is overwhelmed and claims it the greatest thing since sliced bread. Annie, having listened to Duncan go on and on about Tucker for years and endured a trip around the States on a Tucker Tour, listens to the album and writes her own review of it on Duncan’s site, setting in motion a chain of events which lead to Duncan finally meeting his hero and bringing about the end of her relationship.
I really enjoyed the book. It was a quick read and often very funny with its observations. Hornby does a great job of making his characters extremely flawed and at times incredibly unlikable, but have you still like and root for them. Tucker especially is irresponsible and selfish and, often, a complete mess, and yet I really liked him, and more so his relationship with his young son Jackson. Duncan is less easy to like, as he’s obsessive and somewhat fickle, but he didn’t irritate me too much.
The only problem I had with the book was the ending. It seemed to come about very suddenly and…weirdly, for want of a better way to put it. It felt like there should have been more to it, as there’s not much of a resolution. Also, Annie seems to go off the rails a bit and we don’t get to see her put her life back together, it’s just done. Maybe it’s a good thing that I wanted more, but the ending was a bit of a let down after I’d enjoyed the rest of it so much.
Duncan receives a new album based on Tucker’s famous album, Juliet. What becomes known as Juliet, Naked is the early recordings, and Duncan is overwhelmed and claims it the greatest thing since sliced bread. Annie, having listened to Duncan go on and on about Tucker for years and endured a trip around the States on a Tucker Tour, listens to the album and writes her own review of it on Duncan’s site, setting in motion a chain of events which lead to Duncan finally meeting his hero and bringing about the end of her relationship.
I really enjoyed the book. It was a quick read and often very funny with its observations. Hornby does a great job of making his characters extremely flawed and at times incredibly unlikable, but have you still like and root for them. Tucker especially is irresponsible and selfish and, often, a complete mess, and yet I really liked him, and more so his relationship with his young son Jackson. Duncan is less easy to like, as he’s obsessive and somewhat fickle, but he didn’t irritate me too much.
The only problem I had with the book was the ending. It seemed to come about very suddenly and…weirdly, for want of a better way to put it. It felt like there should have been more to it, as there’s not much of a resolution. Also, Annie seems to go off the rails a bit and we don’t get to see her put her life back together, it’s just done. Maybe it’s a good thing that I wanted more, but the ending was a bit of a let down after I’d enjoyed the rest of it so much.
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes