I can say that I am now an unabashed Nick Hornby fan. A fellow book lover pal of mine mailed me their copy of About a Boy which started me on my road to fandom. It was delightful, and I remembered enjoying the film of High Fidelity so I decided to read the book. Luckily, it had been a long while since I’ve seen the movie so I was able to still have th element of surprise. It. Was. Great.
Rob owns a record shop and leads a fairly uneventful life in England. He has two bumbling employes, a live-in long time girlfriend, and not much else going on. He’s coasted through life for the most part and though not terribly unhappy, his life hasn’t turned out the way he has wanted it to. He has enough ennui to be eligible for a quarter life crisis, if he could find enough motivation to care.
When he discovers that his girlfriend, Laura is ending this relationship and leaving him for another man, this starts a period of introspection and questions as to where it all went wrong. He’s fairly certain it can’t be his fault though, so he decides to revisit his old girlfriends to understand how he became the man he is today, and where it all went askew. It’s really more of an intellectual exercise and a way to pass the time, as he is simultaneously doing everything he can to avoid learning, or growing.
As a woman of a certain age, I relate to the push/pull of unrealized dreams and stagnancy. Hornby portrays relationships and men with a frankness and humor that is refreshing and will put a smile on your face. I only wish there was an author that did the same for women. If anyone knows of one, please let me know!!
Read “How to Be Good” by Hornby if you haven’t yet. It hasn’t been turned into a movie (yet) but it’s really a great book.