- Paperback: 156 pages
- Publisher: Parthian Books; illustrated edition edition (1 Oct 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1902638522
- ISBN-13: 978-1902638522
- Product Dimensions: 21.2 x 13.8 x 1.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 445,604 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
High Fidelity for post-student women coming to terms with their men and their bands A quirky battle of the senses for Ally, narrator with attitude and an unfortunate crush on the lead singer of Mr Big Homage in prose to the ultimate seventies band Free The Novel opens as the train door closes and Ally's day-long journey from Aberystwyth to Felixstowe begins. The narration moves from present to past as Ally remembers details of her thirteen-year stay in Aberystwyth. She arrived as a student to read English and now thirteen years later, she is leaving for the last time. "So what do you do? I'm in a band. Your Jonny's in a band. Everyone I ever see you with is in a band...Do you play anything?" "I drank some of my snakebite to buy myself time. Reaching the bottom of the glass, I plumped for Pamela Morrison's preferred job description. It hadn't done her any harm, unless you counted her heroin-related death a few years after Jim's." "I'm the ornament."
About the Author
Hayley Long is a dedicated vinyl collector. She was born in Ipswich, studied bands and men in Aberystwyth. She lives in Cardiff.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was given this book to review with the line "it's similar to Hornby's High Fidelity" I was sceptical, as a die hard Hornby fan I didn't think I would like it. On reading I was delighted to find that it was really good in its own right. There were similarities to High Fidelity (it is a story about a girl who loves music) but Long takes a tried and tested idea makes it her own. With other music based books the tendency is to write to people who love the music such as 'High Fidelity' or 'Cool For Cats'. Fire and water doesn't assume musical knowledge, you could be (heaven forbid) a Westlife fan and still really enjoy this book.
Long has a wonderful way of describing people and the characters are dynamic and easy to relate to. What makes it even better is the simplicity of the story meaning Long concentrates more on description and looking at the emotional side of her characters. Too many modern books feel the need to shock or sicken the reader by talking about morbid subjects of death or drugs, Long doesn't do this meaning her book is more 'real'.
This is one of those books that has the power to make you laugh on one page and cry on the next. I would advise you to read alone as I got some worried looks when I started giggling outside the Bute building. Also as you do get involved with the characters you wont want to put it down so set aside a few hours.
If you are looking for a complex story, fast paced action and plot twists this book probably isn't what you want. If you want an eloquently structured and beautifully written character study Fire and Water is near perfect.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is a masterpiece of life and music (if, indeed, the two can be separated.) It focuses on the protagonist's metaphorical, emotional and literal journey through life, moving from Aberystwyth to Felixstowe. It was inspired by Free's 'Fire and Water' album (which really is 'a very good album') and the novel has a narrative voice so strong it feels as if the main character is one of your very best mates. If you love music, if you know that vinyl is medicine for the soul and if you enjoy reading books that make you laugh out loud, then why haven't you bought a copy yet? Everyone should have Hayley Long's Fire and Water in their collection - so buy one. In fact, buy two.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Hi, This is the first of Hailey Long's books that I have read. It is about a girl who goes out with a pub rock band singer while away at university. I enjoyed it as I was in a pub band when I was at Uni, although I didn't go to Abber, The book is structured around the Free album Fire and Water and it contains a lot for fans of 70s rock music. I found the style very personal, as if reading the authors diary some times, Some of it must have been based (however loosely) on real events.
Anyway, you will enjoy the book, especially if you live in Aberystwyth or love 70s music, or are in a band, or are going out with someone who is in a band, or drive a badly painted Mercedes, or just collect rubbers that smell of sic. Oh, and look out for Frank, she's my sister.
Anyway, you will enjoy the book, especially if you live in Aberystwyth or love 70s music, or are in a band, or are going out with someone who is in a band, or drive a badly painted Mercedes, or just collect rubbers that smell of sic. Oh, and look out for Frank, she's my sister.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Do Latvian lovers really have cold flats?
This book is a masterpiece of life and music (if, indeed, the two can be separated.) It was inspired by Free's 'Fire and Water' album (which really is 'a very good album') and the... Read more
Published on 14 Dec 2004 by K. Price
Do Latvian lovers really have cold flats?
This book is a masterpiece of life and music (if, indeed, the two can be separated.) It was inspired by Free's 'Fire and Water' album (which really is 'a very good album') and the... Read more
Published on 14 Dec 2004 by K. Price
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
