Rating: 
Summary: Slow beginning, terrible ending . . . but a great middle
Review: This book seemed to defy all others that I had read. The beginning was terribly slow, and I began to wonder why I should continue. But I slogged through and soon found the book to be humorous and quick-moving. Just when I thought I really liked the book, it ended. It wasn't a very satisfying ending - it was one of those endings where I flipped the page to see if there was more because it didn't seem like a good place to end a novel.The book is worth it for the middle parts. In my opinion, one of the funniest passages I have read in recent times involves the main character, a college drop-out, at a dinner party with a group of college-educated professionals. The other scene that made me laugh was the main character's afternoon out with his parents at the movies. Any single adult who has attended the movies with his or her parents and survived can relate to this scene. I also liked the summary of the four types of people in the world: "happily coupled, unhappily coupled, single, or desparate." That seems to say it all. With zingers like this, the middle of the book seemed to be a male version of "Bridget Jones' Diary." But then, of course, was the terrible ending that ruined a perfectly good middle. Hornby is a humorous writer who vividly and accurately depicts what it is like to be 30 and single. However, his other novel, "About a Boy," is a much better all-around story.
Rating: 
Summary: excellent
Review: This is one of the best books I¡¦ve ever read. I could hardly put it down. I thought the beginning especially had the hallmarks of genius. I look forward to reading the author¡¦s other works. I have no regrets about giving this 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: This book is funny, moving and beautifully written. I wish I hadn't read it yet, so I could enjoy it for the first time again. Wow!
Rating:
Summary: Simply Wonderfull
Review: I have a lot of nerve following Suzanne Finnamore (another GIFTED and WONDERFUL author) in reviewing Nick's book - but I wanted to add one more voice to the throngs who loved High Fidelity. Women; read it to find out the secrets that men don't reveal about themselves. When it was over I missed Rob, Barry, and Dick with real grief!
Rating:
Summary: It was grrrrreat
Review: One of the best books ever written. More important than the bibl
Rating:
Summary: Faster than a speeding bullet!
Review: The prose crackles and the dialogue rumbles about with ruthless honesty and an intense sense of humor. From the very start the reader is taken into the mind of modern man and any other portrayal seems hollow in comparison. A comprensive and better written Cosmopolitan about men. In short, read this or miss the boat.
Rating: 
Summary: One of my top five ... of the year
Review: I confess. I went through all the reviews that really hated this book (three stars or fewer). The consensus among those readers seems to be that they hate reading books about people they don't like. (???) There was also the criticism of alleged plotlessness. This is NOT a mystery novel or some 19th century plot-driven doorstop. This book follows Rob Fleming from the day that he gets dumped by his live-in girlfriend through his reactions to their break-up and into their reunion. It seems like a plot to me. One also puts down the book at the end believing that Rob has actually learned something from everything that has happened to him in the book. The fact that his attitude toward mix tape making ends up being the symbol of his incremental maturation is delightful. I'm jealous of any man who doesn't identify with Rob. I'm afraid of any woman who thinks that Laura's post-reconciliation behavior is OK. I suppose that this is not a particularly deep book because its not about anything particularly universal. I'd be surprised if anybody other than under-40 middle class people from North European and North American industrial societies has any idea what Hornby is going on about most of the time. But the insights into the lives of that particular group of people are sharp, plentiful and, most importantly, leave you feeling part of something bigger than yourself. Phew.
Rating:
Summary: Laugh-out-loud funny!
Review: Recently dumped myself, I frequently sympathized with Rob. He's an expert at alternating melancholy with brief spurts of happiness and I couldn't help but feel for him. As funny as it was, I hope I never have to experience a one-night stand in the same way Rob did with Marie. And the scene at the funeral of his ex's father was incredibly unbelievable and touching. If you have a sense of humor or enjoy pop culture in any form, you must buy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Funny, pithy look at life
Review: The novel starts with some absolutely delightful descriptions of young love. The author captures the pain and delight of innocence with wit and humor and insight. Unfortunately, the main character survives into adulthood without maturing very much. We are supposed to believe that in his mid 30's he is finally starting to grow up, but the character does little that might be called admirable. Sometimes I sympathized with him, but often he's just tripping over himself and then whining about it later, and there just isn't much of a plot. However, it's worth reading just for that first section. The author hints at the very beginning that it will be a bitter book, and indeed it turns out to be that more than anything else. I suspect that there were one or more "Lauras" in the author's life and that the story line hugs the road a bit too closely. Some funny scenes and aside from the lack of a plot and the absence of any admirable characters, it's well written.
Rating:
Summary: Rob's psyche nearly mirrors my own!
Review: Hornby's book was a wonderful look into my own mind. I'm sure many people could relate to Rob and his problems with the opposite sex. Hornby captured the experience very neatly and completely. "We're all cynics and romantics, sometimes simultaneosly...."
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