June 26, 2005 8:54 PM

High Fidelity is pretty entertaining. I have to say the choices for the actors in the movie were extremely appropriate; I can't imagine Barry as anyone other than Jack Black, nor a better Dick than Todd Louiso (Moby, perhaps? I could easily imagine that. But maybe that's too realistic). I'm kind of annoyed that I can't read the book without comparing it to the movie, but I suppose it's not really to the detriment of my reading.

I have to add, though, that the book is strangely, almost disconcertingly gratifying. I know Rob very well, which makes me feel both pleasant and perturbed that I could empathize so readily with a fictional character. It doesn't help that I comprehend most of his musical references (it was especially disconcerting that I resumed the book where Rob mentions his hatred for the Simple Minds right after I had listened to the Simple Minds). The characterization is spot-on; if you take away the "bloody"'s and replace the curry with pizza, you've practically met some of my friends. I'm not sure if I should be glad that they (and in part, I) have been so impeccably rendered in a popular novel, or feel vaguely frightened or threatened. There exists a temptation to defer to the book as authoritative in some personal way, like it will explain some at least some of my logic and behavior -- a very weird and uncomfortable idea. And I know I'm not the first nor only person to suggest such.