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  • High Fidelity

  • By: Nick Hornby
  • Narrated by: Russell Tovey
  • Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (306 ratings)
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High Fidelity cover art

High Fidelity

By: Nick Hornby
Narrated by: Russell Tovey
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Summary

In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of High Fidelity by Nick Hornby, read by Russell Tovey.

Nick Hornby's first novel, an international best seller and instantly recognized by critics and readers alike as a classic, helps to explain men to women and men to men.

Rob is good on music: he owns a small record shop and has strong views on what's decent and what isn't. But he's much less good on relationships. In fact he's not at all sure that he wants to commit himself to anyone. So it's hardly surprising that his girlfriend decides that enough is enough.

©2005 Nick Hornby (P)2015 Penguin Audio

What listeners say about High Fidelity

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

High Fidelity Twenty (One) Years On

I own the paperback of this dating back to the mid 90s when it formed part of the "New Lad" zeitgeist. Although I have now read it at least twice, I thought that I'd give the audiobook version a whirl.

So, the plot: thirty something Rob Fleming, owner of an independent record Shop called 'Championship Vinyl' in Archway, North London, teaches a crunch point on his life when his live-in girlfriend, lawyer Laura leaves him. Cue, heartbreak, introspection and a whole load of 'top 5' lists in that typically male autistic way.

Russell Tovey is an appalling narrator; the worst I'd heard so far in my experience of Audible titles. He places pauses in the wrong places, his vocal cadence is all over the place and he's got a grating tone. I therefore will be avoiding all other titles narrated by him.

Warning: there's a fair amount of swearing in this book, more than I recall really. It's worth noting if you're playing the title out loud at home.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great Story full of nostalgia

The book itself is a time (less) classic but narration a bit flat and lifeless

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Terrible narrator

Love this story, one of my favourite books however the narration is terrible. What is with all the long pauses in the middle of sentences??

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6 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

terrible

boring story line and badly read. Kept hoping things would pick up and they didn't. Very disappointing.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Bliss

One of my all time favourite films (yes it's one on my list) and I feel quite ashamed that I have only just got round to the book. It was mesmerising, a treasure in my collection and one I will listen to again and again.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A modern classic

Really enjoyed this book, although I am a huge fan of the film, it's not often that a film is as good as the book, but in this case they are both brilliant. Nick really gets you deep into the psychosis of a/ 35yr old single man!

Russel Tovey does a great job narrating, even if he does sound like Jack Dee occasionally!

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Possibly my favourite novel of all time

I used to listen to the abridged version of this and it was read by Nigel Planer. It was the best narration of a book ever. Tovey is decent as a narrator and definitely grows into it. The first few minutes are oddly stilted. But it’s hard to hear a different voice reading it. The book itself is superb, definitely in my top five novels of the 90s. I’ve got the list written down somewhere …

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Great narrator

The narrator is excellent however the book wasn’t for me. Rob is completely unlikeable and is constantly whinging and feeling sorry for himself. It’s an excellently written story, and it is rather funny, but about halfway through I just found it to be a slog.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A joy to listen to

Not only did I love this book, I loved the narrators reading of it. His voice was perfectly suited to the book and the delivery was so full of character.
It’s one of those books that I’m not lucky enough to come across that often so thank you
More than worth a credit, loved it

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Best narrator

Russell Tovey captures the mood of the book and each of the characters perfectly. Thoroughly enjoyed this… was sorry when it ended !!

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