BOOK OF THE DAY: High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
"What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?"
We dedicate this review to our hardcore music lovers and pop culture junkies. Welcome Rob Flemming, a pop music fanatic who owns a record store in London. In his early 30’s, Rob sells pure vintage: vinyl. Laura his girlfriend just moved out and left him for the guy upstairs. For the first time in his life, Rob wishes for a sense of monogamy. Taking solace in his co-workers they often produce a variety of top five lists (e.g.,: top five films, favorite Cheers episodes, top five Elvis Costello songs, top five break-up songs and more.) A Smiths fan, Rob yearns to fall in love, but finds it difficult to transition into adulthood. Convinced he must be a jerk, Rob revisits former flames. Things change once he meets, another lady, but as fate would have it, Laura returns to his life. Oh the feels!
Witty and charming, not much happens in the novel, but Hornby develops a sense of authenticity and voyeurism. We truly enjoyed reading about romance from a male perspective in a market saturated with the female perception on love. Overall, anybody would be intrigued by a novel about pop music and love. We would be honored to compose a top five break-up song list with Rob! Let’s just say this, we found this to be one of the most relatable novels in the field of break-ups.
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