Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
Good attempt at a novel about music and love. About a Boy is better.
Reading Nick Hornby, for me, is often hit or miss. I love some of his books and don't love the others. This one was filled with philosophy about aging, what it means to be a reclusive celebrity, what it takes to analyze one's life, and whether one is better off living a mediocre life as a fan, or a mediocre life as a celebrity. I love the depth of the characters, their sardonic tones and the use of irony to examine their lives. Good humor and an interesting plot kept me engaged throughout.
An interesting side note is that the book examines the notion of narrative and the meaning of life:
The truth about autobiographical songs, he realized, is that you had to make the present become the past, somehow. You had to take a feeling, or a friend, or a woman, and turn whatever it was into something that was over, so that you could be definitive about it. You had to put it in a glass case and look at it and think about it until it gave up its meaning, and he’d managed to do that with just about everybody he’d ever met or married or fathered. The truth about life was that nothing ever ended until you died. And even then, you just left a whole bunch of unresolved narratives behind you. He’d somehow managed to retain the mental habits of a songwriter long after he’d stopped writing songs. And perhaps it was time to give them up. –Nick Hornby
P.S. It doesn't hurt that this was one I listened to and the narrators' voices match the characters well.
An interesting side note is that the book examines the notion of narrative and the meaning of life:
The truth about autobiographical songs, he realized, is that you had to make the present become the past, somehow. You had to take a feeling, or a friend, or a woman, and turn whatever it was into something that was over, so that you could be definitive about it. You had to put it in a glass case and look at it and think about it until it gave up its meaning, and he’d managed to do that with just about everybody he’d ever met or married or fathered. The truth about life was that nothing ever ended until you died. And even then, you just left a whole bunch of unresolved narratives behind you. He’d somehow managed to retain the mental habits of a songwriter long after he’d stopped writing songs. And perhaps it was time to give them up. –Nick Hornby
P.S. It doesn't hurt that this was one I listened to and the narrators' voices match the characters well.
I usually like Hornby's books, but this one didn't get my attention. Never bought into the characters completely, especially Tucker Crowe. Moral of the story was too often repeated. I kept wishing the story had some basis in the real world. There are certainly stories of forgotten musicians who deeply touched the souls of some fans and then faded away.
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Technically speaking, I don’t know if this book is good or not. But it made me happy, so I give it five stars.
Sweet story about people whose lives did not turn out the way they expected, and who aren't quite sure what to do about it. I was glad that it got less depressing towards the end of the book, though I didn't find the plot very believable. Of course, that was part of the point - Hornby was being very tongue-in-cheek about the totally implausible happenings throughout the book, having the main characters refer to this directly. I still didn't think it was the best approach. But I like my fiction to be as realistic as possible, so maybe not a fault of this particular book. Magic realism, in particular, turns me off... just because we are all aware that everyone is aware that it's unrealistic on purpose, doesn't make it any more readable.
Hornby's hitting on all cylinders with this one. I have read most of Hornby's books, and from that perspective Juliet, Naked is the most refined in terms of development of the themes of music and relationships. This book takes the music theme first explored in High Fidelity and elegantly weaves this obsession/passion for music into the plot.
I think I have to give up on Hornby. I am always just left a bit less than impressed by him and expecting more. I also found out he's an Arsenal fan which explains perhaps why I don't like him!
I think this will be my last book by him - and that is ok.
I think this will be my last book by him - and that is ok.
Right from the get-go I liked the humor of this book--the hopelessly obsessed fan Duncan and his long-suffering partner Annie who are on an American holiday tour featuring the public toilet in Minnesota where his musical hero Tucker Crowe supposedly decided to end a brilliant career. While Duncan and his fellow online obsessives--Crowologists, if you please--find no detail of Crowe's life or work too small for scrutiny, Annie suddenly sees the 15 years she has spent with Duncan as time that could have been much better spent. She wants a grown up life and Duncan wants to wallow in his fanboy hobby forever without interruption, and explore possibly teaching a class on Crowe minutiae. Then, in a series of beautifully scripted turns, the story becomes Annie's to tell. While the charm of the characters wears thin for me once the focus shifts and things get a bit rom-com predictable, I still enjoyed the peek into these people's lives and found much to like about them.
(Spoiler ahead to explain the missing star) I found the first half of the book truly enjoyable--right up until we start to see things from Tucker's perspective. I admit I have a low tolerance for the sort of hackneyed has-been male character you find SO often in novels--the grizzled alcoholic police detective, the has-been alcoholic reporter, and yes, that includes the reclusive former alcoholic rock star, if Tucker can be called a star. So Annie's eventual fascination with him turns me off quite a bit; still, though, I saw it through to the end long after I saw what was coming, like you do with any good romance.
(Spoiler ahead to explain the missing star) I found the first half of the book truly enjoyable--right up until we start to see things from Tucker's perspective. I admit I have a low tolerance for the sort of hackneyed has-been male character you find SO often in novels--the grizzled alcoholic police detective, the has-been alcoholic reporter, and yes, that includes the reclusive former alcoholic rock star, if Tucker can be called a star. So Annie's eventual fascination with him turns me off quite a bit; still, though, I saw it through to the end long after I saw what was coming, like you do with any good romance.