TOW 8 - IRB post 2

            Nick Hornby, an avid football fan and well-known writer, wrote the book Fever Pitch about the history and origin of his lifelong obsession. Hitting close to home with me, I was attracted by his humorous voice and the topic of obsessing over some stupid soccer games. In Hornby’s book Fever Pitch, Hornby explains how what started as a normal liking of a sport spiraled into an all-controlling obsession that has shaped his relationships with others and commanded his free time through the use of personal anecdotes and humor. His audience is anyone who has background knowledge about the game of soccer and could potentially share some similar experiences.

            Fever Pitch, written narrative-style, is a book full of personal anecdotes. Hornby shares his experiences as a child growing up in a divided home and how that influenced his obsession with the game of football. Every chapter, Hornby tells the story of a game that he remembers and the effect it had on his life. This allows the audience to see the correlation between the events in his life and his obsession with the game, which appeals to logos by allowing them to logically see the progression of his obsession. Hornby’s personal anecdotes about his life also allow the reader to establish a close connection with him, because many of the things that he has gone through are relatively common. These anecdotes show that Hornby is indeed a human who has had problems, just like the rest of us; therefore, allowing the audience to better consider Hornby a credible source because he has actually experienced everything in regards to the topic they are reading about. Overall, Hornby’s anecdotes allow the audience to connect to him and to logically see the progression of his obsession, which is further emphasized through his humor.

Hornby’s humorous tone allows his audience to enjoy reading the book while simultaneously allowing Hornby to convey messages to them that will stick in their minds. For example, when describing his frustration with the lack of players who will pass the ball, Hornby asserts that “there are still a couple of passers in England, but then, there are still a number of blacksmiths.” (Hornby 120). This assertion humorously emphasizes the lack of passers there actually are because of the lack of blacksmiths in England. There are many other instances Hornby’s humor allows the audience to better understand and connect with his message. Overall, Hornby’s use of personal anecdotes and humorous assertions clarify the origin of his obsession and show how natural obsessions are, which allows the audience to feel better about their own guilty pleasures.