92aliboo's review against another edition
4.0
Did not expect to enjoy this so much
Went and saw Maria Semple speak and she mentioned that this book was great. It was also a part of the Red Rooster, so I thought I’d give it a shot despite not being a sports gal. Glad I did.
Went and saw Maria Semple speak and she mentioned that this book was great. It was also a part of the Red Rooster, so I thought I’d give it a shot despite not being a sports gal. Glad I did.
tonythep's review against another edition
5.0
Every year 22 men meet to reenact the fateful play when Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theisman had his leg shattered by New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor on Monday Night Football in 1985. What an odd premise, you say? Yes,indeed. But in the hands of author Chris Bachelder, this is the perfect setting for an examination of the fragile psyche of the American male. Thoughtful, sad, and freaking hilarious, this is more about the rituals we perform in order to belong than it is about football. I must admit that as a lifelong Redskins fan, being familiar with all the players' names, this might have more resonance with me than with the average reader. But it's not really about football.
carmenere's review against another edition
3.0
22 middle-aged men get together annually to reenact, Washington Redskins, Joe Theisman's career ending injury and Lawrence Taylor's reaction to it. The reenactment is really quite a big deal and taken very seriously, almost sacredly. Know that this book is not just about 10 seconds of football, it is about the lives and thoughts of the men playing their parts. I'd liken this story to entering the inner sanctum of a man cave and at heart, men are still boys. I wasn't keen on reading this book but so glad I gave it a chance.
eallegro's review against another edition
3.0
would be a 3.5
10% talking about football
90% waxing about the meaning of life
10% talking about football
90% waxing about the meaning of life
coffeecrusader's review against another edition
4.0
A book about masculine rituals and middle age. Funny in a satirical sort of way.
thebeardedpoet's review against another edition
5.0
Normally I'd never read a novel about football, let alone football reenactment, but I dipped into this book after attending a writing workshop with Chris Bachelder. Once I started I couldn't stop. The novel examines, in a humorous and moving way, what happens when these men gather for their annual reenactment of a devastating football play. It's about how men act when they are away from home and with other men, both unseemly and sensitive. And throughout this novel are the most hilarious catalogs I've ever read.
automedion44's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
dons_books's review against another edition
5.0
You could be forgiven thinking that this is "just" a book about football, fans, and a famous tragic play on the field. And, while it is, it is so much more: an engaging, sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant, sometimes heart wrenching, examination of modern masculinity and men's relationships and the stream of consciousness that middle age brings.