just realized how a certain person affects my life.....
do you know Nick Hornby?
if not you should - he is one of our greatest modern novelist. i am sure you know the movies that have been made from his novels - but only one really does his work justice.
anyhew
his new book SLAM comes out the day after my sons first birthday - 10/17/07.
i have been waiting forever for this to come out for many reasons but mostly cause this won't be his typical book. this is actually a book for young adults dealing with teenage pregnancy. i think it take brave people to write about the things society needs to deal with - but is usually to afraid to.
i just looked at the shelf on my desk and saw his latest book A Long Way Down sitting there and it got me to thinking how influential Hornby has been for me as a person and as a writer. they way he speaks to me in his novels, is exactly the way my brain thinks.
so i thought i would rank my top 5 fav. Hornby novels from my least favorite to my favorite.**NOTE** this list is reserved to his full length literary novels - non of his non-fiction collections from publications.
#5 - Fever Pitch - A wonderful book about Hornby's personal journey as a fan of a football club in the UK - the whole Boston Red Sox adaptation for film made me a little sick. If you are going to watch the movie - watch the UK version about the football club with Colin Firth.
#4 - A Long Way Down - Another masterpiece from Hornby. He touched on depression, suicide, angst and casual sex in a very humorous yet touching manner that i think anyone can relate to. I was drawn to the character JJ.
#3 - How To Be Good - A fantastic look at marriage, parenthood and the morals that surround them both. It is told from a female perspective and any male writer that successfully writes from a woman's vantage point obviously has talent. I think what made this book so important to me that I read it twice in a row and again a 3rd time when Rhys was on the way, was the character David - who is the female protagonists husband. Everything he said was slight and humorous but also very nervous and unsure. i totally connected.
#1b TIE - High Fidelity - I often feel like Rob Flemming the protagonist in the book. If I wasn't 17 when this book was released in 1995, I would have thought Hornby wrote it about me. Not only is this book a key part of my life but the film is as well. Hornby was very involved in the adaptation of his book and it shows in the film. I don't think there is a page in this book that doesn't have a statement or situation that i relate to and sigh or cry or both.
#1a TIE - About A Boy - Fuck if this isn't another book that I could switch roles with the lead character. This is a story about two boys one 12 and the other in his early 30's. I might as well change my name to Will Freeman. This is such a tragically honest story about loneliness and how when we least expect it, want it or even look for it - friendship, love and personal growth is only a footstep away. I am thinking of reading it tonight. Like Will I am a 30 year old boy - and like Will I think I am at a stage in my life where i realize i need to stop walking away from the footsteps and turn to face them and let the people taking them run into me.
---------
so yeah there you go a long ass post about an author and a man who i consider to be a personal contemporary. i think the reasons i relate to Horny are pretty simple
1) he is british and i have always wished i was from across the pond - i just like brits better.
2) music is crucial and vital to Hornbys life and he incorporates music in his work every chance he can - but it isn't shoehorned in - it is subtle and perfect.
okay i am going to shut up now - i don't even know who is still reading this. i just realized i have been writing this for the last 35 minutes. if you are still reading this - then you are special and i need you to be a part of my life. if you skimmed over most of it cause you thought it was boring - well i will still like you, but i think you know i will bore you with my passions.
if not you should - he is one of our greatest modern novelist. i am sure you know the movies that have been made from his novels - but only one really does his work justice.
anyhew
his new book SLAM comes out the day after my sons first birthday - 10/17/07.
i have been waiting forever for this to come out for many reasons but mostly cause this won't be his typical book. this is actually a book for young adults dealing with teenage pregnancy. i think it take brave people to write about the things society needs to deal with - but is usually to afraid to.
i just looked at the shelf on my desk and saw his latest book A Long Way Down sitting there and it got me to thinking how influential Hornby has been for me as a person and as a writer. they way he speaks to me in his novels, is exactly the way my brain thinks.
so i thought i would rank my top 5 fav. Hornby novels from my least favorite to my favorite.**NOTE** this list is reserved to his full length literary novels - non of his non-fiction collections from publications.
#5 - Fever Pitch - A wonderful book about Hornby's personal journey as a fan of a football club in the UK - the whole Boston Red Sox adaptation for film made me a little sick. If you are going to watch the movie - watch the UK version about the football club with Colin Firth.
#4 - A Long Way Down - Another masterpiece from Hornby. He touched on depression, suicide, angst and casual sex in a very humorous yet touching manner that i think anyone can relate to. I was drawn to the character JJ.
#3 - How To Be Good - A fantastic look at marriage, parenthood and the morals that surround them both. It is told from a female perspective and any male writer that successfully writes from a woman's vantage point obviously has talent. I think what made this book so important to me that I read it twice in a row and again a 3rd time when Rhys was on the way, was the character David - who is the female protagonists husband. Everything he said was slight and humorous but also very nervous and unsure. i totally connected.
#1b TIE - High Fidelity - I often feel like Rob Flemming the protagonist in the book. If I wasn't 17 when this book was released in 1995, I would have thought Hornby wrote it about me. Not only is this book a key part of my life but the film is as well. Hornby was very involved in the adaptation of his book and it shows in the film. I don't think there is a page in this book that doesn't have a statement or situation that i relate to and sigh or cry or both.
#1a TIE - About A Boy - Fuck if this isn't another book that I could switch roles with the lead character. This is a story about two boys one 12 and the other in his early 30's. I might as well change my name to Will Freeman. This is such a tragically honest story about loneliness and how when we least expect it, want it or even look for it - friendship, love and personal growth is only a footstep away. I am thinking of reading it tonight. Like Will I am a 30 year old boy - and like Will I think I am at a stage in my life where i realize i need to stop walking away from the footsteps and turn to face them and let the people taking them run into me.
---------
so yeah there you go a long ass post about an author and a man who i consider to be a personal contemporary. i think the reasons i relate to Horny are pretty simple
1) he is british and i have always wished i was from across the pond - i just like brits better.
2) music is crucial and vital to Hornbys life and he incorporates music in his work every chance he can - but it isn't shoehorned in - it is subtle and perfect.
okay i am going to shut up now - i don't even know who is still reading this. i just realized i have been writing this for the last 35 minutes. if you are still reading this - then you are special and i need you to be a part of my life. if you skimmed over most of it cause you thought it was boring - well i will still like you, but i think you know i will bore you with my passions.
posted by brandon at
8:42 PM
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