by Emma Challacombe

The build up to this book has got to be one of the most interesting for me. ‘The Observer’ took it on as a ploy earlier this year, asking 31 random people what there favourite life changing song was and why.

If you’re anything like me you’ll have loved Nick Hornby’s novels. ‘Fever Pitch’, ‘High Fidelity’ and ‘About a Boy’, recently released as a brilliant film. Nick Hornby has the ability as a writer to help women understand men and men understand women. Hornby once said in an interview:

‘I read a lot of books by women and identified with them much more because I lived a domestic life - and most of us do - and that really wasn't reflected in any of the books written by men’.

Through his characters a reader engages in an often tragic, but very realistic character. I think Rob from ‘High Fidelity’ is the all time character to show Hornby’s immense understanding of the human race.

Due to be released in March is Nick Hornby’s latest non-fiction novel ‘31 Songs’. This book is a musical criticism of Hornby’s thirty one favourite songs. Some of the songs were popular hits, some are just Nick’s favourites, and they hold memories for him alone. The novel encompasses singers from Van Morrison to Nelly Furtado, songs from ‘Thunder Road’ to ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’. Hornby also addresses different music styles, ‘guitar solos, singers whose teeth whistle and the sort of music you hear in the body shop’. In a recent interview Hornby said of his book:

‘I decided that I wanted to write a little book of essays about songs I loved ... Songs are what I listen to, almost to the exclusion of everything else. I don’t listen to classical music or jazz very often, and when people ask me what music I like, I find it very difficult to reply, because they usually want names of people, and I can only give them song titles.’

If, like me, you’re the kind of person who Nick describes, when asked your favourite song you can hum it but know no more. Then you’ll enjoy this personal insight into how Hornby views music, it is very easy to relate to.  Hornby dissects the songs he’s heard since writing for the ‘New Yorker’ about pop music, the songs he knew as a child, the song he heard in the Body Shop and the song he lost his virginity to.

Hornby discusses why we choose songs to listen to, from ‘our song’, the annoying slushy one that all couples have and the songs we get addicted to for months and then drop. The focus of Hornby’s writing is on how often a song is ‘searching for the right thing to say’.

It was a brilliant read for me, we all have our favourite songs and singers, each with there own special little reason. I am predicting this will be a fantastic read for all lovers of music.