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katewutz's review
4.0
Even though I'm not a huge baseball fan, I loved this book! George Plimpton does so much with the ideas of Buddhism, baseball, post-traumatic stress disorder...and it's all laugh-out-loud-in-the-library funny.
thomcat's review
4.0
A novel released in 1987 that expanded on an April Fools article from 1985, this baseball novel works in more than a few real-life athletes, performers and writers - including the author. Light summer reading, this holds up well.
I did not read the original article, and was not a particular fan of the Mets when this book came out. Several Mets appear in the narrative of course, and the story closes with a hint that the Mets might make it to the World Series in 1986. Since this coda was written in late '86 or early '87, it's not exactly divination...
Told mostly from the perspective of a writer, the characters are kind of flat. The situations are interesting, though, with a hint of mystery and, at the close of the book, a chapter of crime action. I read this over a hot weekend, and it was worth the time spent.
I did not read the original article, and was not a particular fan of the Mets when this book came out. Several Mets appear in the narrative of course, and the story closes with a hint that the Mets might make it to the World Series in 1986. Since this coda was written in late '86 or early '87, it's not exactly divination...
Told mostly from the perspective of a writer, the characters are kind of flat. The situations are interesting, though, with a hint of mystery and, at the close of the book, a chapter of crime action. I read this over a hot weekend, and it was worth the time spent.
stayathomereader's review
3.0
Every single character was quirky in a way that made them insufferable and unbelievable, yet the baseball theme kept me in the story of a lost English monk with one hell of an arm.
Unless you are a baseball fan, I can't imagine this is worth reading. Its incredibly dry humor will only be a hit if you have an interest in America's pastime, and what a pitcher who could throw 168mph would do to the game.
Unless you are a baseball fan, I can't imagine this is worth reading. Its incredibly dry humor will only be a hit if you have an interest in America's pastime, and what a pitcher who could throw 168mph would do to the game.
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