Figures of masculinity in New Lad fiction. Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch: The overwhelming maleness

Seminar paper from the year 2016 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 2,3, University of Hamburg, language: English, abstract: The enthusiasm for the game of football extends far beyond the crowded bleachers of modern stadiums in metropolitan areas around the globe and handcrafted goal posts on agrarian fields in the British Lake District. The so called "beautiful game" has served as a template for countless movies, books, plays and other cultural goods.

One of the most prominent writings on football and football fandom is Nick Hornby's "Fever Pitch". Besides the topic of football, it is the author's own story about growing up as a British child of the 1960s, an era which was shaped by issues of class and questions about the existence of a British identity. As a semi-autobiographic coming-of-age narrative about love, friendship, labour and Nick Hornby's obsession for football, the luck and success of Arsenal, the author's favourite team, reflects the ups and downs of his own life.

According to the author, Fever Pitch is not just about a man's obsession for football: "The book is also, in part, an exploration of some of the meanings that football seems to contain for many of us".