Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Fever Pitch
Book Review: Fabulous
Summary: 5 Stars
If you are in any way interested in British Football, Fever Pitch is a must read. Hornby describes the process of his physical, emotional, and intellectual growth in the context of his love for the game of football. The detail and anecdotes are entertaining. It was easy to wade through this work, and even though as a US Citizen my detail knowledge of the games, players and rivalries was minimal, simply being a fan of the game will keep you turning the pages.. As fate would have it, I read the book during a recent visit to the UK. While there, I had the opportunity to watch two football matches in different London pubs. The excitement was infectious and provided an added layer of enjoyment to Hornby's workBook Review: Fandom never had a better chronicler
Summary: 4 Stars
Nick Hornby is, by now, the master of the male confessional, an astute observer of what it is that makes modern men tick. In this, his first book, Hornby turned the lens on himself and his life-long obsession with soccor. While some might not be able to relate to the soccor-heavy lore, most everyone will be able to relate to the notion of obsessive fandom, and how it can define (and deny the progress of) a life.
Hornby structures the book around matches he attended, starting with a first memorable visit to Highbury in 1968. Here, an eleven-year-old Hornby finds the team that will become his obsession, and a crutch for the years to come: Arsenal. A previously great team that is down on its luck when he comes along, Hornby soon becomes a devoted watcher of even the team's worst defeats and draws. As the years wear on, and the matches fluctuate from utter despair to unrestrained joy, Hornby gives us a glimpse into why he loves this sport, and why he loves Arsenal in particular.
Like most Americans, however, I had trouble following some of the action described in the book. Hornby's soccor-heavy knowledge (and his assumption that you, the reader, will know who or what he's refering to) might be a bit off-putting, which is why I don't recommend this for soccor-hating folks. But if you're a fan of Hornby's writing, even the dullest aspects of soccor culture take on a grand magnificance in Hornby's prose.
All in all, I came away with the book with a deeper understanding of who Hornby is as a human being. Like all of us (particularly males), he is sports-obsessed, but then again any sort of obsession could be inserted and the book would still work. Be it pop music, the World Cup, or reading, Hornby is a praticed master at disecting and understanding the root of the neurosis. Hornby recognizes, like most fans, that he has a problem; like most fans, however, he wouldn't have it any other way.
Even if you despise soccor, "Fever Pitch" is a must if you enjoy sports and good writing. Nick Hornby may be a world-class writer, but he is also a world-class fan. With this book, he tells you why, and you can understand why. Hell, if you follow a team with half the devotion of Hornby, you'll feel right at home with "Fever Pitch"
Book Review: Fever Pitch
Summary: 5 Stars
My new favourite book. Well written and very amusing, it is The book about football, although I have given it to a friend who isn't into football and she enjoyed it enormously. Definitely a Must Read for football fans.Book Review: Fever Pitch
Summary: 4 Stars
As an Arsenal fan Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch is a must read. For Hornby fans looking for the usual material they will probably be let down. Fever Pitch is a diary of Arsenal Football Club (soccer for us Americans) games throughout his life. His recollection of all the games and scores is amazing and give the reader an idea of how extreme his obsession is with Arsenal.
In some ways this book helped my obsession with Arsenal as well. Horby also wrote the screenplay for the movie of the same title. It stars Colin Firth and is a little more accessible in terms of linear storytelling. Another movie is being made in the US with Jimmy Fallon, but it is based off of the Boston Red Sox. The best part of Fever Pitch is the classic Liverpool/Arsenal game in 1989; it will be difficult to transpose that into the Red Sox. I recommend the book to any sports fan and anyone that love the Gunners.
Book Review: Fever Pitch
Summary: 5 Stars
Great book. An excellent account of what it means to be a loyal fan or supporter.