High Fidelity (1995)

If you're too vinyl records and classic pop music, this is definitely the book for you. Since that's not really my thing, I struggled a bit with this book, since it left me to simply rage at the characters. The narrator Rob is exactly the kind of male character I can't stand (especially in real life!): he runs through women with no consideration to commit to them, he's obsessed with music and very judgmental of those who don't meet his standards for "good taste", and manages a record store on the edge of bankruptcy. Seriously, I applauded his girlfriend Laura for leaving him and wanted to smack her when she went back to him. Maybe I'm sexist, but I'm very much over novels which romanticize the experience of under-employed men who can't seem to get their lives together. ( )

I couldn't honestly remember if I'd read this previously or just watched the film (probably the film, because John Cusack), but if I had, I must have conveniently forgotten how much of a pig the narrator is. I wouldn't willingly put myself through that again, I'm sure. He's not the vilest male creation I've encountered recently - I'm sure Rob and Michael from An Equal Music would get along famously - but not even the occasional humour and love of music can carry so much insufferable male ego. Poor Laura. Now I know why Funny Girl was so bad, I though Nick Hornby had just lost his touch. ( )

This book scared the shit out of me. Are all males this shallow? I laughed out loud, and learned a lot about the way men think - but, I'm not sure it was a good thing. ( )

Rob was kind of a jerk. Laura was kind of a jerk. At the same time, they were both somehow very endearing and human. This wasn't as funny as I thought it would be, but it was an enjoyable story. ( )

While the writing in this book was insanely cleaver, witty and quick, I found myself a bit bored with it. I would put it down, and then just not want to pick it back up. It really should have been a much quicker read than it turned out for me.

Overall, I think I might have had an issue about the concept of "settling" that seemed to propel Rob forward. Not that there's anything wrong with realizing that you're not getting any younger, but it's not really something I want to read about. I read to escape, not to drudge. ( )