When the Wall fell, popular culture rose to a new level of social relevance. Wind of Change? More like a tsunami! The Nineties washed over the increasingly globalized media landscape in a tidal wave of catchy tunes, cult movies, TV series and show stars. FACES rolls up the decade – and publishes an encyclopaedia on the age of grunge, girl groups, GZSZ and – Nick Hornby.
In the distant past, when people could neither instagram nor netflix and could barely send emails, they killed the rainy days on the sofa with… books. Made of paper! And from the pen of a football-mad music nerd.
On the football pitch, they call it a hat-trick: when “Fever Pitch”, “High Fidelity” and “About a Boy” were published in German at short intervals, the Hornby hype (which spilled over into the cinema after the turn of the millennium) was rampant in continental Europe. The English originals nota bene were published every three years from 1992 and crowned the bald man as the pop-literary head of the United Kingdom. And he actually deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to gender understanding.
Although his primary themes (football, women) suggest the opposite: Hornby’s sensitive writing lacks any hint of machismo. The tenderness with which the now 63-year-old explains his passion for Arsenal London makes “Fever Pitch” probably the most feminine men’s book of all time, and also provides proof that alongside bomber jacket gorillas in the fan stands, there are definitely guys with heart and feelings. Just as “High Fidelty” reveals that record neurotics also have feelings that go beyond chicken skin during guitar solos.
Records my ass: Hornby, who has an autistic son, now writes music criticism for the New York Times. Still a topshot, he takes unknown rock bands on reading tours. And smuggles herself inconspicuously into the audience during her performance.
