Title: High Fidelity

Author: Nick Hornby

Publisher: Riverhead Books 1995

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 323

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; New Authors; Monthly Motif -- January Around the World; Book to Movie; Rory Gilmore Challenge

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.

This is one of J's favorite books.  He's been bugging me to read this for years now.  I finally got around to it.  And I really did like the book.  My favorite aspect is the writing style.  Hornby writes as though Rob (the main character) is sitting across from you in some pub telling you his story. There's an easy-ness to the writing that I just loved.  As to the characters, Rob reminded me so much of J.  I can see why he really likes this book.  It's almost part of his life story.  Laura is a bit of a flat character, but that's okay.  The story isn't about the romance between Rob and Laura.  The story is about Rob's life now and his dreams and aspirations.  I really enjoyed getting to know Rob and his quirky sense of life.

Movie:

The movie is one of the truest adaptations of a novel that I've ever seen.  I really really like this movie.  It retains the conversational style of the novel.  It retains the quirky characters -- great casting, especially Jack Black as Barry.  They make minor changes (like some of the bands mentioned).  They make one major change (London to Chicago).  But those changes don't bother me at all.  The changes don't make a negative impact on the story.  Great movie.  Great music.  Great characters.