A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. College baseball is the backdrop to an engrossing if sometimes implausible tale of male bonding, says adam marsjones. October 1, 2011 chad harbachs acclaimed debut novel, the art of fielding, is full of wins and losses. Chad harbach will join us for a live online chat on wednesday, september 28th. Reading the art of fielding is like watching a hugely gifted young short stop. Add chad harbachs the art of fielding to the list of first rate baseball books. Harbach manages incisive characterizations of his five main players, even as his narrative, overlong and prone to affectation, tests the readers patience.
Apr 16, 2012 the art of fielding is a well written and well constructed story, my appreciation of which was in no way hampered by my lack of interest or knowledge of the game of baseball. Harbachs nuanced, compelling debut hits the homerun with a moving story of a university basketball star. Three weeks ago, mike schwartz recruited him for the westish college baseball team. At westish college, baseball star henry skrimshander seems destined for big league. Henry is recruited by mike schwartz to play shortstop for the westish harpooners because henry is the best shortstop ever. Buy a cheap copy of the art of fielding book by chad harbach. Part baseball book, part campus tale, and part aspiring great american novel, chad harbach s the art of fielding is one of those highly readable, absorbing tomes that creates an entire fictional world you believe in and want to spend lots of time in.
Buy art of fielding by harbach, chad from amazons fiction books store. Seventhinning stretch harbach s publisher seems to go with a lessismore approach to promote the book on their. The art of fielding by chad harbach book club discussion. 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 commitmentto oneself and to others. Yes, the art of fielding is about baseball, but even if you couldnt care less about the sport, chad harbachs first novel will trick you into thinking you do. In aparicio rodriguezs the art of fielding, he writes. The book club is reading the art of fielding in september.
The art of fielding is a wise, warmhearted, selfassured, and fiercely readable debut, which heralds the coming of a young american writer to watch. C had harbachs the art of fielding crossbreeds two genres with limited gene pools, the baseball novel and the campus novel, and comes up with a vigorous hybrid, entertaining and engrossing. But when a routine throw goes disastrously off course, the fates of five people are upended. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the art of fielding. Athol dickson is the publisher of the popular news website, and the author of seven novels and the bestselling memoir, the gospel according to moses. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. He exercises a masterful precision over the language and pacing of his narrative, and in some 500 pages, theres rarely a word that feels out of place.
The author of mobydick gazes down on harbachs efforts. All the familiar tropes of sports fiction are heresmall town boy makes good. Nicholas dawidoff author of the catcher was a spy and editor of baseball. There is a sly wit to this, as if harbach is saying, dont confuse my book with the real. Even as his characters struggle to make a mark in the world, most must resign themselves to the more common outcome of a quotidian life of mechanical repetition. The novel was nominated for the guardian first book award, and. It seemed to be the big american novel of the year err, the next great american novel of 2012 sort of like freedom by jonathan franzen was back in 2010. It centers on the fortunes of shortstop henry skrimshander and his career playing college.
The characters in it arent the nicest people they lie, they cheat, theyre often reckless and selfish but they are good people. It seemed to be the big american novel of the year err, the next great american novel of 2012 sort of like freedom by jonathan franzen was back in 2010 i had never really read a long, contemporary piece of american fiction, but this one piqued my. Jonathan franzen, author of freedom chad harbachs the art of fielding is one of those rare novelslike michael chabons mysteries of pittsburgh or john irvings the world according. I felt that around, oh, page 350 of the art of fielding. A wonderful, warm novel from a major new american voice.
Reading the art of fielding is like watching a hugely gifted young shortstop. Apr 11, 2014 as a special birthday gift to me, my book club met last monday to discuss the art of fielding by chad harbach. You know that weird paradox you feel when you like a book but kind of wish it was over. Sep 26, 2011 jay gatsby is embroiled, loosely, in the 1919 world series scandal, bullfights break out throughout hemingways work, and mobydicka significant presence in the art of fielding westish has a. Harbachs characters live and breathe, yearn, ache, and in the end, make you love them for their flaws. Review of the art of fielding by chad harbach rhapsody in.
Harbach has the rare abilities to write with earnest, deeply felt emotion without ever veering into sentimentality, and to create quirky, vulnerable and fully imagined characters who instantly take up residence in our own hearts and minds. The book, a new york times best books of 2011, has had the literary world eating out of its hands, so much so that its being touted as one of the best books on baseballs yet yes, by americans themselves. The characters are appealing and and clearly individual and one soon becomes concerned for each one of them. The art of fielding authorchad harbach cover artistkeith hayes countryunited states languageenglish publisherlittle, brown and company publication date september 2011 media typeprint. And you did that with more dedication than most, that work of building a soulnot for your own benefit but for the benefit of those that knew you. The art of fielding starts with baseball and ends with baseball but by the time the novel wraps up, 512 pages later, we are asked to care about a wide cast of characters and many offfield issues and characters. The art of fielding, by chad harbach national post.
After a long streak of errorless games, why does henry lose his onceeffortless throw. Henry loves baseball and idolizes aparicio rodriguez, the baseball playerphilosopher and author of the book the art of fielding. Its pure fun, easy to read, as if the other fielding had a hand in itas if tom jones were about baseball and college life. You told me once that a soul isnt something a person is born with but something that must be built, by effort and error, study and love. Oct 01, 2011 chad harbachs acclaimed debut novel, the art of fielding, is full of wins and losses. Chances are if you liked the art of fielding, youll find something similar in harbach s magazine. Chad harbach makes the case for baseball, thrillingly, in his slow, precious and altogether excellent first novel, the art of fielding. Chances are if you liked the art of fielding, youll find something similar in harbachs magazine seventhinning stretch harbachs publisher seems to go with a lessismore approach to promote the book on their website. Oct 17, 2011 chad harbachs book the art of fielding is not only a wonderful baseball novel it zooms immediately into the pantheon of classics, alongside the natural by bernard malamud and the southpaw by mark harris but its also a magical, melancholy story about friendship and coming of age that marks the debut of an. The art of fielding a novel pdf free download epdf.
The renaissance maker of modern man by national geographic society u. But when a star player chokes, the book raises big questions about the things we chase in life and what. Sep 01, 2011 chad harbachs book the art of fielding is not only a wonderful baseball novel it zooms immediately into the pantheon of classics mr. When we first meet henry skrimshander, one of the charmingbutflawed characters in chad harbachs debut novel, the art of fielding, he is a scrawny hayseed. After a long streak of errorless games, why does henry lose his onceeffortless. Why are great sports novels like the art of fielding so. Why i abandoned chad harbachs overhyped novel the art of.
A novel by harbach, chad and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. 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. Are their relationships more competitive than those between women. Jan 12, 2012 the art of fielding feels like a novel from another, more innocent age.
Chad harbach s the art of fielding is 23rds strong but maybe 100 pages too long. The art of fielding is mere baseball fiction the way mobydick is just a fish story. The art of fielding is a 2011 novel by american author chad harbach. Assured, graceful and generous, the art of fielding packs a wealth of astute, profound observations on both sport psychology and the endless power games played on campus. Naturally gifted shortstop henry skrimshander see note about names below is discovered and recruited to westish college, a small liberal arts school in wisconsin on the western shore of lake. Discuss the relationship between the body and the mind in the art of fielding. Chad harbachs the art of fielding is 23rds strong but maybe 100 pages too long. The admirable lightness of the art of fielding the new yorker. The novel was nominated for the guardian first book award, and was featured on several yearend lists.
Henry skrimshanderyes, thats his nameis now in college, waiting for his room assignment. What is an example of a metaphor or simile in the book the. If you like the art of fielding you might like similar books the imperfectionists, billy lynns long halftime walk, a visit from the goon squad, the submission, freedom. In the process they forge new bonds, and help one another find their true paths.
Chad harbach grew up in wisconsin and was educated at harvard and the university of virginia. First novels this complete and consuming come along very, very seldom. In the art of fielding by chad harbach, the team captain mike and his protege henry, the underdog, predictably rise to the occasion and save the day, despite readers beginning to question. Thoughtless being is attained by everyone, the return to thoughtless being by a very few. Mar 23, 2012 april 5 bloomberg author chad harbach talks with bloombergs matt miller and carol massar about selling his first book the art of fielding. Harbachs muscular prose breathes new life into the american pasttime, recasts the personal worlds that orbit around it, and leaves you longing, lingering. Harbach takes on the existential challenge of the insignificance of man, expressed via the metaphor of playing baseball. College president guert affenlight, a longtime bachelor, has fallen unexpectedly and helplessly in love. After hitting owen and losing his accuracy, henry immerses himself in grueling physical activity. The art of fielding follows four different characters as they play baseball, pop pain pills, and find love at westish collegea fictional college in the real state of wisconsin.
The art of fielding by chad harbach halifax public libraries. National geographic society u s, first edition abebooks. At westish college, a small school on the shore of lake michigan, baseball star henry skrimshander seems destined for big league stardom. The art of fielding by chad harbach was published back in september 2011, but i really started hearing about it during the summer of 2012. His novels of suspense and magical realism have been honored with three christy awards and an audie award, and compared to the work of octavia butler by publishers weekly and flannery oconnor by the new york times. Chad harbach has hit a gameender with the art of fielding. The characters in it arent the nicest people they lie, they cheat, theyre often reckless and selfish. Buy the art of fielding by harbach, chad from amazons fiction books store. Though the art of fielding is his fiction debut, chad harbach writes with the selfassurance of a seasoned novelist. In the art of fielding, we see young men who know that their four years on the baseball diamond at westish. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction.
At westish college, a small school on the shore of lake mic. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. Though the art of fielding is his fiction debut, chad harbach writes with the selfassurance of a seasoned. It centers on the fortunes of shortstop henry skrimshander and his career playing college baseball with the fictional westish college harpooners. The art of fielding by chad harbach harpercollins publishers, united kingdom, 2012. The art of fielding by chad harbach great books guide. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the art of fielding. Henrys fight against selfdoubt threatens to ruin his future. So while i can recommend the novel, with reservations, i cant make the four star leap. A talented shortstop in south dakota, henry, like most teenage athletes, dreams about playing in the major league. It revels in themes that have been unfashionable in literary fiction for generations team spirit, male friendship. Jan 28, 2012 c had harbach s the art of fielding crossbreeds two genres with limited gene pools, the baseball novel and the campus novel, and comes up with a vigorous hybrid, entertaining and engrossing. Reading guide for the art of fielding by chad harbach. Im sure little browns marketing and publicity departments have been doing.