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A review by caomhin
A Guy Like Me: The John Scott Story by Brian Cazeneuve, John Scott
5.0
This is an autobiography of a hockey player. A hockey player I had never heard of before. That's probably because I know next to nothing about hockey. No seriously, I'm English. That means hockey for me is a bunch of vicious schoolgirls knocking lumps out of each other in a green field. So for me, this is a book about an ice hockey player because that's what we call the sport where men skate around and have snowball fights featuring fists instead of snowballs.
And I loved reading this book!
Okay, so I admit I may not be a typical non-hockey-fan-reader. I love stories of oddballs, outcasts, and eccentrics. So when I was told there was a book about a chap who got voted into the All-Star game and they, whoever they are, tried to stop him playing, I was instantly curious. Go back a few lines, I'm English - we love an underdog.
And in those preceding paragraphs I've written you can get a little hint as to what makes this book work so well. I'm an outsider to this world and yet John Scott managed to make me feel welcome. The writing feels authentic. It's accessible. Of course, there are hockey terms and phrases but they are easy to understand. The book mentions a multitude of hockey players whom will no doubt mean more to hockey fans than they did me, but I didn't need to know career stats or anything to follow along.
Of course, a large portion of the book follows Scott's career but it has a good balance of him as a person too. And that, for me anyway, is what brings an autobiography to life. We are people, and therefore we relate to other people. If I was a puck perhaps I would want a different book, but I am a person so I enjoy reading about people. For me, that is what opens up new topics to me. I love listening to people who are passionate about something talk on their subject because I enjoy their relationship with it. I can relate it to my personal experiences and understand their affection.
That's why I enjoyed this book too. Scott comes across as a thoroughly decent bloke (as we say in these parts). He's the kind of guy I can imagine sitting and talking with over a pint of Guinness. Sure, his world is pretty alien to me, but through this book I feel I have learnt a lot about both the man and his sport. I didn't feel patronised, I feel he enjoys showing people the nuances that make his world so much fun for him. And that makes for a truly engaging autobiography.
All this superb storytelling builds up to his, apparently, famous All-Star Game. I was rooting for him. Forget that the cover tells you the outcome, I was invested. The preceding chapters showed me a likeable man and I could see why the fans were behind him. Why his fellow players welcomed him. Why he belonged at that game. I want to go back and watch those games. I wish I could have seen them live because they sound like they were worth watching.
And that's the icing on the cake for this one. Scott pulled me into his story. I was transported back to a game I never saw of a sport I barely know. Does any storyteller want anything more than that?
Maybe if I was a hockey fan I'd say it was too light, but I don't think I would. It feels like it has enough for the more informed reader too. But as a random Englishman who heard a glimpse of this bizarre story? It's a superb read. It ticks all the boxes for an autobiography, for a sports book, and for a happy ending too. It's a feel good read for everyone.
And I loved reading this book!
Okay, so I admit I may not be a typical non-hockey-fan-reader. I love stories of oddballs, outcasts, and eccentrics. So when I was told there was a book about a chap who got voted into the All-Star game and they, whoever they are, tried to stop him playing, I was instantly curious. Go back a few lines, I'm English - we love an underdog.
And in those preceding paragraphs I've written you can get a little hint as to what makes this book work so well. I'm an outsider to this world and yet John Scott managed to make me feel welcome. The writing feels authentic. It's accessible. Of course, there are hockey terms and phrases but they are easy to understand. The book mentions a multitude of hockey players whom will no doubt mean more to hockey fans than they did me, but I didn't need to know career stats or anything to follow along.
Of course, a large portion of the book follows Scott's career but it has a good balance of him as a person too. And that, for me anyway, is what brings an autobiography to life. We are people, and therefore we relate to other people. If I was a puck perhaps I would want a different book, but I am a person so I enjoy reading about people. For me, that is what opens up new topics to me. I love listening to people who are passionate about something talk on their subject because I enjoy their relationship with it. I can relate it to my personal experiences and understand their affection.
That's why I enjoyed this book too. Scott comes across as a thoroughly decent bloke (as we say in these parts). He's the kind of guy I can imagine sitting and talking with over a pint of Guinness. Sure, his world is pretty alien to me, but through this book I feel I have learnt a lot about both the man and his sport. I didn't feel patronised, I feel he enjoys showing people the nuances that make his world so much fun for him. And that makes for a truly engaging autobiography.
All this superb storytelling builds up to his, apparently, famous All-Star Game. I was rooting for him. Forget that the cover tells you the outcome, I was invested. The preceding chapters showed me a likeable man and I could see why the fans were behind him. Why his fellow players welcomed him. Why he belonged at that game. I want to go back and watch those games. I wish I could have seen them live because they sound like they were worth watching.
And that's the icing on the cake for this one. Scott pulled me into his story. I was transported back to a game I never saw of a sport I barely know. Does any storyteller want anything more than that?
Maybe if I was a hockey fan I'd say it was too light, but I don't think I would. It feels like it has enough for the more informed reader too. But as a random Englishman who heard a glimpse of this bizarre story? It's a superb read. It ticks all the boxes for an autobiography, for a sports book, and for a happy ending too. It's a feel good read for everyone.