Hornby returns to his roots: music, manic fandom and messy romance in his funny
and touching latest, dancing between three perspectives on fame: a sycophantic
scholar, an appreciative audience member, a fabled singer-songwriter who can't
see what all the fuss is about. After cult musician Tucker Crowe vanished from
the public eye 20 years ago, his small but devoted fan base built up a mythology
around his oeuvre and the people and places associated with his storied life.
Self-appointed Crowologist Duncan has indoctrinated his girlfriend, Annie, on
the wonders of Tucker, but when Annie fails to recognize the genius of a newly
released version of Crowe's classic album Juliet, their 15-year relationship
quickly crumbles. Meanwhile, Duncan's glowing first review is increasingly
de-bated, while Annie's deconstructive essay posted on the same Web site earns
her a clandestine e-mail correspondence with the reclusive musician. Soon, their
exchanges grow more personal; given that Tucker lives in an American backwater
and Annie resides in a remote English town, both view their e-mails as a safe
flirtation until the dissolution of Tucker's latest marriage and a crisis with
one of his several neglected children brings him to Annie's side of the Atlantic.
Through brisk dialogue and quick scene changes, Hornby highlights each character's
misconceptions about his or her own life, and though Duncan, Annie and Tucker are
consistently ridiculous and often self-destructive, they are portrayed with an
extraordinary degree of sympathy. Tucker's status of Dylan by way of Salinger
allows for an intriguing critique of celebrity fetishization and of the motives
behind the eccentricity that comes along with fame. Obviously, this is a must-
read for Hornby's fans, but it also works as a surprisingly thoughtful complement
to the piles of musician bios and memoirs.

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