What do we think of Nick Hornby?

[Pruners]

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I didn't like How to be good but loved Hi Fidelity, and the footie one, can't remember the name. That was a great insight into the workings of a mans mind.

I quite liked it. The one I really really liked - and was surprised by liking - was that one about the bloke with the broken heart, you know, the one that had John Cusack in the fillum.

He went into my mates record shop.

My mate said to him

'If I had a pound for every time someone asked me if I had read fever pitch, I would be a rich as you are'

NH replied 'No you wouldn't'

They have been mates ever since

HIGH FIDELITY not fever pitch

I like Nick Hornby and am surprised by your comment Pruners that it's not great literature. Beats Barbara Cartland et al!
Now Tony Parsons, he IS cringeworthy, and that's my definition of not great literature.

love love love

love high fidelity and how to be good - so-so fever pitch.

nice man too.

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agree elastic - no tony parsons please.

I would describe it as good quality modern fiction - easy to read but that's not a bad thing.

I feel like I ought not to like his books. But I do! Would rather pollute my brain with gentle, well-observed blokey humour than Dan Brown!

whih ones did parsons write?

had sex (I mean a drink) with hornby at bookslam once

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really Beetroot, how interesting

I know

he was even better than that jonathan coe

Really Beetroot ??? How interesting !!! (better?)

I quite like Nick Hornby although have had his latest (at least I think its his latest but its sat there for so long it might not be) on my bookshelf and it hasn't leapt off the shelf at me to read. I think its called 'Long Way Down'. Is it any good ?

I think he needs shooting for writing crap when he should know better and could do better

I loved "High Fidelity" but didn't like any of the others (and gave up on "Fever Pitch" without finishing it). Tony Parsons - vomit emoticon - can't stand him.

I think the whole list thing appealed to me in "High Fidelity" - have had many drink- fuelled "Top 10 Smiths Songs" etc moments!

Truly not saying this to be controversial - he's the Enid Blyton of the Adult Fiction world - successful but abominable

sorry should have ended my first sentence with a or or something to make it seem less sarcastic (which it wasn't meant to be)... digs self in even further ... and panics at causing more offence...

I love About a Boy - bits of it made me ROFL.

The others are OK but that one is the best.

(IMHO obv)

I thought "How To be Good" was fine to begin with - even if I wasn't quite convinced by the female narrator - then about two-thirds of the way through when the "big idea" is mooted I felt it started to go seriously downhill.

Enjoyed "About A Boy", "High Fidelity" and "A Long Way Down", as well as his book of articles, "The Polysyllabic Spree".