Daily Archives: August 25, 2010

by Nick Hornby

Juliet

 

Nick Hornby writes some of the funniest dialogue ever, and his character analyses are always amusing.  But in Juliet, I think there’s an imbalance:  too much introspection, not enough dialogue and action.  Juliet tells the story of what transpires when a staid, middle-aged English couple meets (thanks to the Internet) a retired, reclusive American rock star.  That’s an intriguing setup, but not enough “happens” after that.  A character will do or say something, and Hornby will devote five pages to deconstructing that statement or action.   I kept saying to myself, “OK, OK.  Now can we move on with things?”  Still, although this isn’t my favorite Hornby (that would probably be About a Boy), there’s enough of his trademark wit on display to make it a worthwhile read.

 

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