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brandongryder's review
5.0
I was blown away by The Sport of Kings. I finished this novel and realized that Morgan has a gift that only a handful of writers possess: she is simply a marvel. I figured out pretty quickly that few authors could write this book, this well, reading it was a pleasure from cover to cover. All books have soft spots or passages or chapters that are not as good as the rest of the book. This is true for The Sport of Kings, but I can say with all honesty that even the worst parts are brilliant. I could talk at length about how this book is a lesson on race, horse racing and history, but I wouldn't do it justice. I can't recommend it enough.
duparker's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Great book. Didn't know much before starting the reading of this book. It's tight and has bumps asking the way, and both those qualities create a very Southern Gothic feel to it. At times I couldn't tell what era we were in, but that added to the timelines of the story and the actions. Did it end the way I wanted? Nope, but it ended the way it should. Very well done.
scoutfinch75's review
5.0
When I received an advance reader copy of this book I was unsure. Horse breeding and horse riding? Not my usual interests. HOWEVER, I couldn't have been more wrong! This is one of most beautifully written books I have ever read. Rich with description and content, The Sport of Kings is a Majestic Masterpiece.
From the opening paragraph that see's Henry Morgan running away from his father through the corn fields, to the inevitable cataclysmic end, I was captivated.
This is a novel that presents to us the circle of life, the struggles humans face in this world we have created and a story of those strong enough to attempt to step off the inexorable path the circumstances of their birth put them upon and strike out towards a future of their own choosing.
Journeying through this book I could feel the dust from the barns on my skin, I could smell the hay, see Hellmouth's sublime perfection, hear the hooves of the horses racing, and taste the rich warm whiskey on my tongue. Every moment invaded my senses, drawing me mind, body and soul into the adventure.
I admit there are parts that are difficult to read, the racism, aggression, sheer nastiness and disregard for human life teared at my heart. But every moment of this journey with Henry, Henrietta and Allmon is worth the heartache. Nothing I write could ever do this book justice, so please read it and discover for yourself the intensity and beauty that is The Sport of Kings.
From the opening paragraph that see's Henry Morgan running away from his father through the corn fields, to the inevitable cataclysmic end, I was captivated.
This is a novel that presents to us the circle of life, the struggles humans face in this world we have created and a story of those strong enough to attempt to step off the inexorable path the circumstances of their birth put them upon and strike out towards a future of their own choosing.
Journeying through this book I could feel the dust from the barns on my skin, I could smell the hay, see Hellmouth's sublime perfection, hear the hooves of the horses racing, and taste the rich warm whiskey on my tongue. Every moment invaded my senses, drawing me mind, body and soul into the adventure.
I admit there are parts that are difficult to read, the racism, aggression, sheer nastiness and disregard for human life teared at my heart. But every moment of this journey with Henry, Henrietta and Allmon is worth the heartache. Nothing I write could ever do this book justice, so please read it and discover for yourself the intensity and beauty that is The Sport of Kings.
hannah_greendale's review
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Want to see my 16 All-Time Favorite Women's Prize Nominees on BookTube? Come find me at Hello, Bookworm.📚🐛
Click here to watch a video review of this book on my (old) channel, From Beginning to Bookend.
Henry Forge - proud, racist, and uncompromising - nurtures a lifelong obsession to breed the next Thoroughbred superhorse, a desire that his only child, Henrietta, adopts with the same degree of all-consuming fervor. Allmon Shaughnessy, a young black man adept at working with horses, arrives at the Forge farm. His appetite for success aligns with that of the Forge family, and the three are inextricably drawn together by their ambitions. The stakes are high and the cost is often too great in this epic multi-generational novel that beautifully blends history with fiction, racism with acceptance, and lust with love.
The Sport of Kings introduces three complex protagonists and gives substantial backstory for each character; when their stories finally collide readers have a firm grasp of the characters' personal baggage, secret longings, and desperate needs.
With compelling historical interludes, rich secondary and tertiary characters, and the careful weaving together of several poignant themes, The Sport of Kings rightfully deserves a spot among the Great American Novels. The author demonstrates unrelenting skill at crafting believable characterizations and painting florid portraits of the barbarism of horse racing and the decadence of the South.
The neighbor's tobacco plants extend as far as the boy can see, so that impossibly varying shades of green seem to comprise the known world, the undulating earth an expanse of green sea dotted only by black-ship tobacco barns, a green so penetrating, it promises a cool, fertile core a mile beneath his feet.
Myriad Thoroughbred horses come alive on the page, stunning in their form and magnificent for their powerful build. The horse races are both thrilling and distressing, so vividly rendered the reader holds tight to the reigns atop a determined horse and can hear hooves thundering, sense the animal's muscles rippling, and feel the cold sting of mud splattering one's face. It's easy to cheer those who cross the finish line and painful to mourn those who do not.
Two of the jocks sat in the mess of churned mud, crying like children over their broken horses where they lay, listening as the colt with the injured shoulder screamed.
Not only does this book touch on the cruelties of slavery, it delivers forthright testimony on the cascading effects of longstanding racism whose resonance has harmed multiple generations.
"The problem, Henry, as I have always seen it, is that the Negro is fundamentally a child, and children are incapable of understanding their own inferiority. Indeed, they generally err on the side of grandiose delusion. Mind you, the Negro is naturally playful, with a great capacity for joy, and I can appreciate that. But he's as self-pitying as he is playful, and like a child, he can despise you with as much passion in the evening as he loved and admired you in the morning."
Symbolism infuses countless pages, inciting conversation on the prevalence of bird cages and fertility in this book. With forced breeding that is tantamount to rape, beatings for non-compliant behavior, and the selling of horses and their young on the auction block, a fearless parallel is drawn between horse racing and slavery. Ever present is an underlying message of characters - human and animal alike - being trapped, feeling powerless, and longing for freedom.
She paused at the door and sighed. What did she know? That the horse has true and false floating ribs. That it has 205 bones in its body, the chestnuts on the backs of the limbs being remnants of the ancient horse alive in the modern; that, like a human, the horse sweats when it's nervous. That I am as trapped as any Thoroughbred.
The Sport of Kings is a book about grief, longing, and the defiant pursuit of one's passion. With skillful pacing and adroit character development, this contemporary novel glows with the triumphant light of a literary masterpiece.
Click here to watch a video review of this book on my (old) channel, From Beginning to Bookend.
Henry Forge - proud, racist, and uncompromising - nurtures a lifelong obsession to breed the next Thoroughbred superhorse, a desire that his only child, Henrietta, adopts with the same degree of all-consuming fervor. Allmon Shaughnessy, a young black man adept at working with horses, arrives at the Forge farm. His appetite for success aligns with that of the Forge family, and the three are inextricably drawn together by their ambitions. The stakes are high and the cost is often too great in this epic multi-generational novel that beautifully blends history with fiction, racism with acceptance, and lust with love.
The Sport of Kings introduces three complex protagonists and gives substantial backstory for each character; when their stories finally collide readers have a firm grasp of the characters' personal baggage, secret longings, and desperate needs.
With compelling historical interludes, rich secondary and tertiary characters, and the careful weaving together of several poignant themes, The Sport of Kings rightfully deserves a spot among the Great American Novels. The author demonstrates unrelenting skill at crafting believable characterizations and painting florid portraits of the barbarism of horse racing and the decadence of the South.
The neighbor's tobacco plants extend as far as the boy can see, so that impossibly varying shades of green seem to comprise the known world, the undulating earth an expanse of green sea dotted only by black-ship tobacco barns, a green so penetrating, it promises a cool, fertile core a mile beneath his feet.
Myriad Thoroughbred horses come alive on the page, stunning in their form and magnificent for their powerful build. The horse races are both thrilling and distressing, so vividly rendered the reader holds tight to the reigns atop a determined horse and can hear hooves thundering, sense the animal's muscles rippling, and feel the cold sting of mud splattering one's face. It's easy to cheer those who cross the finish line and painful to mourn those who do not.
Two of the jocks sat in the mess of churned mud, crying like children over their broken horses where they lay, listening as the colt with the injured shoulder screamed.
Not only does this book touch on the cruelties of slavery, it delivers forthright testimony on the cascading effects of longstanding racism whose resonance has harmed multiple generations.
"The problem, Henry, as I have always seen it, is that the Negro is fundamentally a child, and children are incapable of understanding their own inferiority. Indeed, they generally err on the side of grandiose delusion. Mind you, the Negro is naturally playful, with a great capacity for joy, and I can appreciate that. But he's as self-pitying as he is playful, and like a child, he can despise you with as much passion in the evening as he loved and admired you in the morning."
Symbolism infuses countless pages, inciting conversation on the prevalence of bird cages and fertility in this book. With forced breeding that is tantamount to rape, beatings for non-compliant behavior, and the selling of horses and their young on the auction block, a fearless parallel is drawn between horse racing and slavery. Ever present is an underlying message of characters - human and animal alike - being trapped, feeling powerless, and longing for freedom.
She paused at the door and sighed. What did she know? That the horse has true and false floating ribs. That it has 205 bones in its body, the chestnuts on the backs of the limbs being remnants of the ancient horse alive in the modern; that, like a human, the horse sweats when it's nervous. That I am as trapped as any Thoroughbred.
The Sport of Kings is a book about grief, longing, and the defiant pursuit of one's passion. With skillful pacing and adroit character development, this contemporary novel glows with the triumphant light of a literary masterpiece.
skippyfitzroy's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mgck's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
krobart's review
3.0
See my review here:
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2019/08/12/review-1382-the-sport-of-kings/
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2019/08/12/review-1382-the-sport-of-kings/
shanshanshannon's review
3.0
This was Literature with a capital L. The story moved slowly, but I liked how the flashback and family history fit together. While I liked the writing, I don't know if I enjoyed reading it. The biological and evolutionary explanations get chewy, and I caught myself skimming thought them.
caity_c's review against another edition
1.0
It was so long, overly descriptive, limited dialogue, poor transitions between characters and just boring.
I did not enjoy this one bit. I understand it has important themes of racism but I have read literature which is way stronger and powerful than this, like The Help and Jasper Jones.
Just disappointing. I had to flick through the last two hundred pages because I couldn’t stand the extensive description. This book easily could of been two hundred pages or less.
I did not enjoy this one bit. I understand it has important themes of racism but I have read literature which is way stronger and powerful than this, like The Help and Jasper Jones.
Just disappointing. I had to flick through the last two hundred pages because I couldn’t stand the extensive description. This book easily could of been two hundred pages or less.
johndiconsiglio's review against another edition
3.0
Once your ear adjusts to the grandiose language (Grass is green. I get it.), this horseracing epic delivers a Faulknerian sweep that’s dizzying, confounding, exhilarating & sometimes just plain nuts. Generations of an American thoroughbred dynasty claw their way across Kentucky bluegrass (still green) in a brutal Darwinian fight for bloodlines—people & horses. Yes, it’s as much about race as racing. Not a smooth ride, but you’ll learn the difference between dark bay, roan & chestnut. If you saddle up, keep the whip ready.