Members Lucky Posted October 19, 2011 Members Posted October 19, 2011 The gay novel has taken it on the chin as gay people have increasingly become part of the mainstream. The Art of Fielding, by Chad Harbach, is not a gay novel, but what it is is a sign of how far we have come, for it has a strong gay subplot of young love, and no one seems to find that controversial. Well, maybe they do. Once I knew I was going to read the novel, I didn't read anything about it. I knew it was doing well on the charts, I knew it focused on a skilled young baseball player, Henry Skrimshander. Henry's relationship with the team's captain and catcher is rather homoerotic in itself, but no more so than many straight guys who play sports together in a close knit team. Henry's roommate is Owen Dunne, the openly gay and scholarly teammate on the baseball team,known as the Buddha for reasons you will discover if you read the book. The cast, as it were, is rounded out for the main roles by the young girl Pella, 23, who has come to live with her father, Guert Affenlight, who is the president of this midwestern college where most of the story takes place. College novels are red meat for authors, because they can make a lot take place in a known, finite time. Once college is over, those folks who just could not do without each other tend to move on. There is an ending to their relationship as their lives will change, and no matter how much they say they will keep in touch, we know that this is likely the highlight of their time together. The love interest for Owen is, at first, a studly young jock. But his affection for the president began when he was 14 and read a book that Affenlight had written. Then Affenlight got him the scholarship to attend the college, oddly named Westish. So it is not a surprise when it turns out that they might have affections for each other too. Could a 60 year old man truly be loved by a young college guy? You sure think so in this novel, and that fact alone makes it a good read for many of the guys here. Over the 4 year span of the novel, romance happens, victory then defeat then victory as the team comes together, crisis, more romance, and it all leads, in its 500+ pages to a very satisfying story, one that you will be sorry to see end. Now I can go and read the reviews, see what folks are saying about the gay subplot, and then return here to see if I motivated any of you to read this fine novel. Quote
Members Lucky Posted October 19, 2011 Author Members Posted October 19, 2011 If you are truly interested, the NY Times review is so much better than mine: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/11/books/review/the-art-of-fielding-by-chad-harbach-book-review.html Quote
TotallyOz Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 If you are truly interested, the NY Times review is so much better than mine: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/11/books/review/the-art-of-fielding-by-chad-harbach-book-review.html FWIW, I trust you more than the NYT reviewer. I did go to Amazon when I first saw your review and it gets VERY mixed reviews. That said, I bought it and will read it when I have time, most likely on next International flight. Thanks for the recommendation! Quote
Members Lucky Posted October 19, 2011 Author Members Posted October 19, 2011 I took the book back to the library today in the hopes that someone else will enjoy it as much as me. The reviews are not only great, they are splendid. I am pleased to be a part of this phenomenal book. Quote
Members eeyore Posted October 20, 2011 Members Posted October 20, 2011 Thanks for sharing. It's going on my Amazon list. Quote
Members Lucky Posted October 20, 2011 Author Members Posted October 20, 2011 FWIW, I trust you more than the NYT reviewer. I did go to Amazon when I first saw your review and it gets VERY mixed reviews. That said, I bought it and will read it when I have time, most likely on next International flight. Thanks for the recommendation! At the Barnes & Noble site, there is a long list of supportive blurbs for this novel by respected authors. Some of the reader responses were anti-gay, but not so many. But, Oz, I appreciate that you take my word over the Times! eeyore, I had you in mind when I wrote the review. I know it's not about Thailand, but it is good. Quote
Members Lucky Posted November 2, 2011 Author Members Posted November 2, 2011 i did read another gay novel recently. Alan Hollinghurst published his first novel in seven years: The Stranger's Child. I can see that he put a lot of work into it, creating a story that spanned decades, and populating it with unique characters. But, as many novels involving the upper classes of Britain go, it can be tedious and many of these unique characters utterly unlikable. The novel centers on the possibility that a heralded poet who died young may have been gay. It gives us a look at how gay writers lived before the days of gay liberation, and that facet of it is quite interesting. His previous novel, The Line of Beauty, appealed to me more than this one did, but I don't regret reading it. An interview with the author and a review of the book: Book Lucky Read Quote
Members eeyore Posted January 12, 2012 Members Posted January 12, 2012 Just finished it. Wonderful novel! Thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks for the recommendation. I'm starting the ERIC Larson book now, Garden of the Beasts. Quote
Members Lucky Posted January 13, 2012 Author Members Posted January 13, 2012 eeyore, I am glad the you liked the novel. We seem to have similar tastes, so let me know what recommendations you might have. Quote
Guest FourAces Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 I took the book back to the library today in the hopes that someone else will enjoy it as much as me. The reviews are not only great, they are splendid. I am pleased to be a part of this phenomenal book. Library? The building that used to house physical books? WOW didn't know they were still around Thanks for the detailed review. While I am not a huge reader I do enjoy a good book now and then. I might pick it up ... well the digital version Quote
