In a theme that will be familiar to Hornby fans, Juliet, Naked revolves around musical obsession. Annie and Duncan are a couple approaching
middle age, locked in a dull relationship of convenience, bound but ultimately driven apart by their mutual obsession with Tucker Crowe,
a cult singer-songwriter. When Annie reviews a new version of Crowe's album on a fan-site, the man himself gets in touch with her, with predictable results.
Although Juliet, Naked is an enjoyable read, many of the characters and relationships feel underdeveloped. The more marginal players do not always ring true: Crowe's "impossibly glamorous but intimidatingly sulky" ex-wives, and the Scunthorpe dancers Gav and Barnsey, are little more than caricatures.
Hornby's trademark offbeat style can sometimes feel contrived, particularly in dialogue: "Anyway. We're getting away from the point. The point being, you've met somebody." Despite these flaws, however, Juliet, Naked is at times very funny and astutely observed in its parody of fanatical hero-worship and its merciless treatment of internet message boards.
