Rating: 
Summary: Humorous piece of witty storytelling
Review: Two things I must say before I jump into my top five, a) I saw the movie, "High Fidelity" first, b) the real rating is 4.5. Let's continue: Top Five things that I liked about this book: 1. I enjoyed the witty commentary and style of the novel. It felt as if Rob Fleming was telling me the secrets of his life, opinions, etc. It was like a modern, non-three day "Catcher in the Rhye." 2. The fact that every comment and opinion and statement about life, love, relationships, etc. I could relate to. It was like one of those "Did you ever notice?" comedians where after every joke you're in absiolute agreement with the stan-up. 3. The characters. Like most readers I enjoy good charcaters. Not interesting charcaters who do amazing or different things, but charcaters that you can relate to, feel for, and almost tak the place of, so to speak, during parts of the film, novel, series, etc. 4. Everybody's favorite- the obbsessive, intelligent conversations between Rob, Barry, Dick (Sorry, jumping ahead, they're all characters that you'll recognize when you read the book). It was funny to hear how music obbsessed some people could be. It made you feel almost envious of their extensive knowledge about music, film, and novels. 5. The "tie-it-together ending." The ending wasn't spectacular, and it probably should have been seven or eight, but it felt very soothing, and completeing, like the how the song played on the credits of a movie can in some way make the film more enjoyable, because it sets a mood or whatever. I'm not going o ruin anything, but I guarantee a smile of approval and happiness after reading the last chapter or so. "High Fidelity" was a funny, witty, novel that at some points dragged, but at most points was gratifying. I rarely do this, but I'm going to have to say it: this book I guarentee you will enjoy, even for a brief few chapters, but for most people, the entire novel is enjoyable. Good Luck with it!
Rating:
Summary: Quirky while being heartfelt.
Review: High Fidelity is one of my favorite movies so I though I'd give the book a chance. I really wish I had read the book prior to viewing the film because I couldn't help but picture the characters in the book as they were represented in the movie. I think this was a bit detrimental to my reading experience because I didn't come in with a fresh slate but I still thoroughly enjoyed the book.
High Fidelity tells the story of Rob, a middle aged man, boy really, who dwells a bit much on the past, is enamoured with music as much as he is with women, and seems to love making lists. Rob is the main character but there is a colorful cast of side characters like Dick and Barry, workers at Rob's music shop. There are also the women of Rob's life who come into play many times through the book.
High Fidelity begins with Rob recounting his top 5 most memorable break-ups and the book moves on from there. Rob's hi-jinx with the ladies are often quite funny and really memorable. They're also sometimes pathetic really, the problem there being that his stories and his dealings with the women are often very relatable and make you take a longer look at your relationships.
If you've seen the movie then you'll be familiar with the setup of the book. Rob, going through a midlife crisis of sorts after his last breakup with Laura, goes around moping and contacting all the ladies on his Top 5 break-up list to ask them what he might have done wrong.
The book is written without a lot of actions, or descriptions. A lot of the book gives us an inside look at Rob's thoughts. Rob is often musing, talking, thinking to himself and we have front row seats to all of this. There is also a lot of quick, witty back and forth between characters whether it be Rob talking to the great Dick and Barry(who are a bit different than how they were presented in the movie, I think I liked the movie Dick and Barry better, probably due to the great acting there, but here they're great too), or talking to the many women there are in this book.
High Fidelity is a very enjoyable read for both sexes above a certain age. I can't really see kids enjoying this book as much as adults would, not that there is anything that might offend, but because a lot of the story deals with adult situations that most kids won't really relate to. However, If you're a middle aged man, you might see similarities between yourself and Rob. If you're a woman, you might get an inside look at the inner thinkings of most men this age. Men might deny it but Rob is actually a good representation of most men his age. And that is why the book works, the characters, and relationships are realistic. Sure, it's not the exact male but each man should find a part of himself in Rob's actions, words or mannerisms. There's also the musical aspect of the book. A huge part of Rob's life is music and the author includes that in the book with lots of musical references and comparisons. If you're a music afficionado, there's probably nothing new here, but if you're not you might learn something new about music.
I give this a good recommendation. It's an enjoyable read with good characters and well written, funny, realistic dialogue. It's set in London but you don't need to know anything about England to enjoy the book so don't let that scare you away from reading the book.
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: Complete Restored Edition! by Richard Perez
Rating:
Summary: One of the best novels of the past 25 years
Review: Nick Hornby captures an age & an era in "High Fidelity." Even though it's set in England, all people of a certain age group will identify with the characters in this book. It's funny, smart, moving & its ending is right on target. Skip the inferior movie version and go staright to the source.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, yet deep...much more than "chick lit" for guys
Review: Wow, never has a book spoken to me so much about the male perspective in relationships.
The books opens with the main character, Rob a small record store owner, presenting a list of his top five memorable split-ups, which does not include being recently dumped by his girlfriend Laura for a dullard guy who lives above his apartment. But we all can tell this dumping really belongs at the top of his list. And this is part of the beauty of the story. The characters often do not state their feelings and intentions, but we can all see through them as the characters dance through the relationships they crave, but fear will lead to more pain.
Another strength of the book is the humanity of the characters. They certainly have their flaws, and do not make the best judgements at times. Rob concedes how self-centered and insensitive he can be at times, and some of his conduct with Laura was absolutely disgraceful. But he clearly has a compassionate side. We find ourselves cheering for Rob, flawed as he is, as struggles to get Laura back, and find himself.
While this sounds like a deep, psychological study, it's actually a hoot to read. The understated British humor really works well with this material, and there's a great ensemble of supporting characters. The dialog is wonderful, and it seems like light reading, but this most definitely is not.
As we all go through these experiences in our lives more than we care to admit, the book really spoke to me and men will likely identify with this more than women. But it really speaks to a part of the human condition that everyone can identify with, in a highly entertaining way.
Rating:
Summary: Why Pick up a copy? -- Here's why:
Review:
Rob is your 'average' male. He is of average looks, possesses teenage insecurities, retains teenage fantasies, and is desperately afraid of committing to anything for fear of missing out on something. Our story begins with Laura leaving Rob. Laura is the woman Rob has dated for the past three years. Laura is the woman Rob has cheated on, borrowed large sums of money from, and inadvertently provoked to have an abortion. Laura is the woman who Rob told that "maybe I'm looking for someone else." Laura also happens to be the woman that Rob may just not be able to live without.
Hornby delves so deeply and accurately into the male psyche that it is really quite frightening, like being cut into by a practiced surgeon. You know the end result is worth the torture, but you still can't help but feel helpless and invaded. I can't even recount the times I stopped, after reading a particular passage, to gently nod, sometimes while grinning, other times when grimacing, to salute Hornby's honesty and ability to cut through the muck that fills many a man's head.
Not only is this book funny, refreshing, and original, it's quite frankly a generous dose of therapy. In its pages, men will find that the anxieties that fill them are not that unusual. The thoughts that feel like betrayals to our loved ones aren't thoughts that plague only us. We, as a male species, share most of the afflictions that haunt Rob, and Hornby is here to tell us we're not alone. However, let me make it clear that Hornby doesn't deify or glorify Rob's shortcomings. He simply comments and underneath it all it is quite obvious that Rob isn't happy with his life, he is simply comfortable with his unhappiness.
Rob knows he is a flawed person, and begins a quest to discover where he went wrong. He searches his past, and analyzes all of his past relationships to pinpoint the error of his ways. We follow Rob on his journey, and we are the better for it. We meet Rob's parents and Rob's friends (well, the few he has, anyway!) We discover that Rob's employees at his record shop only work to fuel his neurosis. They perpetuate his world of "top 5" lists and the belief that a person should be judged by what they like, instead of what they're like.
Come share Rob's journey of self-discovery, of self-loathing, and of selfishness! If you've ever felt music is a way of life or guffawed at someone's lack of musical knowledge, this book is for you. The first 32 pages of High Fidelity is worth the price of the book alone! Man, don't hesitate to pick up a copy! Along with High Fidelity, my second favorite book is The Losers Club by Richard Perez, a novel with a self-explanatory title.
Rating: 
Summary: The greatest book on earth by far
Review: Ok, High Fidelity is a quite funny book. But who cares about the life of a midage loser called Rob, who lives in a small flat in a underpriviliged area of London. Do the problems of him really matter to me? I don't think so....but if you are in your midlife crises and you haven't enough problems by yourself, you should read this novel to get aware of Rob's sad life. May be you can relate with him. But if you are a younger person it is hard to beliefe in the things which are explained by Nick Hornby. Finally a little hint. If you are still interested in the story you should watch the movie!
Rating:
Summary: crazy stuff - worth reading, man
Review: Yo, check this novel out... you people out there!
We are fascinated about this brilliant piece of creative work.
It's amazing to be involved in the feelings and thoughts of the protagonist Rob. His extraordinary style of writing arrests the readers attention by disposing the language you feel like home with.
Nick places emphasis on the ostensible void.
Altogether we recommend absolutely everybody to broaden one's horizon.
Rating:
Summary: Wow, it really got me!
Review:
Man, I didn't expect this book to be as good as it is! Someone else mentioned that the first 32 pages alone were worth the price of the book -- and that reviewer is correct! This novel starts off beautifully: the tone of the narrator is wounded, possibly because he's reeling and in shock from the recent departure of his girlfriend, Laura. What we have is the narrator trying to come to grips with the situation, tabulate how truly hurt he is, weighing this "dumping" to former dumpings by past girlfriends, starting from the first girl he ever "snogged" ("kissed?").
I just love the tone; the guy is really hurting (and we've all been there). It's this tone I think that gives such clarity to his confessional. Anyway, following this "resume of relationship trauma," we follow as the narrator goes on to deal with his life and disappointments. As a record shop owner, he's considered an "underachiever," a loser by some (an assessment I don't agree with, at all -- but that's me). His ex is a lawyer, hence the dilemma. (The double standard is that a man can be a lawyer and have a girlfriend with a simple job and everything's fine; BUT if the woman partner is the lawyer -- then HE should at least be equally as "successful"???! -- why? [So much for the clap-trap of feminism! -- No doubt, if she is a lawyer, he would be expected to pay for dinner, regardless!]) Certainly, this is one of the most honest, insightful, and funniest accounts of guy/gal relationships I've come across since reading The Losers Club by Richard Perez. Definitely don't hesitate to pick up a copy!
Rating:
Summary: Depressing
Review: I thought Nick's life was really depressing, even though it's probably the truth. I mean, his relationship is falling apart, he works in a record store and well, he doesn't think about anything besides his past failures. Also, he kept talking and talking about music, and which kinds are 'cool' or whatever. Overall, I really felt down in the dumps after reading this book because it made me wonder if my future will be like that.
|
