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High Fidelity | 
 enlarge | Author: Nick Hornby
Publisher: Riverhead Trade
Category: Book
List Price: $14.00
Buy Used: $0.01
You Save: $13.99 (100%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  502 reviews
Sales Rank: 86688
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.1 x 1.2
ISBN: 1573225517
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9781573225519
ASIN: 1573225517
Publication Date: August 1, 1996
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Condition: Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More.
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Amazon.com
It has been said often enough that baby boomers are a television generation, but the very funny novel High Fidelity reminds that in a way they are the record-album generation as well. This funny novel is obsessed with music; Hornby's narrator is an early-thirtysomething English guy who runs a London record store. He sells albums recorded the old-fashioned way--on vinyl--and is having a tough time making other transitions as well, specifically adulthood. The book is in one sense a love story, both sweet and interesting; most entertaining, though, are the hilarious arguments over arcane matters of pop music.
Book Description
Rob is a pop music junkie who runs his own semi-failing record store. His girlfriend, Laura, has just left him and he's both miserable and relieved. After all, he could have spent his life with someone who has a bad record collection. Rob seeks refuge in the company of Barry and Dick, the offbeat clerks at his store who endlessly review their top five films, top five Elvis Costello songs, and top five episodes of Cheers. Rob tries dating a singer called Marie. Maybe its just that he's always wanted to sleep with someone who has a record contract. But then he sees Laura again. And Rob begins to think that a life as an episode of Thirty-something might not be so bad. "...as funny, compulsive and contemporary a first novel as you could wish for" (GQ)
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| Customer Reviews: Read 497 more reviews...
 Good music, good writing July 30, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Nick Hornby writes a winning novel about three young slackers. He pokes gentle fun at them as they navigate the bewildering puzzles of romance and life. This is one of Hornby's earlier books, and his tone is not as polished as it will become. Still, he offers up his hilarious take on male-female relationships, and the vicissitudes of a young man's heart. This may not be Hornby at his best, but it is still very enjoyable.
The three record store guys are forever making lists of their top songs, I succumbed to the temptation, and eventually made a list of the songs mentioned in the book that the characters love or despise. You can find most of them on youtube in the form of videos. I mostly agreed with their tastes. It was a lot of fun to indulge in this walk down memory lane. It was also sobering to see how old these songs really were.
This may be a unique instance where I liked the movie more than the book. Of course, I saw the movie years ago, when I was closer in age to the characters. It may not live up to my memories if I view it now. Nevertheless, it is a book I can recommend to those of a certain age, who remember their local record store with fondness.
 High Fidelity July 8, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby *****
High Fidelity follows the story of Rob. A thirtysomething who owns a failing record shop (Championship Vinyl) and is in the middle of a failing relationship with Laura, who he is having trouble excepting that he loves and wants to spend the rest of his life with.
Rob is on the journey of acceptance and a journey to find himself (yes at thirty something years old he still does not fully know who and what he is or wants to be) and along that journey we encounter an ignored genius American folk musician who Rob falls for. The Musical Moron Twins who help Rob run his failing shop, Liz, a mutual friend between Laura and Rob. But most importantly Ian, the man next door who is a wedge and blessing to their relationship at the same time.
Told through top five musical and movie lists and in a insightful and original tone. High Fidelity is Hornby's crowning achievement as an author and one that should be read by any fan of a great read.
Worst book ever written! May 30, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
The title holds true if you hate all things related to music & comedic insight into how relationships are supposed to work.
If you're the opposite, do the equivalent of pressing "play" in literary fashion.
Thomas
Like a woman trapped in a man's body April 16, 2008
but not in the gross sense of the word. For all the "chick lit" books out there, this novel really gives insight into what men think of when dealing with relationships. There is so much going on in there; all his insecurities and all the details he remembers about each girl or each situation. Who says men don't remember? The movie captures the endless questioning and inner struggle perfectly, never mind that John Cusack was the perfect person to play the main charecter "Rob", given Cusack's film history of getting dumped and never getting the girl, etc.
This book is a must read for anyone, man or woman, who would like to comically explore the ins and outs of other people's relationships.
straight out of my head March 11, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
while i was reading this i kept finding my self saying this is being pulled straight from my head! very witty real and hysterical, the only thing holding it back from a 5 star is the fact that its too british but still a classic
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