One critic described this Nick Hornby novel as the book you would not want your girlfriend to read because it would give away all your secrets. While the quote is valid and painstakingly true, there is an endearing factor associated with the novel. For all its silly, pathetic rants about women and the toils of being, well, a bum, the novel presents the fundamental difference between the sexes when it comes to dating. As the novel progresses one cannot help but feel sympathic to a character that is so close to ourselves.

In High Fidelity, the narrator Rob Fleming is trying to cope with the absence of his long term girlfriend Laura. In his sadness he reflects on his social status, past relationships and the direction of his life. The book is a must read for anyone who has ever been unemployed, dumped and, essentially, unsure of their direction. While it doesn't provide answers to all problems associated with relationships, it does invoke a certain sense of reflection and begs to ask the question of how you yourself would handle one of the many situations Rob is dealing with?

`Despite making one question their past relationships, the book gives several other areas of thought and analysis. Such as, what are the greatest records of all time? The best Cheers episodes? The best songs to play at one's own funeral? The book contains so many referrences to pop culture and is relevent for any individual growing up in the 90s.