Rating: 
Summary: Not a penny worth
Review: When I saw this book, I thought that Nick Hornby will tell us about his experiences at the stadium, for example:The first time that I went to a stadium to see the San Diego Chargers (I live in Mexico but my brother lives there). My brother asked me if I want to go to the game and I told him that yes, so the next day he didn't offer me nothing for breakfast, I didn't comment anything because I thought that we will eat some hot dogs at the stadium, then I saw him to take some beers, sodas, meat and everything to do a barbecue so I asked him if we are going to a barbecue after the game, he just smiled.
When we get to the parking lot at the stadium I just didn't believe my eyes, everybody was having a barbecue I just started to laugh and laugh because here in Mexico you will never do that. (I don't remember who won that game nor the others games that I will tell you in this review). The second time I went to see the Chicago Bears with a friend, I knew that in the stadium they only sell two beers per person per time so in the line for the beers I told my friend:
"Buy two beers.
"No, I don't like so much beer, I only want one.
"I didn't asked you what do you like, I told you what to do!
At the end of the second quarter I asked him for my beer, and he told me that he already drank HIS second beer. The third and last story is when I went to see the Houston Oilers at the Astrodome. Behind me was a group of ten or twelve persons, in that stadium were glasses that contain three beers, so they make a competition to see who drinks all the beer faster, so the first started and he drank almost all the beer but part of it went directly to his pants, everybody were laughing, so when the second started, the first make him laugh and happened almost the same as the first one, to make the story short, at the end, the person who won the competition was the one who has more wet his pants. Now, in this book the writer just wrote all the results of his favorite team of Soccer in England since 1968, that shows us one of two thinks: He has an excellent memory or he has a sports book to write them down, I think that nobody will check if those results are true or not, nobody cares even if you leave in London. If the book would say his stories at the stadium, it doesn't matter which sport is because you are not interested in the sport, you are interested in the people who goes to see that specific sport. If I went to a stadium about 10 times in my life (to see football) and I have this and others stories, I am sure that a person who goes to the stadium to each game of his favorite team must have many stories like this to write them, some of them funny and some sad, but that will keep you interested in the book.
Rating: 
Summary: What is Football?
Review: As soon as I read the first few pages of this book, I was absorbed in it. I felt as though the author is me. The difference between us is only that he is crazy about Arsenal but I'm crazy about Liverpool. Surely there are many football fans, but they only love and don't hate their favorite team. To them football may be pleasant. But to the author and to me football is a curse. Our daily life and feelings are ruled by it, and we want to get rid of it, but we can't do it. Please rescue us from this heaven!
Rating: 
Summary: You'd better LOVE BritishFootball (soccer) to like this book
Review: I think Nick Hornby is an excellent writer, but this book just didn't keep me interested like all his others. Probably because I don't know much at all about football (soccer) clubs in England. I imagine if you are an Arsenal fan, or any other club that plays them, then you'll love this book. If you don't know who Arsenal is, then you're going to be stuck reading a ton about people, games, statistics, etc. that mean nothing to you. Hornby is great at describing the male psyche, which has some appearances in this book, but they are few and far between.
Rating:
Summary: All Hail Highbury's Red and White!!
Review: This is a very funny and more than a little sad memoir about Hornby's life-long, love-hate obsession with London's Arsenal Football Club. For Anglophiles, the football culture is fun and fascinating to read about (and Hornby's personal observations on the disaster at Hillsbrough are moving). Hornby's writing is fast-paced and witty. And self-deprecating to the point of mockery. He knows he's sacrificed much more important things in life for the sake of a sport club that has rarely failed to disappoint him.
Rating:
Summary: Not for non-soccer-fans
Review: I bought this book hoping it would be an undiscovered gem by the writer who gave us About A Boy and High Fidelity. I am a late-middle-aged American with no particular interest in British football. The book is, at heart, an autobiography of Mr. Hornby as an obsessive football (soccer) fan growing up in the London area, and, in terms of word count, the emphasis is decidedly on "football" over "autobiography".
While there were nuggets of self-revelation, there was much more of cavilling over the performance minutiae of players in whom I have no interest. And not football players in general, but-primarily- players for Arsenal, which I presume to be based in or near London. Who cares? I was much more intrigued by Among the Thugs, which at least had some visceral violence.
Rating:
Summary: Read it in one sitting
Review: As an American who knows just a bit about FA football I had no problem diving right into the source of this fine work.
It's about the pain and struggle of being a professional sports fan.
Being a Cleveland sports fan I felt right at home with all of this, yet strangley detached.
Heck he can talk all he wants about having to deal with the frustrations of Arsenal - which have won quite a fair share of Cups throughout his musings - but I sit here as a sports fan near Cleveland, OH without any memories of winning any chanpionships. Last title was in the 60s by the Browns - pre Super Bowl.
That's pain Mr. Hornby.
The more I read the more I connected Hornby with that of an English version of a New York Yankee or Dodgers fan. Always, always crying poor mouth when there are clearly worse off franchises in the world.
Regardless, Mr. Hornby explains it all so well. But, if you really want to know how losing affects a soul check out Terry Pluto's writings on the Cleveland Indians. That's sad stuff.
Rating: 
Summary: We want Hornby, not spot-faced, albeit sensitive git
Review: Don't get me wrong, I love Hornby's writing and have since reading the short story that eventually became the movie 'About A Boy.' Yet, I've tried unsuccessfully now two times to get through this self-described autobiographical journal of an adolescent soccer football fan. I've really, really wanted to love this book, last month when I put it down only 2/3's through and three years ago when I put it down 1/2 the way through but I just can't.
I can't because: 1) A sports fanatic doesn't need to be told what being a sports fanatic is like and a non-sports fanatic wouldn't get it even if he could give a damnation. There is a fellow named Roger Angell who writes about baseball who can really make a non-fan interested in the game, so try him if you want to learn about sport. 2) This book really isn't at all about rooting for the home team, or even about the sport of soccer football. This is a book by and about a rather sensitive boy being brought up in 'metroland' by a divorced couple who finds that while he really cannot cope with his parents' separation he must because they are, afterall, separated. 3) Nick Hornby, while being an extraordinary talent when it comes to writing stories, is really not interesting as either a soccer football fan or a child.
If you really want to read about soccer football fandom find the effort by Salman Rushdie who conveys everything that Horny attempts in this book, only succeeds. Having said that, you are probably going to read this book anyway because you are, like I am, fond of Hornby's other books. I've tried to warn you.
Rating: 
Summary: On target
Review: A good book. I don't know how they found the one gunners fan who could write, but he does it well. If this book moves you towards liking Arsenal, try the Joe McGuinness book, Miracle of Castel di Sangro. Now if they could find a Man U. fan with a brain AND a pen, THAT would truly amazing.
Rating:
Summary: Fever Pitch is a Winner
Review: Insightful for those of us who are obsessive fans of anything or those like my wife who have to live with us! What makes this book a five-star read is that it is a fan's (or supporter) story, not a team's or a game's story. It's a series of reflections on how an individual connects with stars, other obsessives, family, critics, and the completely rational people that surround him. Hornby's writing is passionate, frank, and hillarious in that order - a great combination for any book.
Rating:
Summary: The New Testament of football obsession
Review: Have you ever had the shiver, cold sweat runnig down your back? A game 7 two out two on full count in the bottom of the tenth inning, a Super Bowl field goal attempt with only 3 seconds on the clock when the game is tied, the deciding free throw in overtime in the final game of the season?
Whoever is interested in sports remembers these moments most vividly and narrates with lifeblood from these - as they most often seem to us - history changing incidents. No matter which sport, no matter which team you cheer for, it is engraved in your heart as soccer is engraved in Nick Hornby's heart. He writes about Arsenal, a soccer team and much more than a soccer team. Arsenal becomes his wife, Arsenal supporters become his friends and Highbury Park becomes his second, actually his first home.
This autobiographical masterpiece does not only describe the passion, the obsession of soccer fans - and basically all sport fans - share and what fandom gives to them, it also allows soccer to become a metaphore of life. Never before has anyone described these feelings sports fans all over the world share so well.
This book cheers you up, reminds you of the worst losses you ever suffered, it gives you the impression that you are not alone and always provides you with most detailed information about soccer and sports as well as a philosophy and world view all sports fans have had in their subconscience as long as they can think of their first game winner.
A sports bible should contain this book and in what ever situation you are in life - the only constant is sports - you will find a psalm in it that will help you.
|
