Review: High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

Review of the book “High Fidelity” by Nick Hornby.

High Fidelity is a 1995 novel by Nick Hornby that tells the story of Rob Fleming, a thirty-something owner of a vinyl record shop in North London. The plot focuses on his love, professional and personal life, as he reflects on music, love and human relationships.

What do music, love and maturity have in common? This is the question posed by Nick Hornby in his novel High Fidelity, published in 1995 and adapted into a film in 2000 by Stephen Frears, starring John Cusack. The novel was also adapted into a Broadway musical in 2006 and a television series in 2020, with Zoë Kravitz as the female version of the main character.

High Fidelity tells the story of Rob Fleming, a man of almost 36 years old who owns a vintage record shop in London, where he only sells vinyl to a select and demanding public. Rob is passionate about pop music, which he uses as a refuge and as a form of expression. Together with his two employees and friends, Dick and Barry, he makes lists of the best albums, songs, films and books of all time, according to his personal tastes and criteria.

Rob has a problem: his girlfriend Laura has left him for another man, his upstairs neighbour, whom Rob hates. Rob doesn’t understand why Laura has left him, if their relationship was perfect. Or at least that’s what he thinks, and he refuses to accept that perhaps his problem is his inability to mature and commit to anything more than his record collection.

To get over the breakup, Rob decides to contact his old girlfriends to find out what went wrong in each case. He discovers that most of them remember him as selfish, immature or a coward. Rob realizes that he may have to change something in his life, but he doesn’t know how to do it.

Meanwhile, he meets Marie, an American singer who he is physically attracted to, but with whom he has nothing in common. Rob tries to date her, but soon realizes that he has no feelings for her. What he really wants is to get Laura back, but he doesn’t know if she will want to get back with him.

High Fidelity is a funny and endearing novel that portrays with humour and irony the existential crises of a man who refuses to grow up. Hornby uses music as the main thread of the plot and as a metaphor for the emotions of the characters. The novel is full of musical references, from rock classics to the most current bands, including soul, punk and hip hop.

The novel also reflects on love, fidelity, family and friendship. Hornby shows us the doubts, fears and desires of Rob and the other characters, who are as human and real as we are. High Fidelity is a novel that makes us laugh and think at the same time, that invites us to remember our own sentimental and musical history.

If you like music and love stories with a touch of intelligent humour, don’t miss High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. A novel that will make you enjoy and get excited about the adventures and misadventures of Rob Fleming, a man who seeks his place in the world through music.

The novel is narrated in the first person, and Hornby manages to create a main character who is both sympathetic and frustrating. Rob is a man who resists maturing, insecure and selfish, who has had a series of failed relationships and seems unable to find his place in the world. Throughout the story, Rob reflects on his past relationships, trying to understand why they have failed and whether he will ever find happiness.

One of the most striking features of High Fidelity is its love of music and pop culture, and how music shapes and reflects the lives of its characters. Hornby uses references to music to establish emotional connections between his characters, and also to convey the sense of belonging and community that is found around music.

The novel also presents a very realistic view of human relationships, showing the ups and downs, challenges and complexities that come with relationships. Hornby’s writing is witty and insightful, and her dialogue style is snappy and natural, making the characters come alive in the reader’s mind.

In summary, High Fidelity is a funny, emotional and deeply thoughtful novel about love, music and human relationships. Nick Hornby creates a rich and detailed world in which the characters come to life thanks to his witty and insightful writing. It is a work that will captivate music lovers and all those who have experienced love and its ups and downs.