High Fidelity. London: Victor Gollancz, 1995.

NICK HORNBY (b.1957)
High Fidelity. London: Victor Gollancz, 1995.
First edition of the author’s debut novel, annotated with a total of 724 words across 29 pages. High Fidelity follows Rob Fleming, the owner of a failing record store who is facing an existential crisis after a series of unsuccessful relationships. It was adapted into a feature film in 2000, a Broadway musical in 2006 and a TV series in 2020. Hornby’s commentary frequently refers to his great passion for pop music – recalling details of concerts and bands – and to episodes in his life that directly inspired elements of the novel, such as names inspired by students from his time as a secondary school English teacher. His annotations are often very funny, such as when he discusses issues with the novel’s various translations and the process of British references being adapted for American readers, or when he suggests that a particular line is ‘the closest I have come to producing A Quote.’ Yet he also offers insights of a personal and poignant nature on more serious subject matter: ‘since I wrote this page, just about everyone I know has lost at least one parent. I know more about it all now, sadly’.

Octavo. Original blue boards, gold lettering to the spine, pictorial dust jacket.

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