Rating: 
Summary: A little look in the mirror?
Review: I'll have to admit that I found 'High Fidelity' boring and without nerve at first. But anyway I kept on reading because - well what the heck, I had bought the book in an airport to keep me busy on the plane so my demands weren't exactly high.And then a funny thing happened. I seemed to be more and more moved and excited by the novel. And before long I was caught. I simply could not put down the book until the last page had been flipped. 'High Fidelity' is very down to Earth and realistic (which is characteristic for all of Hornby's novels and short stories). And maybe that's why the book can seem boring and without nerve at first. But the boringness is really what makes the book exciting! Although this seems weird, I have a perfectly good explanation for it. Usually novels are filled with high-flying drama and are not that realistic. At least not for all of us (a novel like American Psycho is of course realistic for a few serial killers but for the rest of us it's really far out). But in 'High Fidelity' we all, or most of us at least, can relate to one of the main characters and say: "this could might as well have been me". That is the really intriguing part of 'High Fidelity'. And for anyone who likes classic rock 'High Fidelity' is a must. The book is packed with little anecdotes and stories that will only be recognized by those with quite some knowledge of classic rock. If you think life itself is interesting then go get 'High Fidelity'. If you, on the other hand, like to get away from everyday life then stay out of the way from this book. You'll might get a serious depression out of it.
Rating: 
Summary: A little over-rated
Review: Firstly I should state that I am English and I like Hornby as a writer, his Fever Pitch is the perfect testament to the British football fan (okay Soccer to you lot in the States). So I was quite looking forward to this, many of my friends rate it as one of their favourite books, and it does seem to appeal to both sexes. Having said that I was a little disappointed and I suspect that it is because of me rather then the book. I never lived my life through music when I was young and did not associate many events/people with music and songs. I never wrote endless lists either.
If that sounds like you, then this will be the book for you, if not then perhaps it is not. Likewise it is an insight to a certain type of male, but not all males!
This is no bad book but I think it works if you see yourself in it. I didn't!
Much as I hate to say this, the film was probably better.
Rating: 
Summary: A true arse-hole
Review: I wish I hadn't seen all the Woody Allen movies and just read Dave Eggers, because then I might've liked this book. I found this book extremely pretentious and boring. The theme of losers content with being losers is in all of these "slacker contemporary novels," and it's getting so tiresome. If you're a loser, don't read this book, because reading a book about losers is a waste of time.
Rating: 
Summary: Music and literature: a winning concept!
Review: Wow! High Fidelity is one of the funniest novels I have ever read! A friend of mine recommended this book, after having been surprised when I told her I've never read it. I couldn't put it down! I love the musical backdrop in the novel. I even listened to some of the songs that were mentioned in it, songs I haven't heard in a long time! The book talks about relationships from a male standpoint and I felt as though I was reading a Helen Fielding novel -- though I know this is an unfair comparison, for Hornby has been around longer than Fielding. I will definitely look for more work from this great author. I highly recommend this single-male-living-in-London gem!
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious And Thoughtful
Review: High Fidelity houses an ensemble cast of memorable characters. Many of them may seem to be caricatures, but for some that's the point -- to revel in the "types" they portray, and the special and peculiar realm of geekdom that music nerds inhabit. (Think of Phillip Seymour Hoffman in "Almost Famous" to picture the type.) Like his follow-up, the superior About A Boy, in High Fidelity Hornby follows a not-quite-adult man in his thirties as he learns about adulthood. Cocooned inside his music shop, Hornby's protagonist comes to see he is in exile from the world, not living in a castle of his own making. But I make it sound too serious. While there's a lot to think about in High Fidelity, it's also a terrifically funny book, and a quick read, great for the plane or for an afternoon of escapism.
Rating:
Summary: Liked the movie, enjoy the book
Review: I really enjoyed the movie, and looked forward to reading the book. I was surprised how faithful the movie was to the book, with the (large) exception of changing the setting from London to Chicago. I found the book was a little more focused on its main theme, and did a better job of conveying that theme - but those are the limitations of a movie. This is a well written book, that, if you enjoyed High Fidelity, gives you more to enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: I Am Rob Fleming
Review: Except (1) I'm not single and (2) I'm not British. Rob Fleming, incidentally, is the protagonist of Nick Hornby's very funny, very charming, and compulsively readable High Fidelity. Obsessed with popular culture? Have a compulsion to constantly make lists? Find yourself re-organizing your music collection in times of stress? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then here's the book for you.
Rating: 
Summary: A real disappointment
Review: I had heard a lot about this book, and about Nick Hornby, but High Fidelity disappointed me in many ways. The characters all seem to be part of Hornby's "clique" who like his music, go to his hangouts, and so on. Fair enough, one writes what one knows about; Woody Allen movies are full of screenwriters and Bruce Springsteen sings about working class New Jersey, so why can't Hornby write about his milieu? The hero in this book (Rob) is the owner of a used record shop, and he has love life problems, and feels as if life is passing him by. He has a great passion for the music, and much of the book is reconciling this passion with the realities of his life in his 30's. Unfortunately, I didn't care if he got back together with his girlfriend or not, or whether he turned a corner in his life. He was just too unlikeable. The only characters who interested me much were his co-workers at the record store, if you can call them workers. They are depicted bang-on. I have been to record shows myself and Hornby knows that bunch well. The most annoying thing about the book was Hornby constantly drawing the line as to what is good music and what isn't, as if he was telling us what is cool and what isn't. That was very irritating, maybe we all don't dig Solomon Burke or whatever else Hornby beats us over the head with. It's a very snobbish writing style, either we're in or we're out I guess. I saw the movie later and it worked better. I've read several novels from young British fiction writers, the best being the Football Factory by John King. High Fidelity was fun for awhile but it lost me halfway through when I stopped caring about the characters or the plot.
Rating:
Summary: Best Summer Read
Review: As they say, the third one's the charm. This is my third book of the summer and clearly the best I have ever read in a long time. Nick Hornby weaves a classic tale of introspection on matters of the heart and the relationships we uphold. Is this a guy book, one might ask? No it's not! Guys can read it and find solace on how their actions are interpreted. Women can read it to truly understand why guys act the way they do. We're really big babies in the long end and no matter how old we get, we need that little bit of pampering from our women. We need that loving touch. We need to lie in their laps and have them play with our hair and tell us everything's fine. We just want to be held and never let go off. We need to be loved and accepted for who we are. And if they have the time and patience, accept us for what we are. The first person narration works best with a book of this forte. This allows you to get inside the mind of the main character and truly see how he views the world around him and his various interpretations of his failed relationships. Hornby lets you be Rob throughout your read. There are times you get to be the character so well, that you can expect how he'd react to a certain situation. The character of Rob, the down to earth, vinyl records shopkeeper is your everyday shmoe. He's the person you see staring at you when you're brushing your teeth early in the morning. He's you... with all your flaws, all your qwirks, and all your ups and downs. No matter if you're a high profile lawyer, doctor or the guy who gets to paint the White House. All men have been made from the same cauldron. Hornby takes you on a contemplative ride down the experience of the relationships between men and women. How they view each other. How they act when they're around each other. How they cannot live without each other. Or is it really how men cannot live without women??? And throughout the whole journey, you can't stop but think that that's you. You're Rob and your girl is Laura .... You can't help, but look at the human side of things and truly appreciate a very well woven story about love lost only to rise again from between the ashes. There are many metaphors and explanations thet you just can't help but think that they're true to how your life has or could become. It would seem that Hornby could have been a person who has watched anyone of us and based that story loosely on that. The style is very consistent and you can't but have a smile on your face throughout your read. There are moments that you just can't help but laugh out loud and if you're with people in the subway doing just that, it's off to the loonhouse you go. It has all the classic wry, self-sarcasm feel that British authors have been known for since the days of Shakespeare. For an engaged man, or any man who's ever been involved, the book will have a different taste to it. Something extra. It will make you look back at your own life and think things that you just never thought were of import. You'd come out with exactly the same feeling Hornby injects into Rob as the book goes on, you learn to appreciate your partner and not take them for granted. You learn that no matter how you act up, they can always see something in you that no one in the world ever sees. The real you. And what can you do about it? There's nothing you can do actually, except fall in love over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: Wickedly funny
Review: Nick Hornby catches the mood of the moment as he trounces his way through the life and loves of Rob, out of touch music shop proprietor. With an irreverent style and an eye for the detail, Hornby tells the story from Rob's viewpoint, and the reader soon gets to understand that he is just an overgrown teenager who has never quite managed the final step into adulthood. Rob's relations with his co-workers adds humour to this excellent book, whilst his failed relationships just keep adding up and leave you wondering if he'll ever grow up. Nick Hornby has developed a finely tuned pen and uses it to it best abilities in High Fidelity. The book is one of a rare breed that is thoughtful, witty, intelligent and hard to put down.
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