We asked nick hornby novelist and screenwriter who wrote about his obsessive fandom of arsenal in fever pitch to assess the news that arsene wenger was leaving arsenal. Fever pitch is nick hornby s millioncopyselling, awardwinnning football classici fell in love with football as i was later to fall in love with women. Football fan surely love it but i think also people who arent should read it. Fever pitch is nick hornbys millioncopyselling, awardwinnning football classici fell in love with football as i was later to fall in love with women. He is also the author of fever pitch, a book on his life as a devoted supporter of arsenal football club, and has edited the collection of short stories speaking. Fever pitch by nick hornby meet your next favorite book.
With the end of the 199192 season, the format of football in england shifted seismically. Nick hornby, author of the bestselling soccer classic fever pitch, offers an insightful account of an extraordinary sports season. Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of fever pitch, by nick hornby, read by julian rhindtutt as a young boy, growing up in the home counties and watching his parents marriage fall apart, nick hornby had little sense of home. Journalist and bestselling novelist nick hornby is best known for his portraits of dysfunctional peter pans clueless postmodern males in various stages of arrested development who discover, often to their chagrin, that growing up is a process involving far more than the passage of time.
Notes on a football season by nick hornby nook book. June 15, 2005 the latest novel from bestselling english author nick hornby, a long way down, focuses on a group of suicidal people. People say my book sold football to the middle classes. Fever pitch is nick hornbys account of his life as a football fan. Apr 12, 2005 nick hornby has been a soccer fan since the moment he was conceived. I disagree fever pitch author nick hornby reflects on the ways in which he.
This collection is something for you if you followed english football between the years of 1970 1990s. Nicholas peter john hornby, popularly known as nick hornby, is a british essayist, novelist and movie screenplay writer. Thompson had been to the new journalism terence blacker, sunday times. Hornby published his first book in 1992, a collection of essays about american writers such as tobias wolff and ann beattie, titled contemporary american fiction. The book is a collection of memoirs by nick hornby, bringing together 24 years of his love affair with the arsenal football club. Nick hornby is the author of seven internationally bestselling novels funny girl, high fidelity, about a boy, how to be good, a long way down, slam and juliet, naked and several works of nonfiction including fever pitch, songbook and ten years in the tub. Oct 24, 2014 nick hornbys commute to work is a nineminute walk from his home, and his commute to the arsenal football stadium is eight minutes but, annoyingly, our seats are three or four minutes. Nick hornby biography, movie highlights and photos. Nick hornby is the author of the novels a long way down, slam, how to be good, high fidelity, and about a boy, and the memoir fever pitch.
I have known quite a few men like rob fleming, the central character of nick hornbys first novel. Fever pitch is nick hornbys millioncopyselling, awardwinnning football classic. As a young boy, growing up in the home counties and watching his parents marriage fall apart, nick hornby had little sense of home. Quotations by nick hornby, english writer, born april 17, 1957. Fever pitch is his tribute to a lifelong obsession. Aug 30, 2012 fever pitch is nick hornby s millioncopyselling, awardwinnning football classic a spanking 70 away win of a football book. Published march 1st 1998 by riverhead books first published 1992. Watch the animated teaser and listen to penguin uks extended audio interview with nick. Leaving selhurst park with his friend frog, they came on a palace fan whod had a heart attack lying grey on the pavement. The book takes us through a journey we so often travel as a fan. He is also the author of songbook, a finalist for a national book critics circle award, shakespeare wrote for money, housekeeping vs. It was the book that changed the way many people thought about sport. Ranking nick hornby s 12 bestworst books and movies. A good football book will hook you from the first chapter and take you on a journey of discovery and insight.
Nick hornby is an english writer, essayist, screenwriter and lyricist born on 17th april 1957 in surrey, england. Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of fever pitch, by nick hornby, read by julian rhindtutt. It has to get into the gritty details, not brushing over the harsh facts. Nick hornby has been a football fan since the moment he was conceived.
It has sold over a million copies and was later adapted into a feature film in 2000, a broadway musical in 2006 and a tv series in 2020. Trade softcover is 22 years old, actual copy is pictured, no stock images. Nick hornby was born in redhill, surrey, england, in 1957. Mar 03, 2012 fever pitch, ostensibly the story of one mans love affair with arsenal football club, launched the career of its author, nick hornby, now one of the countrys most popular writers, spawned a. His first book, a series of critical essays on american novelists, was published in 1992. Fever pitch is nick hornby s account of his life as a football fan. Fever pitch traces arsenals football journey from the time in 1968 a eleven year old nick hornby was taken to his first ever game at highbury by his father, through the double years of 7071, the frustrations of an eighteen year old barren spell, the dramatic high of the 1987 littlewoods cup final, the onceinalifetime occurrence on may 26. In the states, nick hornby is best know as the author of high fidelity and about a boy, two wickedly funny novels about being thirtysomething and going nowhere fast.
Arguably the book which reinvigorated the football writing genre, nick hornbys fever pitch is the wonderful story of a childs love affair with the game and. The fact that i read a book about football to the british, that is. Fever pitch author nick hornby reflects on the ways in which he, football and society itself have changed in the 20 years since his hit memoir. Nick hornby fever pitch arsenal uk football soccer fans. In britain he is revered for his status as a fanatical football writer sorry, fanatical soccer writer, owing to fever pitchwhich is both an autobiography and a footballing bible rolled into one. Nick hornby, british novelist, screenwriter, and essayist known for his sharply comedic, popculturedrenched depictions of dissatisfied adulthood as well as for his music and literary criticism. Yet, with the female narrator of his fourth book, how to be good, and his screenwriting partnership with emma thompson, he proved. Jan 11, 2012 a good football book will hook you from the first chapter and take you on a journey of discovery and insight. Hornby s second book, fever pitch, also published in 1992, is an autobiographical story detailing his fanatical support for arsenal football club. As the 20th anniversary of the publication of fever pitch nears, nick hornby. Nick hornbys commute to work is a nineminute walk from his home, and his commute to the arsenal football stadium is eight minutes but, annoyingly, our seats are three or four minutes. He has established himself as one of the most popular british authors, in a career that has spanned more than two decades. Alternatively it may interest you if you are a fan of nick hornby and read all his books already.
For many people watching football is mere entertainment, to some its more like a ritual. He discusses seminal football matches hes attended and their relationship to his life as a whole. Fever pitch is hornbys tribute to a lifelong, obsession soccer. With the advent of nick hornbys fever pitch in 1992, the public at large became aware that football writing and football books in general were not just restricted to football annuals or football autobiographies.
A fans life is a 1992 autobiographical essay by british author nick hornby. Fever pitch compares hornbys life at arsenal and other football clubs. Fever pitch author nick hornby says beautiful game has. When he was 15 years old, nick hornby saw his first dead body. Sequels are very rarely a good idea, and in any case, the success of the book changed my relationship with the club in some ways. Whether you are interested in football or not, this is tearsrunningdownyourface funny. In 2003, the novel was listed on the bbcs survey the big read. The greatest football books of all time bleacher report. I disagree fever pitch author nick hornby reflects on the ways in which he, football and society itself have changed in the. Fever pitch, ostensibly the story of one mans love affair with arsenal football club, launched the career of its author, nick hornby, now one of the countrys most popular writers, spawned a. Part autobiography, part comedy, part incisive analysis of insanity, hornbys awardwinning memoir captures the fever pitch of fandomits agony and ecstasy, its community, its defining role in thousands of young mens coming of age stories. Fever pitch 1992, an autobiographical book by british author nick hornby, explores hornbys life through his love for football soccer in america and with the arsenal football club in particular. In britain he is revered for his status as a fanatical football writer sorry, fanatical soccer writer, owing to fever pitch which is both an autobiography and a footballing.
His notable books included the novels high fidelity and. Fever pitch is nick hornbys millioncopyselling, awardwinnning football classic a spanking 70 away win of a football book. Greetings, you are bidding on fever pitch by nick hornby. Nicknamed by journalists as the maestro of the male confessional, author nick hornby initially gained popularity through the troubled male protagonists of his first three novels fever pitch, high fidelity, about a boy and their eventual film adaptations. He is also the author of songbook, a finalist for a national book critics circle award, shakespeare wrote for money, and the polysyllabic spree, as well as the editor of the shortstory collection. I am a football fan and a nick hornby fan so i was very curious to read this book. This site aims to provide an arena for football in its various. Fever pitch author nick hornby says beautiful game has lost. Nick hornby books list of books by author nick hornby. Fever pitch, first published in 1992, is a memoir and hornby s first book. Sequels are very rarely a good idea, and in any case, the success of the book changed my relationship with the club in. He has written screenplay adaptions of lynn barbers an education, nominated for an academy award, cheryl strayeds wild and.
It consists of several chapters in chronological order, from the time the author first became a football fan as a child until his early thirties. Nick hornbys new book state of the union out 57 is coming to sundancetv as a deliciously, essentially witty shortform series unlike any youve seen before. In the book, he talks about how his father took him to his first football i first discovered fever pitch when i first discovered nick hornby years back we read one of his novels for book club. Leeds united were the last football league division one champions and in 199293 the fa premier league was born, to change forever the soccer landscape in this country. It was just when memoirs were coming into fashion, about the same time as blake. I always combine on shipping, in order to qualify for combined shipping, all won auctions must be paid for at the same time on a single invoice, no exceptions. Whether writing about male obsessions or insecurity. Because when pete daviess book did well, publishers realised there was a literate football fan audience out there, and then nick hornby came and proved it with a vengeance in 1992. Fifteen years or so ago right around the time that my first book fever pitch was published the atmosphere in our football stadia began to change. His notable books included the novels high fidelity and about a boy and the autobiographical fever pitch. Notes from the reading life of a celebrated author locked in battle with football, family, and time itself, p. Arsene wenger had to leave arsenal says nick hornby espn fc.
Nick hornby tells moving, funny and insightful stories exploring how we live now. High fidelity is a novel by british author nick hornby first published in 1995. Football literature came of age and hasnt looked back since. Otherwise there is not that much for the rest of us to read. The biggest facebook fan page for nick hornby follow nick hornby directly at. First edition of nick hornbys debut book chronicling his support of his beloved arsenal football club, and in particular the long wait from the 197071 double season to the 198889 season when a dramatic victory at. Jul 11, 20 fever pitch traces arsenals football journey from the time in 1968 a eleven year old nick hornby was taken to his first ever game at highbury by his father, through the double years of 7071, the frustrations of an eighteen year old barren spell, the dramatic high of the 1987 littlewoods cup final, the onceinalifetime occurrence on may 26. His first authored book was an autobiographical story named fever pitch published in 1992. Nick hornby was born in 1957, and is the author of six novels, high fidelity, about a boy, how to be good, a long way down shortlisted for the whitbread awardslam and juliet, naked. A new kind of football writing developed passionate, disrespectful, selfmocking, yet steeped in personal bias. Concentrating on a number of significant games in british soccer during the 20112012 season, hornby chronicles the emotional, political, and societal highlights and woes that played out on the field.
Nick hornby is the author of the bestselling novels juliet, naked, and slam, a long way down, how to be good, high fidelity, and about a boy, and the memoir fever pitch. In book form, young writers such as nick hornby and pete davies became to the new football writing what tom wolfe and hunter s. Apr, 2020 nick hornby, british novelist, screenwriter, and essayist known for his sharply comedic, popculturedrenched depictions of dissatisfied adulthood as well as for his music and literary criticism. He went to maidenhead grammar school in maidenhead, where he grew up.
Nick hornby on his new novel, a long way down fresh air. This book is witty and clever, incredibly insightful about obsession and definitely worth a read. It tells the story of the authors relationship with football, and with arsenal football club in particular. Men who not only look for but find the meaning of life in a sleeve note or. Fever pitch author nick hornby says beautiful game has lost its way. Discover the bestselling books which chart the lives, loves and. I have known quite a few men like rob fleming, the central character of nick hornby s first novel. Like i have always been accused of taking the things i love football, of course, but also books and records much too seriously, and i do feel a kind of anger when i hear a bad record, or when someone is lukewarm about a book that means a. Nick hornby on his first novel in five years telegraph.
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