Tag: Nick Hornby

Quote of the Day

Quote with a picture of Nick Hornby in 2009.

“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.” — Nick Hornby, High Fidelity

All About Fidelity

I have read the book, seen the movie and watched the TV series. You would be justified in thinking I am fan of High Fidelity and I was after my first reading of the novel. And I remained a fan after my first viewing of the film. However, when I revisited both seventeen years later, I lost my fandom. So why did I watch the series?

My desert-island, all-time, top five memorable split-ups stop at one: Francine. I could add the two wives, plus Sylvia and one of Bridget, Andrea, or Irene; however, there was little memorable in those split-ups, they were fade-outs (I expect, hope, that you are surprised that ex-ing wives is not memorable).

I don’t believe that curiosity should be the cause of the cat’s demise. I was curious. Curious to see how the story was adapted to the open-ended format. Curious to see how a female point-of-view changes the protagonist. Curious to see how the third iteration of the record shop was managing in a world where streaming is king. These alone would have been enough reason.

Even though my marriages went on longer in name than in spirit, I would not say they lasted too long.

My first marriage lasted four years beyond its sell-by date. The time was spent accepting that I wrong. Wrong to think that with enough effort I could revive a dead marriage. Wrong to believe that being a one-marriage type of guy was an end worthier than flourishing. The loss of my youthful idealism was the memorable part of ex-ing number one.

With age, my completism has become less obsessive. I can no longer say that I have read all of Nick Hornby‘s books. But the reason that I picked-up the novel applies to the series. In other words, I would have watched the series based on its summary. The book-movie-series grand slam is a bonus.

Marriage number two also had a painful realization. Visa requirements shotgunned the wedding and I made the circumstances acceptable by promising myself to pull the plug quickly if it wasn’t working out. I didn’t keep my promise and when my rational self woke-up the considerations included a daughter whose love the mother had promised to poison, the not strong enough case to obtain custody, and a conclusion that I was not in a rush because I have no plans for a number three. The Oscar’s should have a category for the best ten-year plus performance.

My number one reason for watching the show is music. I want to hear the soundtrack, discover the songs of the Top 5’s and listen to the trivia laden dialogue. I want to know how my dream world is furnished.

New-to-me did not show up. Not even when the series started to develop its own musical personality. I was, however, pleased when I heard two of my favourite Zamrock tracks. I was proud that I knew the music and their presence said I had gone fishing in a lake with fish in it.

I also had a lot of fun playing name-that-album during the scenes in the store. Owning the album is worth an extra two points.

But this is the fifth time I’m seeing Rob go recount the top 5 split-ups. The overthinking of relationships tires me. Maybe because I have long known that I am a self-centered asshole. Maybe I liked High Fidelity the first time around because I had yet to know that about myself then. Regardless, I have learned to compensate and I already deserve at least one Oscar.

Method acting—faking it with a risk of making it.