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A review by lancakes
Foxcatcher: The True Story of My Brother's Murder, John Du Pont's Madness, and the Quest for Olympic Gold by Mark Schultz
4.0
I kind of wanted to rate it lower, but I couldn't put it down. This book is written by Mark Schultz, and it's basically an autobiography, it starts with his childhood, and details all of his hardships and victories, in life and in wrestling. Heavy on the detail of wrestling victories (not that that's bad, just if you're expecting to read a book just about John du Pont and his murder of Dave Schultz, there's definitely more to this book). Mark exposes the financial hardships facing wrestlers at the time and the catch-22 of choosing to go pro to make enough money to compete, or to stay amateur so they were allowed to compete. This lack of revenue and financial support from USA Wrestling made Mark, and Dave, and many other wrestlers, vulnerable to the financial support offered by eccentric millionaire John du Pont, I say vulnerable to because that support came with a lot of conditions. Du Pont is portrayed as a sad, manipulative, disgusting man (not even?) who used his money to gain control and prestige. He created foundations so that foundation could hold an annual award ceremony to honour him every year. He wrote and paid to have published at least two books. He financed a Discovery Channel documentary of himself and his involvement in Villanova's athletics. He hoarded weapons and had an honourary police badge for donations made to the police force, some of which he personally trained at the gun range on his estate. And then one day, seemingly for no reason, he shot Dave Schultz in front of Dave's wife, less than an hour before Dave's kids were done school for the day.
It's a compelling read, but there are definitely some places that made me roll my eyes. In some parts Mark expresses depth and emotionally complex male friendships but then he never mentions having a relationship to a female that possesses a quality other than being hot. He's pretty vocal about how Title IX was a good idea but it financially ruined a lot of college wrestling programmes. Having not myself been working in a college athletics programme in the States when Title IX was passed, I can't refute his claims, but the way he argues that some sports shouldn't have had to comply because they were male dominated rubbed me the wrong way, because that was the point of Title IX.
Also, he moves to Utah and becomes a Mormon, which in the book basically comes out of nowhere.
However, I think the parts that rub me the wrong way are also what makes this book good, it's a completely honest (from his perspective) account that is definitely written in his own voice. I also think it's really cool he includes the major accomplishments of wrestlers that are mentioned throughout the book.
It's a compelling read, but there are definitely some places that made me roll my eyes. In some parts Mark expresses depth and emotionally complex male friendships but then he never mentions having a relationship to a female that possesses a quality other than being hot. He's pretty vocal about how Title IX was a good idea but it financially ruined a lot of college wrestling programmes. Having not myself been working in a college athletics programme in the States when Title IX was passed, I can't refute his claims, but the way he argues that some sports shouldn't have had to comply because they were male dominated rubbed me the wrong way, because that was the point of Title IX.
Also, he moves to Utah and becomes a Mormon, which in the book basically comes out of nowhere.
However, I think the parts that rub me the wrong way are also what makes this book good, it's a completely honest (from his perspective) account that is definitely written in his own voice. I also think it's really cool he includes the major accomplishments of wrestlers that are mentioned throughout the book.