Juliet, Naked

By: Nick Hornby

Narrated by: Bill Irwin

Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

From the beloved New York Times best-selling author, a quintessential Nick Hornby tale of music, superfandom, and the truths and lies we tell ourselves about life and love.

Annie loves Duncan - or thinks she does. Duncan loves Annie, but then, all of a sudden, he doesn't. Duncan really loves Tucker Crowe, a reclusive Dylanish singer-songwriter who stopped making music 10 years ago. Annie stops loving Duncan, and starts getting her own life. In doing so, she initiates an e-mail correspondence with Tucker, and a connection is forged between two lonely people who are looking for more out of what they've got.

Tucker's been languishing (and he's unnervingly aware of it), living in rural Pennsylvania with what he sees as his one hope for redemption amid a life of emotional and artistic ruin - his young son, Jackson. But then there's also the new material he's about to release to the world: an acoustic, stripped-down version of his greatest album, Juliet - entitled, Juliet, Naked.

What happens when a washed-up musician looks for another chance? And miles away, a restless, childless woman looks for a change? Juliet, Naked is a powerfully engrossing, humblingly humorous novel about music, love, loneliness, and the struggle to live up to one's promise.

©2009 Nick Hornby (P)2009 Penguin

Critic reviews

"Charming... Nobody captures the zealous devotion and bizarre intensity of amateur music snobs better.” (The Washington Post)

“Hornby seems, as ever, fascinated by the power of music to guide the heart, and in this very funny, very charming novel, he makes you see it matters.” (The New York Times Book Review)

"Rich and perceptive." (The Wall Street Journal)

NIck Hornby was made for audio

What did you love best about Juliet, Naked?

The book was wonderfully sad and funny. the way each chapter ended with music really gave a great touch highly recommend! I'm binge listening all of Hornby's stories.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

both. It's beautifully sad and funny!

perfectly relatable two imperfect people

this is the third or fourth time I've read this book and I love it! Audio performances are brilliant! I seriously find a bit of myself and all three of the protagonist.

I can't...

**SPOILER**

She tricked him to get her pregnant. And he can't do anything about it. Annie was already pretentious and arrogant. Then she had the nerve to pull that on him? What a psychopath! I absolutely LOATHED Annie all the way through this piece. Even more so at the end. True crazed fan, not Duncan.

LOVED this

I didn't like the beginning. I almost quit listening because I disliked Duncan so. I'm glad I didn't quit. I will miss Tucker, Annie, and Jackson.

Ugh!

Bought this book because it was on sale and I read the great reviews. I tried to get into it twice and finally gave up. Boring beginning, uninteresting characters. I don't have the time to wait for it to get better. Save your money and your credits and skip this book.

Ehh...not his best

This is just not Hornby's best work. I did not feel any emotional attachment to the characters and at then end, was not so upset that it was over.

Worst Nick Hornby Book

I have read almost everything by Nick Hornby and I am a huge fan of his but this is by far the worst thing I have ever read/listend to by him and in recent memory.

The plot involves a washed out c-list rock musician, a superfan of the musician, and the superfan's girlfriend. The book lacks the humour, character, and cultural references of his other books.

The only real interesting thing I found is the use of wikipedia as a narrative device explaining the career of the fictional rock star.

The narration is fine. I hope Hornby's next book is an improvement on this one.

not for audio

This book did not translate to audio ,I could not follow ,too many plots etc
Very disappointed.