High Fidelity

I am so far behind in my book reporting, it isn't even funny. Sigh. This brings me back to those days when I had a local library (in English) that I could pillage regularly. I used to have a mixed feeling of love and despair when going to the library. All those books. How in the name of god was I going to be able to read all of them in my lifetime?....

Sigh.

That being said, mixing two things I love: reading and writing, into one blog is a lot of fun. The writing part is slightly more demanding though.

Coherence.... Dude.

Not always my strong point.

Today's pièce de résistance is High Fidelity by Nick Hornby.

This is my first Nick Hornby book.

...

Stop giving me the googly eyes in disbelief.

I live in France, remember? I was brought up in North America, okay? My only real access to Brit Pop Culture Fiction has been via my British friends here and none of them has ever lent me one of Hornby's books (see? It's really all their fault) and I hardly ever go into the English bookstores here because they're in the places tourists go and are so out of my way that it isn't even funny. I buy all my books online. Also? Online is cheaperand I figure if it's cheaper, I can buy more....

See how thrifty I am? Isn't that a virtue or something?

However, not going into a real bookshop is a shame, because I used to really like sniffing books.

ANYWAY: I see my digression pattern is still in good shape... So this is my first Nick Hornby book.

However, now, after doing the old google search, it appears that this book was considered so good that it actually had a film of it made. With John Cusack no less! And Jack Black as obnoxious Barry (AWESOME CASTING CHOICE, BTW!)

Now I feel like even more of a Nick Hornby virgin because hello? I'd never even heard of the film. Argh. Once again, I am proven to be a "clueless to pop culture eejit expat in France".

Bother.

I suppose this review is largely unnecessary. As you've probably all seen the film.

Ah well... Nevertheless, here are some of the things I loved about the book:

1. The title: Hi Fi goes to High Fidelity. It's just clever. I like clever. And it's a book about music, so of course it fits. I haven't actually heard of most of the music in this book and that sort of makes me like the character a little more because he is, largely, a git.

2. The top five catastrophic, mind-numbing break-ups. And the courage Rob, the git, has in contacting those women to find out why they all dumped him or if he dumped them, how they've gotten on with their lives... He is not disappointed in learning more about himself when he finds out certain truths....

3. There is just something so endearing about reading the life of a likeable and yet hopeless, "would never want to date", git. I wonder if all Nick Hornby's characterizations are like this? If such is the case, he's found a new fan.

4. Nick Hornby's writing style is quirky, round about, subtle but still very funny. I want to be like him when I grow up.

In short, in terms of losing my Nick Hornby virginity, this book was a great first time.

I'm craving more already.