The Art of Fielding

Posted on by

The Art of Fielding is an expansive, warmhearted novel about ambition and its limits, about family and friendship and love, and about commitment to oneself and to others.At Westish College, a small school on the shore of Lake Michigan, baseball star Henry Skrimshander seems destined for big league stardom But when a routine throw goes disastrously off course, the fates of five people are upended Henry s fight against self doubt threatens to ruin his future College president Guert Affenlight, a longtime bachelor, has fallen unexpectedly and helplessly in love Owen Dunne, Henry s gay roommate and teammate, becomes caught up in a dangerous affair Mike Schwartz, the Harpooners team captain and Henry s best friend, realizes he has guided Henry s career at the expense of his own And Pella Affenlight, Guert s daughter, returns to Westish after escaping an ill fated marriage, determined to start a new life As the season counts down to its climactic final game, these five are forced to confront their deepest hopes, anxieties, and secrets In the process they forge new bonds, and help one another find their true paths Written with boundless intelligence and filled with the tenderness of youth, The Art of Fielding is an expansive, warmhearted novel about ambition and its limits, about family and friendship and love, and about commitment to oneself and to others. Free Read eBook The Art of Fielding By Chad Harbach – kino-fada.fr Chad Harbach s The Art of Fielding is 2 3rds strong but maybe 100 pages too long You know that weird paradox you feel when you like a book but kind of wish it was over I felt that around, oh, page 350 of The Art of Fielding So while I can recommend the novel, with reservations, I can t make the four star leap.The storyline revolves around five characters and readers shouldn t be misled into thinking, as the inside cover description seems to imply, that Henry is the star and the four other cha Chad Harbach s The Art of Fielding is 2 3rds strong but maybe 100 pages too long You know that weird paradox you feel when you like a book but kind of wish it was over I felt that around, oh, page 350 of The Art of Fielding So while I can recommend the novel, with reservations, I can t make the four star leap.The storyline revolves around five characters and readers shouldn t be misled into thinking, as the inside cover description seems to imply, that Henry is the star and the four other characters lesser lights The five meet, collaborate, have sex, become codependent maybeI m not sure what codependent means and evolve over the course of a couple years on the ca...People love to talk about the great books that aren t good reads There s also the crap that people call beach reads but gobble up without taking seriously But The Art of Fielding falls under a third category A book I didn t like so much that I wanted to keep reading it.I wanted to like it, I did I like books that take place in college I like baseball I like baseball metaphors...I loved this book I suppose it s appropriate that I start off my review like a fan While reading it, I couldn t help but reflect upon and compare this novel to The Marriage Plot Both are about college aged kids though set in different decades mental illness is an element in both and while the love triangle in the Eugenides is paramount, the one here which is sort of though not really a love triangle issubtle andrealistically portrayed I almost want to say that, exceptin I loved this book I suppose it s appropriate that I start off my review like a fan While reading it, I couldn t help but reflect upon and compare this novel to The Marriage Plot Both are about college aged kids though set in different decades mental illness is an element in both and while the love triangle in the Eugenides is paramount, the one here which is sort of though not really a love triangle issubtle andrealistically portrayed I almost want to say that, excepting the baseball, this is the book Eugenides wanted to write Literature is prominent in both, but here it has a lighter touch less pretentious, one might say There s also a beautifully written, lyrical passage in the Harbach that reminded me of my favorite pass...Man, I really didn t want to like this book And here, quickly, are the reasons why Number 1 Pure jealousy Harbach got paid like a bajillion dollars for his very first novel I was paid slightly less than that Okay, a lot less than that Number 2 I don t like n 1 magazine, of which he is the co founder I find it pretentious and boring I would honestly rather read Cat Fancy.Number 3 Harbach wrote an article about MFA vs New York writers that was, in a word, uber douchy And anyone who we Man, I really didn t want to like this book And here, quickly, are the reasons why Number 1 Pure jealousy Harbach got paid like a bajillion dollars for his very first novel I was paid slightly less than that Okay, a lot less than that Number 2 I don t like n 1 magazine, of which he is the co founder I find it pretentious and boring I would honestly rather read Cat Fancy.Number 3 Harbach wrote an article about MFA vs New York writers that was, in a word, uber douchy And anyone who weighs in on that argument has already told you something about themselves that you d be best off not knowin...I have stood there, with my knees bent, on the balls of my feet I have watched the signs and where the catcher sets up I have known with some sense of probability if my pitcher can throw the ball where the glove is set I have watched the hitter s swing, listened to the sound I have intuited So I have moved, left or right, back or in, often before the ball leaves the bat, before life, if you will, comes my way Another example of how Life, as the columnist Thomas Boswell once mused, imitates I have stood there, with my knees bent, on the balls of my feet I have watched the signs and where the catcher sets up I have known with some sense of probability if my pitcher can throw the ball where the glove is set I have watched the hitter s swing, listened to the sound I have intuited So I have moved, left or right, back or...I m from Wisconsin This book takes place in Wisconsin I love baseball This book is about a baseball team from a fictitious Wisconsin college, Westish, which seems like a mix of Ripon and Lawrence I love that fictitious name by the way I love that school s absurd tie to Herman Melville as well and its funny Melville related sports handle, The Harpooners In a lot of ways, this book is as tailor made for me as a sharp ground ball is to a shortstop eager to make a 6 4 3 double play It s not s I m from Wisconsin This book takes place in Wisconsin I love baseball This book is about a baseball team from a fictitious Wisconsin college, Westish, which seems like a mix of Ripon and Lawrence I love that fictitious name by the way I love that school s absurd tie to Herman Melville as well and its funny Melville related sports handle, The Harpooners In a lot of ways, this book is as tailor made for me as a sharp ground ball is to a shortstop eager to make ...UNBELIEVABLE.Baseball is, without a doubt, kinda sorta, um dull But with near perfect actuallyperfect than near perfect The Art of Fielding, the passion in the hearts of five individuals will likewise light a passion within the impressionable reader I am not kidding I LOVE this novel I was convinced that The Marriage Plot , a kindred book same time, same themes, same environment by Eugenides was the definitive college novel of our times I am sorry to say well, not really UNBELIEVABLE.Baseball is, without a doubt, kinda sorta, um dull But with near perfect actuallyperfect than near perfect The Art of Fielding, the passion in the hearts of five individuals will likewise light a passion within the impressionable reader I am not kidding I LOVE this novel I was convinced that The Marriage Plot , a kindred book same time, same themes, same environment by Eugenides was the definitive college novel of our times I am sorry to say well, not real...mild spoilers 100 pages in and the author has already twice withheld information from the reader which would be apparent to the character Is there a name for this The first time it s dialogue overheard by a character, dialogue which the reader is meant to mistake for sex when in fact it s two people lifting weights But the character is outside the weight room, so there s no chance that he would think it s sexual.The next occurrence one character is straining for a glimpse of another, wor mild spoilers 100 pages in and the author has already twice withheld information from the reader which would be apparent to the character Is there a name for this The first ...I Absolutely loved this book It was The Perfect Novel About Baseball There is baseball in this book So, for those people who really do not like baseball at all but are still open to reading this GEM of a story you might surprise yourself and expand your interest in the game itself at least grow to respect the game the players and the Art of being on a Team What else is this book about besides Baseball Life friendships all types of relationships male bonding at i I Absolutely loved this book It was The Perfect Novel About Baseball There is baseball in t...As a HUGE fan of the game, I really enjoyed this baseball themed novel centering around Henry Skrimshander..his glove named Zero and his desire to be the best..to someday play Shortstop for the STL CARDINALS..But this story surprised me..there s so muchto it than just baseball..Without divulging any secrets, I ll just say..the novel intertwines friendships and relationships among five flawed characters who struggle to find their way in l...

The Art of Fielding
  • English
  • 11 June 2017
  • Hardcover
  • 512 pages
  • 0316126691
  • Chad Harbach
  • The Art of Fielding