Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
London : Indigo, 1996
Description
Rob is a pop music junkie who runs his own semi-failing record store. His girlfriend, Laura, has just left him for the guy upstairs, and Rob is both miserable and relieved. After all, could he have spent his life with someone who has a bad record collection? Rob seeks refuge in the company of the offbeat clerks at his store, who endlessly review their top five films (Reservoir Dogs...); top five Elvis Costello songs ("Alison"...); top five episodes of Cheers (the one where Woody sang his stupid song to Kelly...). Rob tries dating a singer whose rendition of "Baby, I Love Your Way" makes him cry. But maybe it's just that he's always wanted to sleep with someone who has a record contract. Then he sees Laura again. And Rob begins to think (awful as it sounds) that life as an episode of thirtysomething, with all the kids and marriages and barbecues and k.d. lang CD's that this implies, might not be so bad.… (more)
Media reviews
Happily, Hornby does not rely on pop-cultural allusion to limn his characters' inner lives, but uses it instead to create a rich, wry backdrop for them... Hornby is as fine an analyst as he is a funny man, and his book is a true original.
The New York Times Book Review
Mr. Hornby captures the loneliness and childishness of adult life with such precision and wit that you'll find yourself nodding and smiling.
User reviews
LibraryThing member lizzybeans11
I was drawn to this book as an angsty young adult. I think almost everyone goes through the same quarter-life crisis phase as our lead character. This is good for those years when nothing is going right, you feel out of place, and all you want to do is make a job out of your hobby.
LibraryThing member AdonisGuilfoyle
I couldn't honestly remember if I'd read this previously or just watched the film (probably the film, because John Cusack), but if I had, I must have conveniently forgotten how much of a pig the narrator is. I wouldn't willingly put myself through that again, I'm sure. He's not the vilest male
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creation I've encountered recently - I'm sure Rob and Michael from An Equal Music would get along famously - but not even the occasional humour and love of music can carry so much insufferable male ego. Poor Laura. Now I know why Funny Girl was so bad, I though Nick Hornby had just lost his touch. Show Less
LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
If you're too vinyl records and classic pop music, this is definitely the book for you. Since that's not really my thing, I struggled a bit with this book, since it left me to simply rage at the characters. The narrator Rob is exactly the kind of male character I can't stand (especially in real
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life!): he runs through women with no consideration to commit to them, he's obsessed with music and very judgmental of those who don't meet his standards for "good taste", and manages a record store on the edge of bankruptcy. Seriously, I applauded his girlfriend Laura for leaving him and wanted to smack her when she went back to him. Maybe I'm sexist, but I'm very much over novels which romanticize the experience of under-employed men who can't seem to get their lives together. Show Less
LibraryThing member hunkydory
'High Fidelity' is a novel for men. Well, it seems to connect directly to a few men I know, myself included especially. It can be read and enjoyed by women of course, but for them it may become more of a manual, or an explanation of male thoughts, concepts and the way they deal with things.
From sex
So many times within this book did I find myself agreeing, understanding or thinking that was me exactly, I began to wonder whether I was making up this story as a vision of my own conscience and minset. My girlfriend has watched it and began to understand exactly how I think.
It also propelled my inspiration to open a record store with my best mate, so I can definitely say it has been a positive influence upon my life so far!
Altogether, an amazing read with hilarious, true and sweet moments littered on every page.
From sex
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to music to lists to relationships. It uses the main character, Rob Fleming, as a tool to create this vision of a male torn between deciding on a grown up job, relations with his exes and his current (well as current as it gets) girlfriend and his thoughts on music, lists and so on. So many times within this book did I find myself agreeing, understanding or thinking that was me exactly, I began to wonder whether I was making up this story as a vision of my own conscience and minset. My girlfriend has watched it and began to understand exactly how I think.
It also propelled my inspiration to open a record store with my best mate, so I can definitely say it has been a positive influence upon my life so far!
Altogether, an amazing read with hilarious, true and sweet moments littered on every page.
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LibraryThing member jayne_charles
This is a bit different to Hornby's later, more populist offerings. More multi-layered, one to read slowly and enjoy. There's a reasonably good storyline but first and foremost it's about music, and people who are obsessed with it. It's the sort of book that should appeal to music anoraks
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everywhere. Some bits I found obscure. It had a near perfect ending though. Show Less
LibraryThing member KLmesoftly
High Fidelity is one of those rare cases, in my opinion, that a book and movie compliment each other perfectly. The novel is the story of a man who is basically a complete jerk, bitter and cynical, and his amusing obsession with pop music and his difficulties in love.
If you've seen the movie,
I highly recommend both this book and its onscreen adaptation. Both are amusing and quotable, and leave one with a lot to think about.
If you've seen the movie,
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you'll note that John Cusack's Rob is much more likeable and sympathetic than the protagonist of the novel. Still, I'm a fan of both. There's something to be said about novels where the reader is set up to have almost no sympathy for the narrator/main character--my detachment made me view the story in a different light than I had while watching the film (one of my favorites). I highly recommend both this book and its onscreen adaptation. Both are amusing and quotable, and leave one with a lot to think about.
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LibraryThing member melydia
It's rare that I pick up a book based on its movie, but this time I did. I really enjoyed John Cusack as Rob, though I'd heard that Hornby had been surprised at the quality of the film, since to him the book was very much about living in London and yet the story was almost seamlessly transplanted
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to Chicago for the movie. Anyway, this book is brilliant. It's the story of Rob, a thirty-something owner of a semi-failing record shop, and his life after his girlfriend leaves him. Rob is obsessed with music, top five everything, his past, and himself in general. His manner of narrating is at once painfully honest and absolutely hilarious, and I laughed out loud on several occasions. The time flew by whenever I was reading. I'll definitely be looking up other Hornby books in the future. Show Less
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
I have read my fair share of break-up stories but they are pretty much almost always told from the female point of view. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby gives us the males point of view and it’s funny, clever, and somewhat frustrating as Rob tells us about his break-up with Laura as well as the rest
I wish I had read this book when I was in my 20’s or 30’s as I believe the author has painted a true picture of how men think and act in certain situations and this knowledge would have helped me in dealing with the opposite sex. But instead of finding this a useful reference, I was able to relax and enjoy the story, giggle out loud a bit and shake my head at how very different men and women are and what they really mean when they say certain things.
Well written, humorous, pathetic and highly readable, High Fidelity was a great read and Nick Hornby is definitely an author that I intended to follow up on.
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of his romantic memories. Using music as the thread that binds his memories together , Rob doesn’t flinch from showing us his self centered side of the story but as it goes along he also learns to confront his loneliness, sense of failure and, at the age of 29, his lack of maturity. I wish I had read this book when I was in my 20’s or 30’s as I believe the author has painted a true picture of how men think and act in certain situations and this knowledge would have helped me in dealing with the opposite sex. But instead of finding this a useful reference, I was able to relax and enjoy the story, giggle out loud a bit and shake my head at how very different men and women are and what they really mean when they say certain things.
Well written, humorous, pathetic and highly readable, High Fidelity was a great read and Nick Hornby is definitely an author that I intended to follow up on.
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LibraryThing member TanyaTomato
I am a Nick Hornby fan. I admire his character development even if I don't admire the characters. I also love getting some of the obscure music references.
LibraryThing member AngelaLam
I met Nick Hornby and we talked about how this novel got me through postpartum depression. At the time, neither one of us knew we had autistic children. It's great what Nick has done for autistic children in England. I would love to start a school like that here in the States.
LibraryThing member alexrichman
Not just funny, but very funny indeed, with a handful of hilarious set pieces. A perfect romantic comedy before it even made it to the screen, and aimed at men, too. A modern classic, and a book I will come back to again and again.
LibraryThing member sholt2001
For fans of the movie (and let's be honest, most people now will see the movie before reading the book), this is a lot more quaint and British. There are also quite a few scenes that were left out of the film which add a bit to Rob's character. The same spirit is there, though, of the guy who
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realizes almost too late that he's just been muddling through life and needs to wake up. An interesting look at an ultimately realistic facet of the human psyche. Show Less
LibraryThing member whereareyoufrom
Do you have an annoying, boring, self-absorbed friend? Do you love hearing about said friend's relationships with other boring, annoying people? Do you find your friend's ruminations upon a lifetime of these relationships endlessly fascinating? Are you fond of 90s pop culture references and Texans
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with British accents? If so, I highly recommend this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member SashaM
I did not expect to like this book. I've started the movie several times and not finished it because I just couldn't stand the protagonist (And I usually love John Cusack!). So I started this with very low expectations half thinking i'd toss it if I hated it. But in spite of the fact I thought the
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protagonist was a miserable arse who only had himself to blame for the state of his life I really enjoyed it. Hornby's writing managed to make a horrible person someone I wanted to spend time with... Although as a nearly 35 year old single person the constant stream of thought of being alone the rest of his life and settling for the best he could do was a bit depressing. Show Less
LibraryThing member indygo88
I saw the movie version of this a few years back & was less than impressed, despite the fact that it starred the ever-likeable John Cusack. So I had no desire to really pick up the book. But then I read all these rave reviews -- how it's such a cult classic -- that I decided that maybe the movie
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didn't do it justice, so I decided to give the book a try after all. And now here I am, still not that impressed. Maybe if I was a male, I might appreciate this a little more. But Rob, the protagonist, just really annoyed me more than anything. I really couldn't feel sorry for him at all, since even though he was very aware of his character flaws, he kept making the same mistakes over and over & did nothing to really try to make himself a better person. Perhaps this book really does capture what it's like to be a 20- or 30-something single male, a guy trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life & his relationships. And perhaps that's why, as a female, I can't get it. It's no wonder we females can't understand men, and vice versa. Show Less
LibraryThing member bragan
A 1995 novel about a guy who owns a record shop in London and who, when we first meet him, has just been through a rather painful breakup. Throughout most of the novel, he divides his time between wallowing in self-pity, talking pretentiously but with genuine enthusiasm about music, making pop
I find it difficult to decide exactly what I think about this book. To begin with, I really disliked the main character. In addition to the whiny self-pity, he's also capable of being a grade-A dick, and every time I started developing some real sympathy for him, he'd turn around and do something unbelievably dickish again. His approach to women and relationships is incredibly self-absorbed and adolescent (although to his credit, he at least kind of realizes this), and while he's showing glimmers of approaching maturity by the very end, I can't quite manage to feel terribly optimistic about his chances for improvement. I also occasionally found myself wondering why he seemed to expect me, or anybody, to actually care about his crappy love life. And yet, there's something about Hornby's writing -- I'm not quite sure what -- that just pulled me along effortlessly and kept me interested, sometimes almost despite myself. There are also, perhaps, some decent insights here about relationships, and there's an impressive feeling of realism to the whole thing. Painful realism, even, especially for a woman who'd like to think that sex and relationships don't ever really look like this from a male POV, but knows in her heart that, at lest to some extent, they can and do.
So, while I was reading this, I'd say half of me felt entertained and thoughtful, while the other half was just going "Grrrr" and wanting to smack people. (Not the author, it should be said. He gives the strong impression of having a sense of perspective that his main character lacks. But the protagonist himself, definitely. And very possibly a couple of men I have known personally, as well.) Did I like it? I honestly don't know. But I do know that somehow I feel glad for having read it.
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cultural top five lists, and wallowing in more self-pity.I find it difficult to decide exactly what I think about this book. To begin with, I really disliked the main character. In addition to the whiny self-pity, he's also capable of being a grade-A dick, and every time I started developing some real sympathy for him, he'd turn around and do something unbelievably dickish again. His approach to women and relationships is incredibly self-absorbed and adolescent (although to his credit, he at least kind of realizes this), and while he's showing glimmers of approaching maturity by the very end, I can't quite manage to feel terribly optimistic about his chances for improvement. I also occasionally found myself wondering why he seemed to expect me, or anybody, to actually care about his crappy love life. And yet, there's something about Hornby's writing -- I'm not quite sure what -- that just pulled me along effortlessly and kept me interested, sometimes almost despite myself. There are also, perhaps, some decent insights here about relationships, and there's an impressive feeling of realism to the whole thing. Painful realism, even, especially for a woman who'd like to think that sex and relationships don't ever really look like this from a male POV, but knows in her heart that, at lest to some extent, they can and do.
So, while I was reading this, I'd say half of me felt entertained and thoughtful, while the other half was just going "Grrrr" and wanting to smack people. (Not the author, it should be said. He gives the strong impression of having a sense of perspective that his main character lacks. But the protagonist himself, definitely. And very possibly a couple of men I have known personally, as well.) Did I like it? I honestly don't know. But I do know that somehow I feel glad for having read it.
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LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
I loved this book. I picked it up because I greatly enjoyed the film with John Cusack. It was a bit of a shock then when I realized this was set in London, not Chicago, but I soon found myself greatly enjoying the British accent on things, and this was certainly relatable, and both more poignant
Rob Fleming is thirty-five going on thirty-six and owner of a barely scrapping by record shop clerked by fellow pop music snobs Barry and Dick. The book is studded with a lot of pop references I don't get, because I'm one of those dweebs who just was never into such music, but I still enjoyed this. Easy to translate it into any other kind of mania. When Rob breaks up with his girlfriend Laura, he lists his "top five" breakups--which, he insists, does not include Laura. And so he then starts to tell about those important women in his life--including Laura. And to be honest, he comes across as rather a whiny "arsehole" at first as he himself puts it--but he never stops being funny, and in the course of reading, neurotic as Rob might be, you also see a lot that's appealing in him. It's a great voice, breezy and conversational and the book flowed past very easily--lots of fun, but not really just froth. A book that left feeling mellow and fond of the characters.
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and more funny than the film. This is what I'd call Guyfic--the male version of Chicklit, a distaff Bridget Jones, though ordinary first person, not diary format. It's mostly light and often funny and about love, relationships, friends and careers and modern urban life. Rob Fleming is thirty-five going on thirty-six and owner of a barely scrapping by record shop clerked by fellow pop music snobs Barry and Dick. The book is studded with a lot of pop references I don't get, because I'm one of those dweebs who just was never into such music, but I still enjoyed this. Easy to translate it into any other kind of mania. When Rob breaks up with his girlfriend Laura, he lists his "top five" breakups--which, he insists, does not include Laura. And so he then starts to tell about those important women in his life--including Laura. And to be honest, he comes across as rather a whiny "arsehole" at first as he himself puts it--but he never stops being funny, and in the course of reading, neurotic as Rob might be, you also see a lot that's appealing in him. It's a great voice, breezy and conversational and the book flowed past very easily--lots of fun, but not really just froth. A book that left feeling mellow and fond of the characters.
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LibraryThing member rudyleon
For just a very few minutes after reading this book, I understand men. A significant accomplishment!
LibraryThing member Zathras86
I'm not really sure how to rate this book, because for various reasons a lot of it resonated with me perhaps more strongly than it might have had I picked it up next month, next week, or even tomorrow. For now I will give it four stars, because I think any kind of resonance in a work of fiction
It was an interesting read because the main character is on many levels an unreliable narrator, and part of the book is more or less about how he realizes this. It was an interesting journey to make in the head of a character who had many traits I share and identify with, but also many traits that baffled me. The book treads perilously close to a line of self-indulgence that could have made it terrible, but Hornby's style of writing saves it from crossing that line by not belaboring points he does not have to. The narrator, while sometimes irritating, is ultimately someone in whom the reader can see sympathetic echoes of him- or herself, rather than someone the reader desires to hit on the head with a two-by-four and have done with it.
This one will be particularly interesting to reread a year or two down the road from a different place in my life. We'll see if it holds up.
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indicates that there is some truth in it, and also because the author makes two or three very astute and very well-stated points about human nature. And finally because I enjoyed reading it, which is something I think a lot of reviewers forget to take into consideration, but it's no less important than any of the other things reviewers talk about.It was an interesting read because the main character is on many levels an unreliable narrator, and part of the book is more or less about how he realizes this. It was an interesting journey to make in the head of a character who had many traits I share and identify with, but also many traits that baffled me. The book treads perilously close to a line of self-indulgence that could have made it terrible, but Hornby's style of writing saves it from crossing that line by not belaboring points he does not have to. The narrator, while sometimes irritating, is ultimately someone in whom the reader can see sympathetic echoes of him- or herself, rather than someone the reader desires to hit on the head with a two-by-four and have done with it.
This one will be particularly interesting to reread a year or two down the road from a different place in my life. We'll see if it holds up.
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LibraryThing member iubookgirl
High Fidelity is Nick Hornby’s first novel, and I think it was a great debut. It’s narrated by Rob, a list-making, record-loving man who’s just been dumped. The book opens with a list of Rob’s top five most memorable split-ups, which pointedly does not include Laura, the woman who just
What I really like about this novel is the conversational tone Hornby uses. I felt like I was sitting with a friend who is sometimes a pig and sometimes thoughtful, but mostly makes me laugh. In between his list-making (which is definitely NOT annoying, don’t worry) and feeling sorry for himself, Rob actually does some personal reflection that makes you think about your own relationships. Rob teaches you the lessons he learns without even trying.
You probably remember the movie version whether or not you’ve read the book, which I think is pretty faithful to the book. It’s been awhile, but the only thing that stands out is a bit of casting. In the book, Marie LaSalle is described as looking like Susan Dey circa L.A. Law. In the movie, she’s played by Lisa Bonet. Interesting choice, huh? Anyway, I think John Cusack was a perfect choice to play Rob, but then I’m partial to John Cusack.
Nick Hornby is one of my favorite authors. His writing is easy to read, funny, and insightful. I recommend you check out High Fidelity, especially if you enjoyed the movie.
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dumped him. After brief recaps of those relationships, Rob proceeds to tell us all about his relationship with Laura.What I really like about this novel is the conversational tone Hornby uses. I felt like I was sitting with a friend who is sometimes a pig and sometimes thoughtful, but mostly makes me laugh. In between his list-making (which is definitely NOT annoying, don’t worry) and feeling sorry for himself, Rob actually does some personal reflection that makes you think about your own relationships. Rob teaches you the lessons he learns without even trying.
You probably remember the movie version whether or not you’ve read the book, which I think is pretty faithful to the book. It’s been awhile, but the only thing that stands out is a bit of casting. In the book, Marie LaSalle is described as looking like Susan Dey circa L.A. Law. In the movie, she’s played by Lisa Bonet. Interesting choice, huh? Anyway, I think John Cusack was a perfect choice to play Rob, but then I’m partial to John Cusack.
Nick Hornby is one of my favorite authors. His writing is easy to read, funny, and insightful. I recommend you check out High Fidelity, especially if you enjoyed the movie.
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LibraryThing member Ballardion
The very beginning of Hornby's derivative work, which reaches its ugly, feverish pitch in 'Fever Pitch'. He lambastes the mollycoddled literary elites by ... becoming one? This is one of those books written by a tut-tut wag-your-finger author who does not believe in the possibility of books. That's
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all very nice and chic to have a persona sneering with irony, but it's disingenuous.High Fidelity is fantastic for that sort of person who reads while mouthing the words, clapping hands with glee at every "clever" use of thematic metaphors orbiting around record collecting. Our "hero" (or anti-hero... or, perhaps frivolous placeholder) would be interesting if his neurotic outlook on life was housed in a character with a bit more dimension. Show Less
LibraryThing member kraaivrouw
I read this back when it first came out and remembered it fondly as being funny and smart and true in a completely unpretentious way. Reading it again 15 years later (can you believe it's 15 years later?) I found it to be just as enjoyable.
Rob is a wonderfully written character who embodies all the
There are bits and pieces of this that feel a little dated - the onrush of technology may make some readers think, "Cassette tapes?" Still and all the book mostly reads fresh and definitely still reads funny in a wonderfully whimsical and endearing way.
Rob is a wonderfully written character who embodies all the
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foibles of every record and list obsessed man you've ever dated. He's the guy with the most obscure stuff ever who catalogs his record collection by artist and then in chronological order. He catalogs his CD collection that way, too, but vinyl is his purest love.There are bits and pieces of this that feel a little dated - the onrush of technology may make some readers think, "Cassette tapes?" Still and all the book mostly reads fresh and definitely still reads funny in a wonderfully whimsical and endearing way.
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LibraryThing member jawalter
This book is making me think that honesty is vastly overrated as a virtue, or possibly, that it isn't even any kind of virtue, but rather some sort of weapon, a tease, a distraction, designed solely to nullify the perception of the bad aspects of some particular truth, while doing nothing to
I guess the truth of the matter is that this book might have hit a little too close to home on several topics, but it was pretty good regardless. I did feel that it kind of fizzled at the end, with everything after Rob and Laura get back together feeling a little anticlimactic (kind of like a relationship, perhaps? Hmmm). Still, I was frustrated by the attempt to humanize Rob, when I found him to be little more than a relentless d-bag.
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correct their inherent badness. It's a little like my idea that hypocrisy isn't really necessarily a bad thing.I guess the truth of the matter is that this book might have hit a little too close to home on several topics, but it was pretty good regardless. I did feel that it kind of fizzled at the end, with everything after Rob and Laura get back together feeling a little anticlimactic (kind of like a relationship, perhaps? Hmmm). Still, I was frustrated by the attempt to humanize Rob, when I found him to be little more than a relentless d-bag.
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LibraryThing member spoko
I read this right after my then-girlfriend (now-wife) and I moved in together. I remember keeping her up at night laughing my ass off with it. Think it might have scared her a little, but she got over it. We both like the movie, as well. But damn this was a funny book.
LibraryThing member readingwithtea
High Fidelity is one of those cult classics, an iconic book of the 90s - something a person with their finger on the pulse of modern culture can speak about with authority.
I found it dreary, overcooked and generally mediocre.
Hornby clearly wants to channel "the man on the street", chronicling the
I found the humour irritating (although well-suited to the protagonist) and the observations on life and love trite.
Not one I would recommend - unless I was asked to make a recommendation to someone as odious as the protagonist!
I found it dreary, overcooked and generally mediocre.
Hornby clearly wants to channel "the man on the street", chronicling the
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life of an unsuccessful record shop owner and his past loves. And it is dull, depressing and not humorous. I found the character deeply flawed, with little to admire and sympathise with. Other characters were easier to sympathise with, but only due to the protagonist's treatment of them.I found the humour irritating (although well-suited to the protagonist) and the observations on life and love trite.
Not one I would recommend - unless I was asked to make a recommendation to someone as odious as the protagonist!
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Subjects
Awards
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 1997)
Waterstones Books of the Century (95 — 1997)
Language
Original publication date
1995-09-16
Physical description
253 p.; 20 cm
ISBN
0575400188 / 9780575400184