High Fidelity

by Nick Hornby · 1995

Rob Fleming is a thirty-five-year-old record shop owner in North London who is struggling to navigate life after his girlfriend, Laura, leaves him. A self-described pop music junkie, Rob copes with his heartbreak by obsessively organizing his record collection and creating lists of his top five most memorable breakups. Through his interactions with his offbeat employees at Championship Vinyl and his attempts to reconnect with past flames, Rob is forced to confront his deep-seated fear of commitment, his immature tendencies, and the patterns of behavior that have sabotaged his relationships. The novel is a wise and hilarious exploration of love, heartbreak, and the role music plays in shaping our emotional lives.