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wwhyte's review against another edition
4.0
This is a cute ghost story about sports, or a cute sports story that has ghosts. A boy from a logging town on the edge of the Brazilian rainforest finds a supernatural clearing where a mysterious goalkeeper takes him under his wing and shows him how to be the best keeper he can be. His talent and work are rewarded, he finds his way out of the working classes, he excels, he wins the world cup, but always with an edge of the supernatural to him.
I loved the technical side of this; you genuinely learn about what it feels like to be a goalie, all the considerations that have to be internalized and instinctive to make you one of the best. The book is set in a world where talent is recognized, hard work is rewarded, and enlightened self-interest leads to the best outcomes for the right people; you can argue about whether that world is this world, but the interest of the book is specifically in how you react to a gift from heaven, not so much in other kinds of struggle. As such it's single minded and satisfying, with a nice twist at the end. Recommended if you like soccer stories, or ghost stories, or if you have a goalie in your life.
I loved the technical side of this; you genuinely learn about what it feels like to be a goalie, all the considerations that have to be internalized and instinctive to make you one of the best. The book is set in a world where talent is recognized, hard work is rewarded, and enlightened self-interest leads to the best outcomes for the right people; you can argue about whether that world is this world, but the interest of the book is specifically in how you react to a gift from heaven, not so much in other kinds of struggle. As such it's single minded and satisfying, with a nice twist at the end. Recommended if you like soccer stories, or ghost stories, or if you have a goalie in your life.
debnanceatreaderbuzz's review against another edition
4.0
It's a 1001 book and I found an ebook of it available---there's no other reason I decided to read it today. I knew it was about soccer, and I honestly can't think of something I like to read about less than sports.
But it is a 1001 book. And it was available today. And it is short. So I plunged in.
And...I liked it. I liked it a lot.
It's the story of a boy who lives with his family in the South American jungle who learns how to play soccer from a mysterious figure in the wild. The boy is good, so good that he is recruited to play pro soccer and eventually wins the World Cup. This book is an interview between the boy, now thirty, and a sports reporter.
I found myself (me, a person who knows almost nothing about soccer) fascinated with the story of the boy, his family, soccer, the mysterious coach. I can't wait to share it with a person out there who actually likes sports (!)
But it is a 1001 book. And it was available today. And it is short. So I plunged in.
And...I liked it. I liked it a lot.
It's the story of a boy who lives with his family in the South American jungle who learns how to play soccer from a mysterious figure in the wild. The boy is good, so good that he is recruited to play pro soccer and eventually wins the World Cup. This book is an interview between the boy, now thirty, and a sports reporter.
I found myself (me, a person who knows almost nothing about soccer) fascinated with the story of the boy, his family, soccer, the mysterious coach. I can't wait to share it with a person out there who actually likes sports (!)
keirabrown's review against another edition
5.0
A fantastically imaginative tale of football, pathos and guidance.