Rating: 
Summary: More than the male confessional
Review: Hornby has emerged as probably the most talented of the group of young 20-30 something British novelists. Writing about universal truths mean universal humor. Hornby's ability to find the humor in all of our human frailties and the common struggles we all go through make the story of Rob's failing music store and love life a universal reflection of our own lives.
Rating:
Summary: A Treasure Worth Owning!
Review: What struck me most the first time that I read this novel is Hornby's outstanding ability to observe behavior and translate it perfectly to the page. Hornby successfully walks the fine line between humor and sadness, hope and despair, and is so accurate in his observations that it's easy to forget that this was his first novel. The scene in which Rob tells his mother that Laura has left him will resonate with any aging single person who's ever dreaded telling a parent that he or she has failed at yet another relationship. Hornby's rendering of Rob's store, its employees, and its patrons is one of the most dead-on descriptions that I've encountered in contemporary fiction. That Hornby knows and loves the musical snobs that haunt such places is evident in the characterization of Rob and his two employees. As a person who has spent far too much time and money at record stores just like Championship Vinyl, I can honestly say that Nick Hornby has, as well, and he captures the atmosphere far better than I could ever hope to. Nick Hornby knows and loves music, and his affection and knowledge shines through on every page. Also recommended: The Losers' Club by Richard Perez
Rating:
Summary: Definitely Worth Your Time!
Review: Rob Fleming, the narrator of HIGH FIDELITY, is a bit of a loser who runs a failing record shop in London and is attempting to sort out his feelings for his girlfriend, Laura, who is about to dump him when the book begins, for a guy who used to live upstairs from them and regale them with the sounds of his sexual exploits through the thin walls. Rob is aware he's a loser, and attributes it largely to being dumped by Charlie Nicholson, who appears on the very first page of the book as #4 on his list of five all-time worst breakups. This is the best possible introduction the reader can have to Rob, who is a compulsive list-maker, along with his slacker employees at the record shop, Dick and Barry. They spend their copious free time making lists as diverse as "Top Five Films of All Time" and "Top Five Songs About Death." These guys judge people by their musical tastes and, to a lesser extent, what films they like, and they're cruelly and immediately dismissive of anyone who doesn't make the cut. When Laura does dump Rob, he's almost accidentally pushed to take a long hard look at his life as he finds himself first dating a folk singer, then looking up the five women who dumped him in the past to try to achieve some sort of bizarre closure. Most of us know someone like Rob, a guy arrested in adolescence with a huge record collection he obsessively catalogues and re-catalogues (first chronologically, then alphabetically, then finally, triumphantly, in the order in which he purchased each item). This guy never finished school, doesn't own a suit and doesn't seem have much of a future. Rob, however, is vaguely aware that this is an unsatisfactory state of affairs and that if he wants to get back together with Laura, it might have to change, and this makes him an endearing character in spite of himself. Sure, sometimes he acts like an "arsehole", but he admits it, and Hornby's unflinching look at what makes guys do the stupid things they do is both illuminating and affirming. (We all suspected there was a subconscious method to the overt madness.) Hornby's style is immediate, articulate and hilariously funny throughout. The first-person, present-tense narrative puts readers in Rob's head with all its self-doubt, arrogance and confusion. When he screws up, you flinch and laugh embarrassedly; when he stands up for himself and does the right thing, you want to cheer. A great book! Another novel I enjoyed was THE LOSERS CLUB by Richard Perez
Rating:
Summary: A Winner
Review: When I was a teenager, I used to pass the time during particularly boring high school classes by making lists, often about music -- top 5 guitarists, top 5 most influential rock albums, etc. A friend and I used to compare lists and argue about them. I also played in a so-called "band" which performed only once, for free, at a party. If my life had taken a few different turns, I might have ended up a lot like Rob Fleming, the narrator and main character of Nick Hornby's novel "High Fidelity." Rob is the 36-year-old owner of a failing record store in London. Laura, his longtime girlfriend, is in the process of leaving him, and Rob spends most of his time hanging out with Dick and Barry, the two apparent losers who work in the store. The whole book consists of Rob telling us his thoughts about himself, his relationships, and his favorite music, as he tries to figure out what's important in life during a period of a few weeks. Rob's story is funny and bittersweet. It will probably resonate most with men, because although not every man was a geeky teenage music fan, nearly every man was a gawky teenage boy. Rob describes how stupid and awkward he felt (and still feels) trying to establish relationships of any kind. He still vividly remembers the hurt and embarrassment of every time he was dumped, and he remembers what songs he was listening to at the time. In fact, "High Fidelity" struck me at one point as men's answer to "Bridget Jones' Diary." In "Bridget Jones," we hear about the course of a relationship from the point of view of a particular woman. Bridget is funny but insecure, while the man she falls in love with is sensible and grounded. You could come away from "Bridget Jones" thinking that that's how relationships are in this day and age, and women are supposed to relate to Bridget's travails. But in "High Fidelity," it's the man who is funny but insecure, and the woman who is sensible and grounded. That story isn't told too often by men, and it's really refreshing. Another quick Amazon pick is THE LOSERS' CLUB by Richard Perez -- another odd, often funny short novel about guy-gal relationships.
Rating:
Summary: A refreshing book, definitely one that was hard to put down.
Review: "You haven't read that yet?" asked a surprised friend when I told him I hadn't checked out High Fidelity yet. "Well, you've got to." After putting down the book for the final time, one that was extremely difficult to put down in general, I can understand my friend's overwhelming reaction concerning my unfamiliarity with Hornby's novel. This book was enjoyable from start to finish. The main character, a record store owner and classic music freak, shares his relationship experiences, both past and present, with such refreshing honesty, I dreaded the last page. His tendency to rate the top five everythings prompts the witty first page intro -- Rob lists the top five most dramatic relationships in his life, and then briefly elaborates. He goes on to compare those gals of the past to his current flame, Laura, while working out his fears for the future, his dread of committment, and facing the reality of growing up, finally, in his thirties. I'd recommend this book to anyone, particularly relationship junkies and some of us looking for that rare, male sensitivity, captured in a work of fiction. Bravo, Nick!
Rating:
Summary: Loved the Movie, then Discovered and Loved the Book
Review: The movie was set in Chicago or some large eastern city. John Cusack did a fabulous job capturing the sometimes obsessive, sometimes exasperated but always amusing main character. And the guys who played his store clerks were also fantastic. Then, last summer, I discovered the book while staying in a rundown hostel in Camden, right where the book takes place. I had no idea the original was set in London, and it was fun to read it while wandering the very neighborhoods where it takes place. For me, the different setting made it a lot of fun to read the book after seeing the movie. There were many similarities -- in fact, I could still picture John Cusack in my mind even though he's not British. And I could still picture the guys who played his clerks, too. But the different setting still contributed to my enjoyment of the book. (Although I often enjoy reading a book after having seen the movie, something which isn't always true the other way around.)
Rating: 
Summary: Wistful and weird
Review: Nick Hornby gives music a philosophical spin in "High Fidelity," the funny, rueful book about men, music, and modern love. While occasionally the "top fives" can grate a little, this is a charmingly original, wry and thoughtful novel - an offbeat romance for our times. Rob owns a little music shop in London, which is a good thing because he is musically obsessed -- pop music, he claims, makes him fall in love. But even pop music can't heal his heart when his longtime girlfriend Laura breaks up and moves out. What's worse, Rob has no idea WHY she broke up with him, and he feels mixed feelings about losing her (he cares about her) and her musical tastes (bad). He immerses himself in his rickety business with his weirdo employees (these guys alone are worth checking out the book for). He dates a folk singer. He learns that Laura is now involved with the repulsive guy upstairs. And finally, he assesses his past sex life and romances (the top five, specifically), getting a bit of insight into what Laura's problem with him might be: He's stuck in his mid-teens. Thirty-five is kind of old to grow up. But like many real people, Rob learns that it's change or die (in his case, alone and surrounded by records). "High Fidelity" is a nice blend of musical/movie memoir, love story and belated-coming-of-age tale. It's kind of geeky and pokes fun at itself, but therein lies its charm. Hornby writes a nice, breezy kind of prose, peppered with plenty of pop culture and musical references. Not to mention the top five lists: Top Five Episodes of Cheers. Best Side One Track Ones Of All Time. Top Five Bands or Musicians Who Will Have To Be Shot Come the Musical Revolution. At times the pop culture name-dropping gets a bit tiresome, but it mostly underlines how quirky and mildly obsessive Rob can be. And oh, he can be quirky. He can also be a self-centered jerk, and a bit confused and clueless to boot. Hornby's alter ego is likable for his flaws, and somehow manages to shed a little light on how men think. Good backup comes in his clerks Barry and Dick, who are just as geekily eccentric about music and lists as Rob is. Music buffs and Brit-lit fans will devour "High Fidelity." Charmingly insightful and brimming over with self-conscious eccentricity. Recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Britney for the bookshelf
Review: Try your best to erase the image of John Cusak's smug and sagging mug from your mind before reading "High Fidelity." The character of Rob is much more likeable and his conversion to domesticity is much more winning in print. (Sorry, John, the Lloyd Dobler schtick has not aged well at all.) The book's "soundtrack" such as it is also is much more substantial, heavier on classic soul and lighter on forgettable alt-pop. Britain also works better as a setting for this slight tale, as an American girl would have ditched Rob's butt years before for a better financial prospect.
Like a Stereolab cut, this book is fun for a quick spin but hardly worth downloading onto the hard drive.
Rating: 
Summary: Movie is better
Review: Nick Hornby is a graduate of Cambridge, but the reader would not even begin to suspect that he graduated from Mississippi State as this book is nothing more than most novels published today, screenplay fodder.
Rating:
Summary: 3 Stars for good writing, nil for the self-indulgence.
Review: This book got off to a very promising start for me, a writer with a good pen. I was starting to enjoy it until the more reflective elements of the book started to dominate. Hornby really labours the point and sometimes I felt myself shouting at the book. I was really getting fed up with his discourses on the protagonist's disastrous relationships. The book started to be self-absorbed in the exploration of the self-v-one's personal demons. Of course there are many who would say that is the entire point of the book: self-absorption leads to nowhere.
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