High Fidelity **1/2

By Nick Hornby.

Copyright 1995 by Nick Hornby.
Published by the Penguin Group.
323 pages.

This is one heck of a funny book and I enjoyed it immensely.  It does drag on a little in the middle though.  The main character, Rob gets a little too whiny, he even admits it at one point, and tiresome.

This book is about a guy Rob, who has just broken up with this girlfriend.  He's the owner of a record store and feels stuck where he is because he's 39 and he feels like he hasn't grown since his college days.  He restless and cranky.

The book starts out with a list  and a description of his 5 worst break - ups. His last break-up, which is the focus of this story is not included in his list.  Though he claims it's not one of the top five, he seems to take it pretty hard, because all he does is wring his hands with regret and indecision.  He goes to work everyday at his records store called Empire Records.  There  he encounters much banter and tom foolery with his two store clerks who are record snob geeks/ perpetual bachelors.  Much of the humor comes from these conversations.

I could really relate to this book as I myself am somewhat of a record snob (surprising in know but it's true).  One of the concepts that the book discusses is how these people tend to push their opinions on other people, especially girlfriends. Lord knows I've been there, but in defense of this practice, don't I, a confessed music geek, have to put up with what I consider a lot of garbage?  I think it is only fair that I get my 2 cents and get to hear some of my preferred and obscurer music?  Where ever one goes, you can hear the strains of some (sorry) really horrible music.  I think if I am forced to listen to that, people should have to put up with what I like once in a while.  One of my favorite quotes from the book: "I want him to show the rest of us that it is possible to maintain a relationship and have a large record collection."  That really struck a chord with me.  Discussions like these are the parts I really enjoyed about the book.  I could really relate.