From: [email protected]
Subject: High Fidelity
I’m glad you’re enjoying it. One of my favourites. And also a great film.
Phew, he didn’t think I was some deranged lunatic stalking him.
Have you seen it? Not often you can say that, when they abandon a perfectly good English setting. Can’t understand that? Why didn’t they leave the record shop in England? In fact, why do film and TV companies have to fiddle with settings? The Killing? Life on Mars? Have we made an English Friends? Mates? CSI - Southampton? Thankfully High Fidelity survived. I’d recommend it if you haven’t seen it. One of those rare films that translates well from a book.
R
OK, he had a point with the setting thing, but plenty of other books survived celluloid translation. With tongue firmly pressed in cheek I typed,
From: [email protected]
Subject: High Fidelity
Dear M
I think that perhaps being a Liverpool fan might have addled your brain. Loads of good films from books:
What about Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Bridget Jones’ Diary, Atonement?
M
An email came right back
From: [email protected]
Subject: High Fidelity
What no car chases?
I giggled. He was starting to sound a lot less grey cardie and slippers.
From: [email protected]
Subject: High Fidelity
Ok then, what about:
The Bourne Identity, Casino Royale, Patriot Games!
Yet another new message.
From: [email protected]
Subject: High Fidelity
Depends on the Casino Royale. First or second. Bet you’re one of those girls who fancies Daniel Craig, although Lazenby is the cult James Bond.
He had no idea.
From: [email protected]
Subject: High Fidelity
Daniel Craig!!!! No thank you. Timothy Dalton, every time!
From: [email protected]
Subject: High Fidelity
Words fail me.
From: [email protected]
Subject: High Fidelity
What’s wrong with him?!
From: [email protected]
Subject: High Fidelity
The only positive thing I can say is that he had one of the best Bond girls.
From: [email protected]
Subject: High Fidelity
Which one?
From: [email protected]
Subject: High Fidelity
The blond cello player – they sledged down a mountain in her cello case. I’ve never read any Ian Fleming? Have you?
From: [email protected]
Subject: High Fidelity
Yes, but not sure I should admit it. I read quite a few Bond books when I was a kid (very precocious reader) – totally (very) unsuitable for a twelve-year-old.
From: [email protected]
Subject: High Fidelity
He did write Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
From: [email protected]
Subject: High Fidelity
And you think that’s a suitable title for a kid’s book? Although I loved the musical at the Palladium. Bet you’re not a musical man.
From: [email protected]
Subject: High Fidelity
I saw Oliver once. Definitely not a suitable title for a kid’s book although at that age I was going through my Sci-fi phase. More Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury.
From: [email protected]
Subject: High Fidelity
Sci-fi … Oh dear. Just when I was starting to think … Although I have read The Time Traveller’s Wife.
From: [email protected]
Re: High Fidelity
Time Travellers Wife! That’s not Sci-fi.
From: [email protected]
Subject: High Fidelity
How come? It’s about a man that zips back and forth in time. He might not be Dr Who but how can that not be Sci-fi?
From: [email protected]
Subject: High Fidelity
O.K., I admit it, I’ve never read it but doesn’t sound very SF to me.
From: [email protected]
Subject: High Fidelity
HAVEN’T READ The Time Traveller’s Wife. Shame on you, a) it’s beautiful and b) it’s beautiful.
I forgot you’re a bloke!
Think you should broaden your horizons and read TTTW – it’s very original. Failing that you could always try the other Nick Hornby classic – Fever Pitch.
I grinned at that one. He might take offence at reading about Arsenal doing the double and winning the league cup and the FA cup in 1992 and he probably wasn’t a Colin Firth fan either, so wouldn’t appreciate the film version quite the way I had.
This might have gone on all night, except the phone rang at nine.
‘Hey missus, it’s me.’ Felix had been away for several days and was staying in some posh hotel in Brighton. A trip which had been extended by an additional day.
‘Hi.’
‘You all right?’ asked Felix, bouncy as ever.
‘Yes. Sorry, long day.’ I tried to sound a bit more with it, and not as guilty as I felt. I’d only been talking to someone on line, I hadn’t done anything wrong, but I knew I wouldn’t mention it to Felix. ‘How are you? When are you coming home? And is it snowing down there?’ Lifting the curtain, I was disappointed to