My rating:
add to my books
Loading...
High Fidelity
by
Nick Hornby
In this funny, contemporary first novel, a young pop music junkie finds that his myriad diversions after the breakup with his longtime girlfriend are not as entertaining as he thought they would be.
Paperback, 323 pages
Published
October 4th 2005
by Riverhead Books
(first published January 1st 1995)
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
65,293)
I realize that I give far too many books a four or five star rating. So sue me.
Book buying isn't, you know, a quick thing for me. I browse, I choose, I read the blurbs inside, I deliberate, I read a chapter from ever book I've chosen.
In short, I only read things I'm really likely to like.
So, I will tell you right now, if there were a way to give [High Fidelity] six stars, I would.
Ostensibly it's a novel about pop music and love. But if that's wh...more
Book buying isn't, you know, a quick thing for me. I browse, I choose, I read the blurbs inside, I deliberate, I read a chapter from ever book I've chosen.
In short, I only read things I'm really likely to like.
So, I will tell you right now, if there were a way to give [High Fidelity] six stars, I would.
Ostensibly it's a novel about pop music and love. But if that's wh...more
view all 6 comments
Opening line: My desert -island, all time, top five most memorable split-ups, in chronological order:”
This is one of those modern classics on everyone’s “to read” list and while it wasn’t my first Nick Hornby book it is the one that everyone talks about so of course I went into this expecting to be awed. I guess I should mention that I haven’t seen the movie (what! I know) so I knew nothing about the storyline, not that that would have influenced me I just went into this blind.
...more
This is one of those modern classics on everyone’s “to read” list and while it wasn’t my first Nick Hornby book it is the one that everyone talks about so of course I went into this expecting to be awed. I guess I should mention that I haven’t seen the movie (what! I know) so I knew nothing about the storyline, not that that would have influenced me I just went into this blind.
...more
Jessica
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
the listers, the listed, the enlisted, the unlisted, the listless
Shelves:
leetle-boys
This is the only Nick Hornby book I've read, and it seemed like a good introduction to the genre I imagine must be called "dick lit." I read it on a plane to the West Coast, and it was the perfect thing: started at take-off, finished just before landing, this had the perfect proportions of light and engaging for 30,000 feet. Ultimately, I found it sort of silly and empty and I had a hard time choosing between two and three stars, but I thought I'd give it a break here, because even tho...more
Nick Hornby is da bomb! Seriously. He's funny, astute and while one might think they are reading a straight-forward, comedic tale, there are some fairly deep assessments going on within. Some moments made me laugh out loud and some moments, all too relatable, made my heart hurt. Also - Hornby's book totally made me have an awesome dream about John Cusack and that can never be a bad thing. Ever.
Nick Hornby writes about losers and makes them lovable. But not this time. I couldn't stand the self-pitying little git, his loser wanker record store buddies, nor their ridiculous fracking lists. Reading this book felt like being trapped in an elevator with the pathetic Scrubs douchebag (Zachy McWhinerson, or whatever his fracking name is) for an entire weekend. You know the type - the constant puppy need for the approval of every critter on the planet, all the time. It might seem like a charmi...more
Sath
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
compulsive list makers, jaded depressed individuals, and real human beings
High Fidelity is one of my Top 5 All-time favourite movies.
(And not only because it's a Cusack movie).
Strange then, that I didn't realise for a few years that it was based on a book, and embarassing that I didn't realise, 'til I picked it up, this year, that it was a British book. Shame on me.
Rob Flemming is a 30something Record store owner, whose life has hit a bit of a rut. He spends his working day (in a store which has very few customers), hanging out w...more
(And not only because it's a Cusack movie).
Strange then, that I didn't realise for a few years that it was based on a book, and embarassing that I didn't realise, 'til I picked it up, this year, that it was a British book. Shame on me.
Rob Flemming is a 30something Record store owner, whose life has hit a bit of a rut. He spends his working day (in a store which has very few customers), hanging out w...more
The first time I’ve encountered Nick Hornby was a few years ago in Berkley, California. I was in one of the many bookstores out there and his compilation of articles Housekeeping vs. Dirt had just come out. At that time I was working as a housekeeper and I thought this was one of fate sophisticated signs. Kismet. When I discovered he was the author behind one of my all time top five movies, it was all I needed to know.
So... High Fidelity is in the list Light but not (too) dumb, whic...more
So... High Fidelity is in the list Light but not (too) dumb, whic...more
Darga
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
girls i have dated/am dating/will date, guys doing the breakup dance
Shelves:
favorites,
how-to-be-human
"sex is about the only grown-up thing i know how to do; it's weird, then, that it's the only thing that can make me feel like a ten-year-old"
"so maybe what i said before, about how listening to too many records messes your life up... maybe there's something in it after all. david owen, he's married right? he's taken care of all that, and now he's a big-shot diplomat. the guy who came into the shop with the suit and the car keys, he's married too, and now he's, i ...more
"so maybe what i said before, about how listening to too many records messes your life up... maybe there's something in it after all. david owen, he's married right? he's taken care of all that, and now he's a big-shot diplomat. the guy who came into the shop with the suit and the car keys, he's married too, and now he's, i ...more
This book was a page turner for me. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. The book had it's funny parts. I especially enjoyed when the main character, Rob, recalls his five most memorable breakups and wonders what happened to them and why they left him. He makes this list when his most recent girlfriend, Laura leaves him.
Rob makes tons of list throughout the book...seems to be a little OCD in that department!
The book also contains many great quotes such as, "...more
Rob makes tons of list throughout the book...seems to be a little OCD in that department!
The book also contains many great quotes such as, "...more
Great at the beginning. Loses some steam in the middle. Crashes and burns in the end. This book is as tasty as a regular Wonka's Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight but don't expect any golden ticket inside.
Top Five Reasons to Read This Book:
1) Offers multiple opportunities to fall off your chair laughing.
2) Draws entirely convincing characters making stupid decisions and dealing with the repercussions.
3) Reminds you of all sorts of artists you must check out further.
4) Answers the "what if" questions of past relationships with horrifying clarity.
5) Satirizes but ultimately validates top-five lists.
1) Offers multiple opportunities to fall off your chair laughing.
2) Draws entirely convincing characters making stupid decisions and dealing with the repercussions.
3) Reminds you of all sorts of artists you must check out further.
4) Answers the "what if" questions of past relationships with horrifying clarity.
5) Satirizes but ultimately validates top-five lists.
Extraodinario y lleno de referencias musicales. Es tan bueno que puedes disfrutar como un enano aunque no te gusten ni el pop ni el rock. Aún así, si eres el típico melómano que ni siquiera sabe cuántos discos tiene, el disfrute está garantizado. Let's get it ooooooooon!
At first I gave it 4 stars, but who am I kidding, I read it as slowly as possible so that it wouldn't end! I loved it.
Núria
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
los inmaduros que hemos escuchado demasiada música pop
Mi libro generacional.
It's a three-minute single, and I'd had to take it off after about a minute and a half. I played "Holiday" by Madonna instead; I used modern stuff every now and again, at times of crisis, just like people who believe in homeopathy have to use conventional medicine sometimes, even though they disapprove of it.
Good, but not as good as About a Boy. This book is about a guy in his mid-30s whose girlfriend has just left him. It's funny but also a little irritating. The guy is st...more
Good, but not as good as About a Boy. This book is about a guy in his mid-30s whose girlfriend has just left him. It's funny but also a little irritating. The guy is st...more
Most engaging book I've read in a long, long time. Laughed out loud in a lot of places and it's probably been years since a book did that for me. Very quirky, but surprisingly poignant, too, full of great lines/scenes.
Some of my favorites:
"Every time I think I have got to the bottom, I find a new way to sink even lower, but I know that this is the worst, and that whatever happens to me from now on, however poor or stupid or single I get, these few minutes will remain...more
Some of my favorites:
"Every time I think I have got to the bottom, I find a new way to sink even lower, but I know that this is the worst, and that whatever happens to me from now on, however poor or stupid or single I get, these few minutes will remain...more
Rarely do I catch myself reading a book after I'd already seen the movie (mostly because I feel as if the movie TAKES something from the book while the book GIVES something to a movie, and thus the order should always be book first and movie second -- so that the book starts with the upper hand), but having enjoyed the movie so much I found myself craving more behind the story.
I wasn't disappointed. Biggest difference that I wasn't originally aware of was the location difference, whi...more
I wasn't disappointed. Biggest difference that I wasn't originally aware of was the location difference, whi...more
I can't believe nobody ever recommended this book to me. The lead character, Rob, IS ME. The way he thinks. The way he acts around women. The way he turns the task of making mix tapes (CD's) into an art. The way he (over)analyzes every mundane aspect of his life, work and relationships. I don't make top five lists or have such a crucial and pretentious relationship with music, but otherwise, "High Fidelity" nailed the neurotic male psyche better than anything else I've ever read....more
Nick Hornby's writings (About a boy, High fidelity, How to be good, A long way down etc) are classic takes on modern-day relationships that we often label as love, thereby casting useful insights into the minds of characters that any reader can instantly relate to. Well, not any reader. But if you -
1. Are living a life that's chaotic, boring and confusing all at once
2. Are facing dilemmas about love, sex, compatibility, fidelity etc.
3. Love your parents but can't live with them
...more
1. Are living a life that's chaotic, boring and confusing all at once
2. Are facing dilemmas about love, sex, compatibility, fidelity etc.
3. Love your parents but can't live with them
...more
Jim
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone who wants to be cool
Recommended to Jim by:
A librarian (spelled with a capital fabulous)
My librarian told me that I should read this, noting that all of the cool people had already read it, and I always, always do what my librarian tells me.
Now, finally, I am cool for the first time in my life.
Seriously, though, I loved this book. Hornby perfectly captures the self-obsession and cluelessness a lot of guys experience in relationships and life. He also conveys the feeling a lot of us get at some point during middle age, that "what the hell happened" ...more
Now, finally, I am cool for the first time in my life.
Seriously, though, I loved this book. Hornby perfectly captures the self-obsession and cluelessness a lot of guys experience in relationships and life. He also conveys the feeling a lot of us get at some point during middle age, that "what the hell happened" ...more
I had one of my friends tell me that he, under no circumstances, wanted any of his girl friends to read this book at the risk of us figuring out how guys like him think. I essentially took that as a challenge, and promptly picked up the book and began reading.
Rob's a thirtysomething sort-of single guy who owns a somewhat failing record shop. His now-ex girlfriend just moved out and he's struggling quite a bit, both with his store and his life in gemeral. While I was reading it, I ...more
Rob's a thirtysomething sort-of single guy who owns a somewhat failing record shop. His now-ex girlfriend just moved out and he's struggling quite a bit, both with his store and his life in gemeral. While I was reading it, I ...more
Martine
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
men who like music and women who want to understand how men really feel about women
If there is a more insightful and funnier look into the male psyche out there than High Fidelity, I have yet to find it. Nick Hornby's debut is as astute an analysis of male neurosis as Bridget Jones's Diary is of female neurosis. It's a masculine Bridget Jones, really, and should be compulsory reading for every woman who has ever wondered how men really feel about life, the universe and everything -- everything here meaning sex, relationships and all that.
High Fidelity is about Rob,...more
High Fidelity is about Rob,...more
This book is very poppy. The main character, Rob, is both lovable and a total wanker. The narrative takes you into the illogical logic of the mail mind and how it can obsess about minutiae.
here's brief sample of nick hornby's writing:
and it doesn't stop there. as a result of marie lassalle's cover version of "baby, i love your way" ("i know i'm not supposed to like that song, but i do," she says with a cheeky smile when she's finished), i find myse...more
here's brief sample of nick hornby's writing:
and it doesn't stop there. as a result of marie lassalle's cover version of "baby, i love your way" ("i know i'm not supposed to like that song, but i do," she says with a cheeky smile when she's finished), i find myse...more
Please note that I might be a little harsh in giving this two stars. Its just that I rate my books relative to recent ratings that I have given other books. I gave "A Widow For One Year" by John Irving 3 stars, and so I just can't give this book three stars.
Please also note that my rating could possibly have been influenced by my natural urge to be contrarian.
That said, I just didn't enjoy this book much at all. Rob Fleming is just so distasteful throughout t...more
Please also note that my rating could possibly have been influenced by my natural urge to be contrarian.
That said, I just didn't enjoy this book much at all. Rob Fleming is just so distasteful throughout t...more
Mike Lindgren
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
cynical romantics
Shelves:
fiction
No matter how avid a reader you are, if you’ve just been dumped, the first thing you need is not a book: that would be a quart of bourbon and Ryan Adams’s album Heartbreaker. That second item, at least, is one that would meet with the approval of Rob Fleming, the feckless protagonist and narrator of Nick Hornby’s first novel, High Fidelity. In the wake of dozens of subsequent single-person-alone-in-the-city knockoffs and the passable 2000 Stephen Frears/John Cusack film, it is sometimes difficul...more
Mariel
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
list makers
Recommended to Mariel by:
um... the movie?
Shelves:
muzak,
high-larious
I wish High Fidelity had been about the friends from the music shop. They were a lot funnier than... can't remember his name. Can I just say John Cusack? John Cusack used to wear band t-shirts in all his films (notably The Clash). This guy should have been wearing t-shirts to proclaim his taste to the world. It's been a while since I've read this but I think he was listening to stuff like Arab Strap (wow, haven't listened to them in like fifteen years) and The Pixies? Anyway, I don't think it wa...more
)
Ian Wood
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
any man who is struggling to understand himself, or any woman struggling to understand her man...
Shelves:
nick-hornby
Nick Hornbys first proper novel is an unassuming classic depicting twentieth century man as he is in male company and how he pretends not to be in female company. That he cannot be the same person shows us that something is wrong somewhere, but that the fault is in men or women cannot be examined as we’d only end up arguing about it.
Every possible failed relationship is examined in a top 5 of worst break up’s by the books hero and narrator Rob as he tries to make sense of his latest ...more
Every possible failed relationship is examined in a top 5 of worst break up’s by the books hero and narrator Rob as he tries to make sense of his latest ...more
Abby
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everybody
Shelves:
fiction,
book-turned-movie
Rob, a record store owner/screw-up, can't get over Laura, a girl he half-heartedly fell into a relationship with. His inability to cope with reality has led him to formulate "Top 5" lists of every single thing, the most trivial being music (and all the sub-genres within in) and the most appalling being the "Top 5 Break-Ups", which he uses to boast to Laura that she hasn't made it up there, therefore proving she has no real consequence.
Nick Hornby's talent is someh...more
Nick Hornby's talent is someh...more
The movie is one of my all-time favorites. I saw the movie first and feared it would influence my perception of the book. And while I can admit that the book took some unexpected turns as a result, I really enjoyed the book. I feel the author developed a great character in Rob and I often found myself being able to relate to how Rob was thinking/feeling. Not sure if that says a great deal about myself, but oh well :)
Everyone who thinks he or she glows with an inner cool thinks he or she understands this book in a way that is more savvy, more sophisticated, and yes, more awesome than anyone else. They are wrong. I, however, get it. Yep. Just try to argue with me.
I love this book because it understands something that all geeks understand: that the nerds, the dorks, the dweebs, the wimps and even the lowly geek is actually about a bazillion times cooler than the people conventionally thought of...more
I love this book because it understands something that all geeks understand: that the nerds, the dorks, the dweebs, the wimps and even the lowly geek is actually about a bazillion times cooler than the people conventionally thought of...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Readers Also Enjoyed
Nick Hornby is the author of the novels A Long Way Down, Slam, How to Be Good, High Fidelity, and About a Boy, and the memoir Fever Pitch. He is also the author of Songbook, a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle Award, Shakespeare Wrote for Money, and The Polysyllabic Spree, as well as the editor of the short-story collection Speaking with the Angel. He is a recipient of the American Aca...more
More about Nick Hornby...
Share This Book
6 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“People worry about kids playing with guns, and teenagers watching violent videos; we are scared that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands - literally thousands - of songs about broken hearts and rejection and pain and misery and loss.”
—
1,509 people liked it
“Sentimental music has this great way of taking you back somewhere at the same time that it takes you forward, so you feel nostagic and hopeful all at the same time.”
—
188 people liked it
More quotes…
