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Media Coverage from Our 40Th Anniversary Season HH Houston Chronicle | Houstonchronicle.Com | Sunday, November 8, 2020 | G5 ZEST Media Coverage from our 40th Anniversary Season HH Houston Chronicle | HoustonChronicle.com | Sunday, November 8, 2020 | G5 ZEST FICTION By Andrew Dansby Joseph and Lucy is full of STAFF WRITER possibility. He forms an al- most instant bond with her ick Hornby Nick Hornby’s tale sons through their enthusi- opens his new asm forsoccer and the FIFA novel with a video game, a reminder that list. Those Joseph’s age falls between Nfamiliar with of love in the time that of Lucy and her chil- his work should find some dren. sense of continuity connect- ing the opening paragraph of The Brexit effect “Just Like You” to Hornby’s of Brexit By setting the book in debut novel from 25 years 2016, Hornby’s latest also gets ago, “High Fidelity.” For anarrative nudge by the EU some, a world of chaotic referendum, which has an variables requires a patch- agitative effect on the charac- work sense of order and ters and the story. As Hornby organization. writes, Brexit “was giving So “Just Like You” presents groups of people who didn’t an informal accounting — like each other, or at least rather than a numbered list — failed to comprehend each of various hatreds found in other, an opportunity to the mind of Lucy, a school fight.” teacher and a divorced moth- “Nobody knew it was er of two standing in line at a going to be a cultural bomb,” London meat market with Hornby said of Brexit. another parent whose com- “That’s the interesting thing pany she finds disagreeable. about it.I think most people Asked if he has his own list would have taken Joseph’s of hatreds and how they’ve line about, ‘Who gives a changed over the years, the (expletive) about that?’ But British author paused a mo- all these things got hooked ment. onto it.A whole kind of belief “Well, yeah, more of a system got attached to this mental checklist,” he said. very simple vote that should “Age does change it a little have been about something bit. The thing that has sur- else.” prised me over the last year Still, it’s a Hornby novel, is going back to feeling a little so the narrative possesses a like I did in my 20s with Mrs. naturalistic tone. Were it (Margaret) Thatcher. My first represented by an EKG, there general election vote was would be no vicious spikes. against Thatcher.I had that “I’m the wrong guy if all through the ’80s, when I you’re looking for big, dra- was in my 20s, this loathing matic things to occur,” he for her and her party, which says, laughing. “And that also over time has sort of calmed wasn’t my experience in right down. But the govern- London during those two ment’s handling of both years.” Brexit and the pandemic, But anxiety has festered well, that filled me with a some as the novel found its rage I hadn’t felt in quite a way into the world, as his long time.” London — “a thriving, multi- Hornby — who will do a racial city”— deals with virtual event through In- Brexit, a pandemic and lead- print’s Margarett Root Brown ers whose only interest is Reading Series today — power. touched on several social and “Just Like You” was com- cultural themes in his story, pleted before March. But a though the way we experi- meditation on the couple’s ence time as we age is the life inside a bubble feels connective tissue in “Just for fitting at a time when society You.” Working at the meat is increasingly indoors. market is Joseph, a Black man Parisa Taghizadeh Hornby takes no credit for in his 20s looking to make Briton Nick Hornby’s latest novel is “Just Like You.” prescience, but his account- some money on the side. So ing of Lucy’s hatreds that he babysits Lucy’s sons, and opens the book is eerie: “She in short order, he and Lucy finds her positive physical threads connecting them to hated any Conservative edu- find themselves drawn to one response to the song — a adolescence. Over the years, cation secretary, she hated another. Hornby writes about stilted head bobbing — horri- his attention has been drawn listening to her younger son’s the two navigating their back- fying in a way he wouldn’t more to those further into trumpet practice, she hated grounds from “a different were she closer to his age. adulthood. That said, if the any kind of liver, the sight of class, a different culture, a As one who has written arc in his work feels smooth, blood, reality TV shows, different generation.” regularly about music over the paths his characters fol- grime music and the usual The line reminds me of the the years, Hornby found such low are full of minor kinks, abstractions — global pover- comment about home re- divides fascinating and frus- twists and backtracks. Such is ty, war, pandemics, the im- pairs: between fast, cheap trating. “With music writing, the leaning, lurching and minent death of the planet, and good workmanship, you Ithink young writers want learning most people take on and so on.” can get two but never three. the knowledge of the older their paths. Hornby spoke about the “As I was writing the music writers but not the Hornby’s previous novel is book after taking a walk book,” Hornby said, “genera- cynicism. They don’t want to “State of the Union,” a 10-part around his neighborhood as tion appeared to be the big- read the rock critic saying, story about a lengthy mar- England enters a period of gest problem to me. And they ‘Oh, I’ve heard this (exple- riage slowly coming undone. shutdown. “It’s a nice day for have to solve it by agreeing tive) so many times: Nirvana ‘Just Like You’ “I think I was in some kind awalk,” he said. “But it feels not to confront it. By living in via Zeppelin.’ Kids want to be by Nick Hornby of groove after ‘State of the grim.” abubble. The other two, I excited about new music that Union,’”he said. “I was There exist bubbles of our Riverhead can be reasonably optimistic doesn’t sound like anything thinking about our central own construction, but “Just about in terms of the future. they’ve heard. So there is that 368 pages, $27 domestic relationships as Like You” also presents the Of course, generation never tension between too much something deeply important ways our customized bubbles presents an actual divide. Just knowledge and not enough Nick Hornby to us and meaningful to us in still exist under larger cultur- aset of complications.” enthusiasm.” reading virtual the way we think about the al bubbles. And some of With a long view of Horn- event world. So I knew I wanted to Lucy’s hatreds that may have Lurching into adulthood by’s work, a graceful arc can write about a couple again once felt so abstract feel less When: 4 p.m. Sunday At one point, Joseph, an be seen over a quarter centu- but in as different a way as abstract today. aspiring DJ, plays one of his ry. His earlier novels touch on Details: $5; possible.” pieces of music for Lucy, and men reluctant to cut the last inprinthouston.org The dynamic between [email protected] EVENTS SUNDAY SATURDAY Nick Hornby: Author will Margaret Atwood: give a short reading from Author will give a his new novel “Just Like short reading from her You,” followed by a new poetry collection conversation with “Dearly,” followed by novelist/journalist aconversation with Vendela Vida, via MacArthur Fellow Inprint’s website. 4 p.m., Natalie Diaz, via inprinthouston.org Inprint’s website. 7 p.m., TUESDAY inprinthouston.org Tribute to Abigail Emma Theriault: Author Arias: Author Julie will be in conversation Coy and illustrator with Victoria Aveyard to Grant Maniér will sign discuss “The Queen’s Dark Times” via Murder By murderbooks.com copies of “Abigail the Council Rebel Rose” via The Book’s YouTube Brave Little Llama,” a Blue Willow’s Facebook page. 1 p.m., THURSDAY children’s book based Live stream. 7 p.m., murderbooks.com on the 6-year-old who bluewillowbookshop.com Bishop Curry: Author will Special Virtual captured hearts for Jacqueline Winspear: be in conversation with Storytime: Author Kelly wanting to become a Author will discuss “This Bishop Doyle to discuss Bennett will read law enforcement Time Next Year We’ll Be “Love Is the Way” via “Norman: One Amazing officer before Laughing” with Doree Zoom. 6 p.m., Goldfish!” via Blue succumbing to cancer Shafrir via Murder By The brazosbookstore.com Willow’s Facebook Live ayear ago. Noon-3 Book’s YouTube page. Emily Schultz and stream. 10 a.m., p.m., Freeport Police 6:30 p.m., Halley Sutton: Authors bluewillowbookshop.com Department, 430 N. murderbooks.com will discuss “Little Ryan Sitton: Author will Brazosport Blvd., Threats” and “The Lady discuss “Crucial Freeport; WEDNESDAY Upstairs” via Murder By Decisions” via Zoom. 7 jigsawgrant.com The Book’s YouTube p.m., Ian Rankin: Author will brazosbookstore.com Arden Wray /New York Times page. 7 p.m., [email protected] discuss “A Song for the Margaret Atwood will give a reading Nov. 14. Arts & Culture Books & Talks READ THIS Inprint’s 40th Margarett Root Brown Reading Series Lineup Just Went from Big to Epic Kazuo Ishiguro and Jhumpa Lahiri will now join an already-stacked lineup of literary heavyweights. By Emma Schkloven • 1/5/2021 at 11:45am IMAGE: COURTESY OF PUBLISHERS Updated 12:40 p.m.
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