Sunday, October 25, 2009

Read it: Juliet, Naked


Don't get all excited. This isn't a book about naked ladies. Rather, Juliet, Naked is a novel about Tucker Crowe, a middle aged singer/songwriter who was a pretty big deal in the 1980s until he suddenly abandoned the rock-and-roll lifestyle to live as a recluse in rural Pennsylvania. Today he has a small but loyal following in an online community, led by Duncan, a Tucker Crowe scholar and huge fan. He's ecstatic when Tucker releases Juliet, Naked, the uncut/unplugged version of his most popular album, Juliet, but the album creates a divide between Duncan and his long-time girlfriend, Annie.

I've read several of Hornby's books (he wrote How to Be Good, High Fidelity, About a Boy, and A Long Way Down), and this might be my favorite. Something about his writing is very...readable. Does that make sense? It's like a conversation. Juliet, Naked is funny and charming. Add it to your list!