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De Kunst Van Het Veldspel (2011)

by Chad Harbach(Favorite Author)

3.99 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

9023467566 (ISBN13: 9789023467564)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

De Bezige Bij

review 1: I sped through this book in a few days, but after finishing it, I realized how "meh" it truly was. Ostensibly about baseball and make relationships, it in fact isn't really about anything. How Harbach got so many pages out of the plot is beyond me, because he fails to ever really develop any of the storylines. The pivotal throw that drives the action struck me as no big deal- why would it affect the protagonist so deeply? Another character engages in the first homosexual relationship of his life without ever really examining what it means or why he's doing it. The only female character comes from nowhere and adds nothing to the book. Then, a ridiculous convenience aborts the only truly compelling plot point. The characters are one dimensional, stereotypical and thoroughly ... moreunbelievable.But still, I enjoyed it while I was reading it, and it kept my attention. It's a very easy, quick read- maybe beach fodder.
review 2: The game of baseball is a mystery to me, and has little appeal, even less so the fancy dress that seems to go with American field games, and having read the book I may be a little better informed about the game but I am no more enthusiastic; but none of this hindered my enjoyment of The Art of Fielding. The novel centres on a small group of individuals: Henry Skrimshander the young teen with an exceptional talent when it comes to handling a baseball; Mike Schwartz the college baseball captain how discovers Henry and talks both Henry and the quite backwater Westish College into his enrollment; Owen the super cool, gay black who is Henry's college roommate; Guert Affenlight the college principal; and Pella his daughter. We do get to meet other member of the team who comprise a wide mix of natures but their role is relatively minor.Henry and Mike soon become close friends, in fact Henry seems to have little else in his life besides baseball and Mike, so when things start to go wrong for Henry he is dependent on Mike, who is not always up to the task. His involvement with Henry is not helped when Pella appears on the scene and inevitably distracts Mike.Keeping an eye on the proceedings is Guert Affenlight, but this dashing and handsome older man begins to take too close an interest in Owen, an interest far from discouraged by the beautiful, slender young man, but which can only lead to disaster.The Art of Fielding is a well written and well constructed story, my appreciation of which was in no way hampered by my lack of interest or knowledge of the game of baseball. The characters are appealing and and clearly individual and one soon becomes concerned for each one of them; this is a touching and rewarding story of loyalties and friendship. less

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