Reviews

A Sport and a Pastime by James Salter

mhwriter2024's review

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4.0

Vivid writing by the late James Salter drives his novel about the sexual relationship between a young American living abroad in France, and his 18 year old French girlfriend. The book was published in 1967, and the unique literary style by American author Salter was matched by its steady barrage of sex that might have been considered edgy for a 1967 novel. The descriptions of Paris and part of the French countryside are amazing. With that said, the narrative has its issues, in terms of plot, and the fact that an unnamed narrator retells most of the story, while only witnessing some of it. Reading it in 2024, some of the descriptions of people of color, as ancillary characters in cafes, and nightclubs that figure in the story seem dated, and offensive. I read it because I really want to read Salter's autobiography, Burning the Days, in 2024.. and A Sport is his best known book.

eleanornd's review

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emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

mvalat01's review

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

mollrichards's review

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3.0

I found that the style of this book (lots of short sentences) impeded the narrative of this book. However once I got into it, I found the narrator’s relationship towards the couple intriguing and complex. Heterosexual male desire is explored but maybe what was more interesting, was the narrator’s envy/attention of/to another man.

hotbookwench's review

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1.0

Started out with very cool passages cut with sex scenes every couple chapters. Then the plot got lost and sex scenes increased to nearly every five pages the closer you got to the end of the book. Plot of the book became just one big sex scene in multiple French hotels. At first it gave European Rear Window / Great Gatsby and then it devolved into something much less interesting. Still, it was a very peculiar little novel.

flow_state's review

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5.0

So beautifully dreamy and intense

sokhiengtim's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I would say it was a good erotic literature I have read. It's thought-provoking. It reflected deeply on our modern world. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

jessicannlynn's review

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adventurous dark reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I appreciate this book for its literary value and Salter's mercurial writing, but I just didn't connect with the characters. 

kaassneter42's review against another edition

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3.0

Er is echt nauwelijks een structuur of plot, er zijn geen echte conflicten, de proza zelf, hoewel prachtig geschreven, leest alsof er 4 schrijvers tegelijk aan het schrijven zijn, het is super gedateerd en seksistisch, maar toch heeft het een magisch iets wat je door het boek heen trekt. De zinnen zijn soms zo creatief in de inhoud en verbanden tussen elkaar, erg cool.

Ik zit echt te twijfelen tussen 3 en 4, er is zo veel slecht en problematisch en onbegrijpelijks aan, maar tegelijkertijd vind ik het ook echt immens vet

jjuliasara's review

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0