High Fidelity
(Nick Hornby)
Nick
Hornby made his name with the book Fever Pitch, a non-fiction
tale of his love of football in general and Arsenal in particular.
Hornby is also, however, a huge music-lover. With High Fidelity you
get the feeling that he could have treated us to the same diary-style
recount as in Fever Pitch (something he has actually come close to
doing since this novel with his book 31 Songs, basically
a list of his favourite songs and why he likes them). But High Fidelity
is something different, an entirely fictional account, with music
as its unsubtle backdrop, and quite simply a fntastic work of modern
novel-writing.
The
story is as basic and standard as they come, Rob has just split up
with his girlfriend, Laura. The book opens with Rob recounting his
top 5 most memorable split-ups, declaring triumphantly that Laura
isn't in the top 5, and might only just sneak into the top 10. Something
which, as becomes clear very early on, is a total lie.
Rob
runs his own music store in Camden, with two members of staff he can't
seem to shake off, and much of the background to what is going on
happens in this store, with music then necessarily playing an important
role. Almost as important as the top 5 lists that pepper the book.
It wasn't until reading this that I realised in my own little way
that I have a touch of Rob in me. Most guys probably do. Putting together
lists of favourite footballers, or favourite songs, or movies, or
actresses.
And
this is where this book succeeds so entirely. It's totally true. Everything,
but everything, you can see yourself doing. You can understand reactions
to events because you would react, or indeed have reacted, in exactly
the same way.
Startlingly
the book made a fantastic transition onto the film screen, surviving
the often traumatic transportation Stateside, but it is still the
book that is the true work of genius, and you must, absolutely must,
go out and buy this book if you haven't yet read it. A modern classic
and a contemporary reflection.
Resumos Relacionados
- High Fidelity
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