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A review by harukoreads
Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories by Chris Crutcher
3.0
Gotta be honest, I probably would have never picked this book up except for the fact that it's been banned so many times. And I have to say, I'm glad I've read it!
This series of short stories features characters from Crutcher's other novels, but I found them enjoyable even as a reader unfamiliar with his work. I can see why this book has caused so much pearl clutching, since it speaks so candidly about gay men, AIDS, drugs, death, sexism, racism (warning for extensive use of slurs), prejudice, sex, religion, abusive parents... I could go on. That being said, I think all of these topics are discussed with care and nuance, and it's plain the Crutcher respects his young readers with these complicated topics. My favorite story in the collection was The Pin (about a high school wrestler who decides to wrestle his abusive father).
I probably won't be reading more Crutcher, because although some of these stories were very heartfelt, the focus on sports isn't really for me, and the adolescent boy narratives sometimes led to fairly two-dimensional female characters, but that being said I think the world is better for having this book, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys sports novels or deliberately reading banned books.
This series of short stories features characters from Crutcher's other novels, but I found them enjoyable even as a reader unfamiliar with his work. I can see why this book has caused so much pearl clutching, since it speaks so candidly about gay men, AIDS, drugs, death, sexism, racism (warning for extensive use of slurs), prejudice, sex, religion, abusive parents... I could go on. That being said, I think all of these topics are discussed with care and nuance, and it's plain the Crutcher respects his young readers with these complicated topics. My favorite story in the collection was The Pin (about a high school wrestler who decides to wrestle his abusive father).
I probably won't be reading more Crutcher, because although some of these stories were very heartfelt, the focus on sports isn't really for me, and the adolescent boy narratives sometimes led to fairly two-dimensional female characters, but that being said I think the world is better for having this book, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys sports novels or deliberately reading banned books.