High Fidelity

I've recently had the opportunity/pleasure to introduce a good friend of mine to the world of Nick Hornby. We were having a discussion about men and their behaviour, especially in romantic circumstances, and I started quoting moments from the film. She had never seen the movie or read the book so I finally just lent her the DVD (which, so far she seems to enjoy) and am making the difficult decision as to whether or not to lend her the book if she asks for it (I don't part easily with my printed matter).

The most entertaining bit of the experience so far has been her exasperated astonishment regarding how clueless men are. Now, granted, the guys in High Fidelity aren't Joe Everyman, but they represent most of the people I know, have known, and myself. So, yeah, when she asks me, "Are men really that clueless" I have to say, "mm-hm". It's embarrasing to cop to it, but Rob, the main character of the book, is very much a part of me, as I'm confident he is a part of many, many individuals. We are that lost, angry, passionate, disillusioned, and messed up when it comes to the realm of women.

Watching the movie used to frustrate Jen because it reminded her too much of the qualities in me that drove her nuts. Kind of a Catch-22 situation for her because she likes the movie on other levels, so I get blamed for that, too.

I can live with that.

Anyway, I'm thrilled to be spreading the Nick Hornby love and am looking forward to see what she retaliates with. I know she's a big Ian Rankin fan, so it is very possible that she'll fling some D.I. Rebus my way. We'll see.

Later!

mike