juliaem's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this up at the local bookstore because it was $6, and the cover looked vaguely familiar. After reading the blurb on the back, however, which gave the impression that it was just another riff on melodramatic college experiences, I was worried it was going to be like Tom Wolfe's I Am Charlotte Simmons (which...ugh). Or even worse, Jeffrey Eugenides' The Marriage Plot (because I love Eugenides and there is a unique sadness to reading a not-great novel written by someone whose writing you typically love). Instead, The Art of Fielding was perfectly charming. Every bit of it. Not earth-shattering, but wasn't trying to be. Nicely poignant, and felt like a treat to read.
kristenmccon's review against another edition
3.0
Didn't love it, didn't hate it. Intriguing story but didn't care much about any of the characters.
amslersf's review against another edition
3.0
The college kids in this book make a lot of dumb decisions, but it makes sense, since they are in fact still kids in most ways. I probably would have made the decision to love this book 20 years ago, but today, not so much. I thoroughly enjoyed the baseball parts of the book, which are not as prevalent as you might guess. The other chapters were maddeningly engaging but not satisfying. I loved the zen master excerpts on playing shortstop.
floryjac's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best books I've read this year. Like Friday Night Lights isn't really about football, this book isn't really about baseball. A great story about finding out who you're destined to be and the path to getting there.
mattnixon's review against another edition
2.0
If you like John Irving, Harbach does a great John Irving impersonation here. If you hate Irving don't bother.
baldmountain's review against another edition
3.0
It's a pretty good read. Normally I'd say 4 stars, but the book snaps and feels like two books twisted together.
alexandrahope91's review against another edition
4.0
Re-read:
Read: December 2011
This book was recommended by John Green in one of his videos. I have to say that I really liked it. It's long, but the story moves quickly. It's written in 3rd person, but the point of view switches every chapter or so, so you get to see inside the minds of most of the main characters. It's about baseball and love, and ethics, and depression, and dreams, and tragedy, and Herman Melville and college. If you're looking for something poignant and stimulating, this is your novel.
And also: by the end, you'll be convinced you actually know the characters. And then 3 months later, you'll be just going on with your life and you'll just think to yourself one day, "I wonder what's going on with Mike Schwartz??" And then you'll remember he's a character in a novel and then you'll have to spend at least 3 minutes pinpointing your place in reality.
Read: December 2011
This book was recommended by John Green in one of his videos. I have to say that I really liked it. It's long, but the story moves quickly. It's written in 3rd person, but the point of view switches every chapter or so, so you get to see inside the minds of most of the main characters. It's about baseball and love, and ethics, and depression, and dreams, and tragedy, and Herman Melville and college. If you're looking for something poignant and stimulating, this is your novel.
And also: by the end, you'll be convinced you actually know the characters. And then 3 months later, you'll be just going on with your life and you'll just think to yourself one day, "I wonder what's going on with Mike Schwartz??" And then you'll remember he's a character in a novel and then you'll have to spend at least 3 minutes pinpointing your place in reality.
cow_mk's review against another edition
3.0
Sometimes a book feels designed for an on-screen adaptation. This is one of those books. In some ways, this is a great quality. There is an ensemble of characters for the reader to watch and potentially identify with. Unfortunately, if none of the characters click then this story will be a winding and kind of boring path.
It's very well written, I think the dialogue in particular is a strong point. While the setting felt specific and rich, I didn't find it particularly captivating. Similarly, the characters are very specific and informed by clear motivations, but they aren't terribly sympathetic. Overall, this feels like the type of book that spends a season on display at your local book store and is then quickly forgotten about.
It's very well written, I think the dialogue in particular is a strong point. While the setting felt specific and rich, I didn't find it particularly captivating. Similarly, the characters are very specific and informed by clear motivations, but they aren't terribly sympathetic. Overall, this feels like the type of book that spends a season on display at your local book store and is then quickly forgotten about.