Should I read High Fidelity?

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So. I'm male, have hang-ups about women despite being in a really good relationship, like music, blah.

I've deliberately avoided reading Hornby until now, for the same reasons I avoided reading Catcher in the Rye until I'd left my teens, but, over the last week, I've been getting pangs about wanting to read it. God knows why.

Would I be a better person if I didn't?

― Jim Robinson (Original Miscreant), Thursday, 27 November 2003 01:15 (twenty-two years ago)

It's an entertaining book, I say read it.

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 27 November 2003 01:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Read it already. I'm sure it won't tax your brain. Make up for it by reading a classic right afterwords.

― Dean Gulberry (deangulberry), Thursday, 27 November 2003 01:27 (twenty-two years ago)

its just a fockin book. whats your problem. If you doni't like it you can always shoot yourself in the head afterwards.

― Savin All My Love 4 u (Savin 4ll my (heart) 4u), Thursday, 27 November 2003 01:43 (twenty-two years ago)

i liked it years ago,but then i was a 14 year old rockist at the time
now hornby quite annoys me

― robin (robin), Thursday, 27 November 2003 01:59 (twenty-two years ago)

One of the few books I've ever read prior to viewing the film version. Each has its merits, but I think I still prefer the book.

Read it.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 27 November 2003 02:04 (twenty-two years ago)

jesus,talk about nu-ilm!
six posts into a hornby thread and everyone's had something good to say

― robin (robin), Thursday, 27 November 2003 02:10 (twenty-two years ago)

it's his best book, but that's not saying a whole heap

― the surface noise (electricsound), Thursday, 27 November 2003 02:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I like the book just fine--it's his later criticism I have a problem with.

― M Matos (M Matos), Thursday, 27 November 2003 02:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I rather liked the book and the film. I mean it's a novel about some sad-sack record store nerd, it's funny, it's a quick read (read it in one sitting during a slow work day a couple years ago). Sure why not.

― Gear! (Gear!), Thursday, 27 November 2003 02:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, it's cute. I liked it. But is it as cute as John Cusack? No.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Thursday, 27 November 2003 02:18 (twenty-two years ago)

shit--if you're reading ILM you don't need to read it...

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Thursday, 27 November 2003 02:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I liked it, and it was pretty OTM about certain record store nerds I've known, but the rest of the Hornby oeuvre kind of ruined it for me. After a while, I stopped seeing Rob as an amusingly self-absorbed caricature and started seeing him as the template for the uber-Hornby protagonist who shows up in every book (man who prizes posessions/interests over relationships ends up questioning his values, awww).

― Dave M. (rotten03), Thursday, 27 November 2003 02:38 (twenty-two years ago)

yep, give it a shot... it has it's moments.

― steve, Thursday, 27 November 2003 05:03 (twenty-two years ago)

it and fever pitch are the best things horby has done.

defo worth a read. and it won't take that long.

― gallantseagull, Thursday, 27 November 2003 05:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Well if you've got to choose between reading something and not reading it, whatever it may be, reading wins all the time.

― mentalist (mentalist), Thursday, 27 November 2003 05:55 (twenty-two years ago)

What Matos said

― Andy K (Andy K), Thursday, 27 November 2003 06:12 (twenty-two years ago)

it and fever pitch are the best things horby has done.
That doesn't say shit. I mean, Ice Ice Baby is the best thing Vanilla Ice has done. I think it's a really mediocre book. It makes the music fan look pathetic.

― nathalie (nathalie), Thursday, 27 November 2003 08:18 (twenty-two years ago)

well, you can't enjoy slagging it till you've read it.

― enrique (Enrique), Thursday, 27 November 2003 09:31 (twenty-two years ago)

just watch the movie, duejn

― qwwqwqqw, Thursday, 27 November 2003 10:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I turned the movie off after watching cusak outside zeta's house waving and going "Fuck you bitch" while she beds her new boyfriend.

Cliche city arizona, mate.

The book: All the people in the record shop are different parts of a record collector psyche (the trainspotter collector, the musical hedonistic dude, and the 'rounded indeividual').

Plus, the discussions between boyfriend and girlfriend only exist in the main guy's head.

'part from that, yeah its fine.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 27 November 2003 10:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Watch the movie if you want a thinly-disguised John Cusack romcom with indie bits in; read the book if you want a story about a selfish twat with shit music taste who you somehow like despite the fact that, really, he's still a tosser at the end of it.

― cis (cis), Thursday, 27 November 2003 10:27 (twenty-two years ago)

the book is a fun read and definitely better than the movie...

― Rudolf (Rudolf), Thursday, 27 November 2003 10:49 (twenty-two years ago)

The book's amazing.

I'm not so sure about the film, 'cos when I tried to watch it with my partner, she just kept giggling hysterically all the way through and pointing at the screen saying "it's you!".

Then she showed it to her daughter and she did the same.

Then she lent it to my parents and they did the same.

All of which is puzzling in the extreme because I don't think I look that much like John Cusack.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 27 November 2003 10:58 (twenty-two years ago)

I read it b/c someone I know who is a big musick phan said it was really good, and about "people like us", plus I worked in a record store (used) as well, right? I thought it fucking sux0r3d, I hated it. Nevertheless, you shd read it if you want to, I mean it's going to cost you what? a fiver, and it's only a couple of hours out of your life THAT YOU'LL NEVER GET BACK.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 27 November 2003 11:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm waiting for the Cliff Notes

― BHWA, Thursday, 27 November 2003 12:00 (twenty-two years ago)

The books ok, film's cringey shite...

I got dumped on Friday (after 2 years)and I've got to "move the records" out into the spare room tommorrow. Time for a reorganisation methinks? Will read the book again tonight to see if it makes me feel better :(

― flowersdie (flowersdie), Thursday, 27 November 2003 12:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Don't 'check out' old girlfriends. It's just like playing old mixtapes apparently...

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 27 November 2003 12:26 (twenty-two years ago)

The film's bettewr than the book in my opinion. Or at least, it's a softer blow. Cusack is redeemable, cool even, whereas the protagonist in the book comes accross as a middle class snob.

― laticsmon (laticsmon), Thursday, 27 November 2003 15:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I have never read it and I think that people who have are cunts.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 27 November 2003 15:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry about that, I don't know what came over me.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 27 November 2003 15:15 (twenty-two years ago)

What Matos said also

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 27 November 2003 15:18 (twenty-two years ago)

"I'm not so sure about the film, 'cos when I tried to watch it with my partner, she just kept giggling hysterically all the way through and pointing at the screen saying "it's you!"."

Same here. Also, Almost Famous (Patrick Fugit not Lester Bangs).

Seen the film a couple of times - found/find myself picking my nose waiting for the rubbish romance cliche bits to end, so i can hear them talk about Beta Band/"Bayta Band" and nod when Plush comes on.

My problem is that I kind of think I'll enjoy not reading it more tha reading it. I mean, when parents, relatives, colleagues etc start bringing it up as a reference point for who they think I/we am/are, then surely I'd prefer to say 'I've never read it'.

However, one of the aforementioned colleagues spent yesterday, his day off, going to his local library and getting it out for me. Its his favourite book, but only for 'the bits where he thinks about his girlfriend and stuff'.

So he's kinda made my decision for me.

― Jim Robinson (Original Miscreant), Thursday, 27 November 2003 22:28 (twenty-two years ago)

"Same here. Also, Almost Famous (Patrick Fugit not Lester Bangs)."

Yup, me too - must be some kind of damned conspiracy.

Let's just hope no-one decides to make a film of Lost In Music!

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 28 November 2003 12:43 (twenty-two years ago)

The Martin Newell story?

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 28 November 2003 12:45 (twenty-two years ago)

The damn thing was:

A few years ago I was going to write my old band story, (rehearse crazy, party crazy, arguments, shagging, etc ,one gig and splitup before any success happens) back in 1987 or so.

Then I thought "No one will want to read this..."

Then everyone else wrote the same book...

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 28 November 2003 12:48 (twenty-two years ago)

same here except not Cusack but fucking Jack Black.

― M Matos (M Matos), Friday, 28 November 2003 12:48 (twenty-two years ago)

"The Martin Newell story?"

Well, the Giles Smith story, yeah.

"The damn thing was:

A few years ago I was going to write my old band story, (rehearse crazy, party crazy, arguments, shagging, etc ,one gig and splitup before any success happens) back in 1987 or so.

Then I thought "No one will want to read this...""

Yup, me too.

"Then everyone else wrote the same book..."

Well, everyone except us two it seems, yes.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 28 November 2003 12:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Ever catch the Mark Radcliffe one?

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 28 November 2003 13:00 (twenty-two years ago)

No, any interesting variations on the usual theme?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 28 November 2003 13:04 (twenty-two years ago)

1) Its over a much longer time period
2) Eventual success / chart cd / Glasto/ wembley support to Blur
3) less shagging.
4) drumming for Skrewdriver (with caveats)

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 28 November 2003 13:08 (twenty-two years ago)

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