Slam

I really like Nick Hornby's writing style. It's mainly the lead character's point of view on the events going on around him as he voices his opinion of what's going on. Hey, it works.

Sam Jones is normal British teen who likes to skateboard. Well, apart from the fact his mother had him when she was a teenager herself. And history is repeating itself when Sam's girlfriend Alicia Burns finds herself pregnant.

Sam reminded me of High Fidelity's Rob since both are slightly clueless when it comes to women. But apart from that, Sam is a very original character. You really sympathize for him when he's going through hell. Being the same age as Sam and Alicia, I can pretty much see how a situation like that can cause so much stress. So of course I liked the book.

My Rating: ****

BOOK VS MOVIE: High Fidelity

When an adaptation of a book comes to theaters, it's really rare to have it true to the book. Some miss the mark (The Shining), while some manage to hit it dead-on (Rosemary's Baby). If you're wondering where High Fidelity falls in, it's the latter.

After his girlfriend Laura breaks up with him, Rob examines five past relationships to see what went wrong. He also talks about his love of music, since he owns a record store.

I appreciate the fact that Stephen Frears has his movie stay mostly true to Nick Hornby's book (mostly true because the movie's set in Chicago; the book's set in England). Along with that, both are well worthwhile.

What's worth checking out?: I'd go with both.