An Online Audience With Nick Hornby...And A Little More

I had planned to open this site with a review of a CD that I picked up in Caffe Nero last week (you'll see it soon enough). But this afternoon, thanks to the wonders of Twitter (when will the distractions of Social Networking ever cease?) and FilmClub UK, I got caught up in an online chat with Nick Hornby.

Hornby has always been among my favourite writers for one reason: he has a unique grasp of our generation - the 15 to 35 year old age group - that few of his rivals have been able to match. Think of a line, or a number of lines, from any of his books or film adaptations, and you'll see where I'm coming from. Like the opening line of "Fever Pitch" where he likens football to women, or Rob's self-depreciating, but very telling monologue on music and misery at the beginning of "High Fidelity". (Spoken by John Cusack, the words take on extra resonance.)

One can't escape the fact that his adaptations have aged marvellously, too. On its release more than a decade ago, I wrote that "High Fidelity" was "nothing to get excited about"*, whereas time and repeated viewings have since transformed it into one of my favourite films. It really is the quintessential Nick Hornby adaptation - it's understated, brilliantly executed and captures everything about its generation so skilfully. (Even more so than "About A Boy", which, for the record (groan!), I still highly enjoy to this day. Hugh Grant has never been better.)

When I asked Nick (through FilmClub) about why he believed "Hi-Fi" had endured like it did, he said: "It's a coming of age story, about making the most of what you've got. Also, people have an extremely intense relationship with music." I certainly can't argue with that.

Nor can I argue with his point about the disappearance of record stores from the high streets. He reminded me of the time I walked out of Derry's Virgin Megastore and found it had been renamed Zavvi. It turned out that was the beginning of the end for that particular store...

It was also interesting, enlightening and even amusing to hear his comments about novels ("Novels that are 'too internal' don't make great movies") how to be a writer ("You've got to write!") and, probably most of all, his belief in how inspirational watching a great film can be. ("Art promotes wit, heart and tolerance")

All in all, a highly enjoyable chat. I'll leave you with what's probably my favourite musical moment from a Hornby adaptation - John Cusack's Rob selling The Beta Band's music to his customers (and me) the only way he knows how:

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*Truth is, the Si of those days measured most comedies up against the American Pie's and 10 Things I Hate About You's of this world, neither of which have aged so well.