High Fidelity

After breaking up with Laura, Rob goes back to visit his "top-five breakups" in order to get some insight into his romantic life in Nick Hornby's wonderful novel. Rob has never quite grown up and his job as a record store owner lets him hang out with his friends and co-workers Dick and Barry as they discuss music and pop culture and compose endless top-five lists. Rob's quest to visit his exes is funny and cathartic but the record store scenes are really the novel's highlights. Hornby's book was Americanized brilliantly for the movie starring John Cusack and Jack Black. Rob is such a great character--a little immature, a little narcissistic, a little obsessed with music, a lot messed up but very lovable. In Hornby's world, it is not necessarily who we are, but what we like, that helps to determine compatibility. I think I'd get along with most Nick Hornby fans just fine.