You've no doubt seen the John Cusack film version, which was an extremely faithful adaptation. The important difference between the film and this book is that this is based in Camden, London, which means the pop music jokes are mainly based on English music. For those who don't know, it's about a loser guy who works in a record store, whose girlfriend walks out on him. A significant part of this book is spent on Rob (the protagonist) reminiscing about girlfriends past, which is quite funny and says a lot about the culture 'in those days'. While none of the characters are particularly likeable, the witty banter and swipes at pop culture make this a thoroughly entertaining read. A good book to read on the plane.