Review by Amanda Hampson

Nick Hornby seems like one of the few authors you wouldn’t mind being stuck in a lift with – he’s witty, entertaining and spins a good yarn. Hornby’s latest offering takes us into the lives of Annie and her ne’er-do-well boyfriend, Duncan, in the British seaside town of Gooleness. 

Duncan’s world revolves around his obsession with the reclusive American musician, Tucker Crowe. A committed ‘Crowologist’ Duncan maintains an active fan site despite Tucker mysteriously not having released anything for twenty years. When, out of the blue, Crowe releases a reworked album, Duncan, in his excitement, loses all objectivity and raves about it. Annie, however is more critical and posts a negative review on Duncan’s site. Surprisingly, she gets an email response from Tucker himself, agreeing with her, and soon finds in him a kindred spirit.

The fact that Duncan a highly annoying chap who cheats on the long-suffering Annie, adds to our snide satisfaction that she is, unbeknown to him, conducting a long distance relationship with his idol. Tucker finally comes to England, lands up in hospital with a heart-attack and eventually finds his way to Gooleness where he meets Annie and, eventually, Duncan.

Hornby’s writing appears deceptively simple but he creates genuine characters and offers hilarious insights into the mindset of a particular breed of ‘loser’ male with fanatical obsessions. The humour springs from their humanity and often misplaced perceptions – plenty of snorts of recognition to be had here.

Amanda Hampson is the author of The Olive Sisters and Two for the Road and also runs fiction and memoir writing workshops:www.thewriteworkshops.com.