A review by cseibs
The Natural by Bernard Malamud

2.0

I like a good, All-American Novel, and the plot line delivered in that respect. However, I failed to see the "poetic" nature of Malamud's flat prose, which so many other reviewers seem to have fallen for. I also can't get over the rampant misogyny of the book. I get that the novel was written in and for another time, but I still can't stomach how 'dames' are always Roy's downfall, with no clear culpability placed on Roy. Having seen and loved the movie, made in and for a slightly more enlightened time, the book strikes me as a disappointment.