I don’t have the heart to tell my sons that the older one gets, the less funny literature becomes—and they would refuse to believe me if I tried to explain that some people don’t think jokes even belong in proper books. I won’t bother breaking the news that, if they remain readers, they will insist on depressing themselves for about a decade of their lives, in a concerted search of gravitas through literature.

Adaptations


Film
Several of Hornby's books have made the jump from page to screen. The novel about a neurotic record collector and his failed relationships was adapted into a 2000 film starring John Cusack and a Broadway musical in 2006. Their album Lonely Avenue was released in September 2010.

His books have sold more than 5 million copies worldwide as of 2009. His work frequently touches upon music sport and the aimless and obsessive natures of his protagonists. He is best known for the novels High Fidelity and About a Boy as well as for the football memoir Fever Pitch.