Stop This Train - High Fidelity

There were a lot of parts of Nick Hornby's High Fidelity that I did not like and found really difficult to read though, like the parts where Rob (the protagonist) was a self-absorbed, misogynistic pig. On the other hand, there were truths to be found in parts of the book, and moments that I did like as well. When Laura's dad dies, I enjoyed reading the part when Rob mentally loses it. He is talking about not wanting to date someone because they will die, and the fact that he doesn't hang out with friends because they will all die, and basically, he is afraid of death and dying.

He says: "So where does this get me? The logic of it all is that I play a percentage game. I'm thirty-six now, right? And let's say most fatal diseases - cancer, heart disease, whatever- hit you after the age of fifty. You might be unlucky, and snuff it early, but the fifty-plus age group get more than their fair share of bad stuff happening to them. So to play safe, you stop then..." (248-249).

This quote, and how he talks about playing a percentage game, instantly reminded me of John Mayer's "Stop This Train",  when John talks about playing a number game to try to make himself still feel young, hip, and not at all nearing death.  The song is better than the book by a long shot, but the two came in connection at this part in the novel's plot.