Book Club Recommendation: Book Review of High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

Review: High Fidelity by Nick HornbyGenres: literature, music, loveThis is not a new book, and it's more than likely you've come across the movie starring the dishy and rather brooding John Cusack. High Fidelity was published in 1995, and was Hornby's first novel. It easily ranks as one of his best.If you've ever wondered how a guy can be pining away for an ex-girlfriend as he simultaneously shags a relative stranger, or why he would spend hours constructing a special mix tape to impress a pretty girl when he's already in a happy relationship, this is a book you should read. A comment by Harry Enfield from the Independent on Sunday (printed on the back of the book) is particularly accurate:"A very funny and concise explanation of why we men are as we are. If you are male, you should read it and then make your partner read it, so they will no longer hate you but pity you instead."Aside from being a most impressive resource for understanding some of the more confounding working
s of the male mind, this book is just a great read, with not only heart but a gutful of brutal honesty too.Rob Fleming is an audiophile who owns Championship Vinyl. He is dumped by his live-in girlfriend Laura, and whilst rearranging his record collection (autobiographically) he grapples with the question of why all his relationships fail. He decides that the best way to find out where he went wrong is to contact the exes who form his Top Five Most Memorable Split-Ups (there are a lot of Top Five references, it's both a boy thing and a music thing). As you might imagine, quality drama ensues as he works his way from his first primary school love, through to Laura. On the way, High Fidelity provides some truly insightful observations about men and women, fear of commitment in relationships, and what makes a great Top Five list.As a musician, I'll admit I found the rich store of musical references delicious, adding a dimension that will perhaps only strike a chord (lame pun in
tended) with other musos. Our book club members found the documented inner workings of Rob's mind to be a jumble of things - hilarious, pitiful, insightful, painful, devious, genuine and astounding. But everyone agreed that it was absolutely worth the read, and the five significant others who also ended up reading it agreed too - this is not just a "guide to blokes" for the girls. My husband has so far lent the book to three of his mates, and in our household that's about as viral as it gets!

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