Rating: 
Summary: The Modern, Over-observed Life
Review: Hornby shows us what's rushed in to fill the spiritual vacuum left by waning Christianity: careerism, "new age-ism," nihilism, and, more than anything, an ineffable yearning for meaning and connection.There are plenty of laughs along the way, and ideas that rate consideration, but the unbelievable characters undermine the effort.
Rating: 
Summary: "High In-fidelity" or "Affairs and Street-people"
Review: Next time I pass a panhandler or step around a mound of dirty blanket on the sidewalk I'll think of this book and be glad I'm not one of the characters- becuase I'd have to do something. In "How To Be Good" we have a luke-warm marriage forming a thin layer of ice when the wife finds a partener to have sex with. As she deals with the gulit and sundry other emotions her husbands morphs into Mr. Roger's, befriends Mr. GoodNews (who cures ills with magic hands), hands money to street-people and starts the neighborhood bringing homeless people home. What are the motivations to be "good". Told through the eyes of the unfaithful wife (and a Dr. to boot) Hornby explores this part of our phsyche somethimes with a scalpel and others with a chainsaw. If you want "High Fidelity" again re-read it and don't compain because Hornby didn't re-write it. If you want to be challenged in an entertaining way by a good and clever writer read this one.
Rating:
Summary: entertaining
Review: This book gives us another glimpse into the Hornby universe - which is a messy, often anguished but also an entertaining and friendly place. His characters tend to remind me of marionettes, manipulated by invisible hands which deny them fulfillment of sentimental fantasies that drive most fiction and, in all honesty, drive most of us. There is no unconditional love, there is no transcendental hope, there is no deus ex machina jumping out of a wooden contrapture to save hapless Kate, David and their kids. Instead, there is Life - the deliciousness of flailing in it and getting buoyed by it; the exquisiteness of not giving up yet accepting what is. In this way, Hornby reminds us of the essential nature of the human condition, its messiness and also the joy inherent in the messiness, when we allow it to permeate us deep into the bones. It must be said that H. is a master of this genre, he is funny and he is ever so contemporary; although this book has perhaps slightly less momentum than his previous two, i still liked it and i am sure many others will too.
Rating: 
Summary: disappointing
Review: I bought this book because I was in the mood to read a good book. The reviews made me think this was a "hilarious romp" and a "powerfully sympathetic...." yadda yadda. I must say I was extremely dissapointed. The main character is apathetic, self centered and I could not identify with her nor sympathize with her. If you are in the mood to read something that leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth, then go ahead. But I cannot say that this book was worth the money I spent on it.
Rating:
Summary: Not Nick's Best
Review: This one is better than the average novel, but pales in comparison to Nick Hornby's other fare. I can't really imagine this one being made into a movie, although it likely will be. Starts out funny, but becomes somewhat preachy and misses its mark. The characters aren't quite as believeable as Hornby's other ones, likely because he is trying to write from a woman's viewpoint and is out of his element. Read this one after you have loved all of Hornby's other novels and be mildly entertained but somewhat disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly funny
Review: I really like the work of Nick Hornby. I knew right away I was going to love High Fidelity after having read the first pages because of my interest my interest in the subject matter. I liked Fever pitch and I was delighted with About A Boy, even though the theme of the book wasn't something I usually like to read about and I wouldn't have picked it up if I had not known the author. A similar thing happened when I read How to Be Good. I won't recap the plot which has been done in the other reviews in a way I couldn't hope to accomplish in a foreign language, but I wasn't exactly fired up by the chance of reading about the failing marriage and the husband's do-good ideas brought about by a spiritual guide. The subject matter could be quite depressing, and the ending certainly isn't too happy. But Hornby managed to keep me interested throughout, and many passages and dry asides by the narrator (a woman, afirst for Mr Hornby as far as I know) are just hilarious. So for the second time, Hornby's work exceeded my expectations by far. The novel's not perfect, though. It has been noted that the spiritual guide's character isn't too believeable, and I had some trouble with the fantasy aspect of the story. There isn't any clear solution at the end, which is probably the only way to (not) answer its moral questions. I'd recommend the book to anyone who liked Hornby's preevious books, and I'm looking forward to his next work.
Rating: 
Summary: This is life...
Review: I was surprised to see so many lukewarm reviews for this book. I thought it was wonderful. Hornby shows that he's perfectly capable of capturing a woman's voice--Katie Carr is right on target. She's the kind of flawed heroine who doesn't deserve all the [junk] life's been throwing at her, but doesn't quite deserve your sympathy either. The kind of person who feels that she qualifies as "good" simply because she's a doctor, but is fully aware of just how hollow that sentiment really is. The kind of liberal who's theoretically opposed to all the injustices going on in the world, but would rather not do anything about them personally. The kind of woman who wishes her husband would turn into a better person, but finds that she just can't stand him anymore when he actually does. She can't handle his new found goodness because it is so much more passionate, so much more genuine, than her own silly "but I'm a doctor" mantra. There are moments when she's not likeable at all, but despite that every single reader will be able to identify with her. Because as much as you might want to help people less fortunate than you, the thought of having a homeless teenager move into the spare room in your house would probably cause you to balk too. Katie's attachment to her middle-class comforts may not be saintly, but it's very familiar. Her occasional flares of loathing towards her husband and her children aren't admirable, but they are understandable. Her marriage is a mess. Despite all her hypocrisy and frustration and excuses, Katie really does want to be good. She just doesn't know how to. Isn't that something that everyone can relate to?
Rating:
Summary: How NOT to be good?
Review: Hornby's exploration of the true definition of "being good" was both entertaining and thought-provoking. It highlights the hypocrisy of the British middle class (and everyone else), who are determined to "be good" but never seem to truly suceed. Katie Carr thinks she is 'good'on account of being a doctor, but questions the meaning of her life, marriage and "being good" throughout the novel. She has the type of guilt which we all possess - that we are more advantaged than some people and should help them. However, all the characters' efforts to "be good" have bad consequences. Katie's husband, David, becomes acquainted with a spiritual healer and proceeds on a mission to "do good". During this "selfless" crusade, many changes occur and discoveries are mad...Their son, Tom, starts to steal from others at school and one of the homeless youths David has re-housed also steals. Katie's family believe they are all liberal-minded people, but they display conservative values throughout the novel: they claim not to be capitalists, but they own three computers (one for each of the children and one for David); they sympathise with 'disadvantaged' people, but don't want to invite them to their home. If you really want to be political, the novel could be seen as a comment on the government (or indeed ALL governments)and how they claim to be "good", while creating "bad". Its not all as black and white as that. Although the ending could be viewed as nihilistic, it is ambiguous. Maybe there is no such thing as being totally good - not in politics, not in religion, not in life - but surely that's no reason to ignore the bad? The truth is that we all have our own moral guidelines and why should we be judged for them? Perhaps its not difficult to find good in the midst of bad, perhaps we should be happy with small achievements, even if we can't or don't change the world. You can read into this novel as much (or as little) as you like and you will find no definite answer. Perhaps the issue is there to be debated, as is the case with all ethics, for eternity.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointment
Review: Hornby's novels have always been characterized by sharp dialogue, pacing and a sure footed view of what it's like to be a man. How to be Good comes across as sanctimonous. Hornby attempts to defuse this with numerous asides to a knowing reader, but this can not prevent the book from resting on a small, poorly built soap box. The protagonists are presented as a normal family, nothing special, as the author notes. But he then fails to make them interesting, and that was unforgivable. He tries to conjure up a new world of possibility and good intention, but first, these thoughts are fairly common, and secondly, remarkably unexciting territory for a novel. I read to the end, because I kept up hope. After all, this is a man who made English soccer and record collecting edge of your seat entertainment, but How to be Good seemed like a loose idea poorly executed. It might have made an amusing short story, but stretched across the length of a novel, it's a windy and dull read that can't even be saved by a beautiful last image.
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious portrait of a marriage
Review: Katie Carr is a doctor and thus, in her own eyes, a Good Person. She is married to David, a cynical man who takes care of the children and earns an unsteady income writing a column in the local newspaper as the angriest man of the neighbourhood. Their marriage mainly consists of bickering and is on the brink of breaking down when David visits a New Age healer who listens to the name DJ GoodNews. And all of a sudden David has become a Good Man, so good that he starts giving away their children's toys, taking into their house homeless youngsters and attentively listening to Katie. And to make matters worse, DJ GoodNews finds himself ousted from his house so David takes him in as well. And all of a sudden, Katie finds herself longing for the old, cynical David and a marriage in which she was the Good Person, not her husband. So the marriage is on the brink of divorce again, but now for totally the opposite reasons... This is a hilarious portrait of a marriage and why it is sometimes better to stick with the old habits and behaviour patterns. The description of the New Age healer is absolutely great. Only the end of the book is a bit meagre, but all in all a very entertaining read.
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