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yefkarpidis's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
emileedavis's review against another edition
4.0
The most beautiful ways of describing the art of making love that I have ever read.
erinrob2's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
it was unfortunately not a homoerotic fiction as i mistakenly believed, however the writing was luscious, the vibes were there minus the slight pedophilla
iancarpenter's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully written. The sensuality and sexuality is so very welcome. It feels like it was written in the 30s somehow. Simple, painful, sweet, mildly cruel, it's got a great bead on a straight young man's sexual obsessions and romantic inadequacies. I loved it and will definitely be reading loads more of Salter's.
lindzlovesreading's review against another edition
4.0
It is a testament to Salter's prose that 'a sport and a pastime' was not a creepy Norman Bates-esque novel. The plot of an older American fantasying and imagining the intimate details of two young lovers in the deep hay stacked heart of France would give that impression that it just might turn that way.
The writing stopped me dead, the last few books I have read were fuelled with a manic energy, action everywhere. But this book with it's short sharp sentences and to the point descriptions, was more a calming mediative read, much like being in rural France in possibly I think the late 1950's maybe early 60's. I had to read this book in silence just absorb every gorgeous metaphor and simile.
The unreliable narrator (and I do love a good unreliable narrator) gives this book added depth, it is more than a boasting playboy American and the French local he seduces, it is the narrator imagining how they actual felt about each other, how they spend their time together, how they have sex. And I do have to say, I liked that the sex was quite fumbley at times, bodies crashing into one another. Bad breath in the morning. The sex scenes were never over blown, always simple and to the point. It was surprisingly refreshing.
Though I do have to say the narrative did smell a little like a French art house film. Think Last Tango in Paris, but Marlin Brando only thinking about other people have sex. Or Bridget Bardot smoking in a bath tub, and never wear pants, while still smoking.
This is a novel that reminds of a time when books could be sparse, to the point and did not have to pad every thing out to a plump 400 pages. This is an exercise of pure writing.
The writing stopped me dead, the last few books I have read were fuelled with a manic energy, action everywhere. But this book with it's short sharp sentences and to the point descriptions, was more a calming mediative read, much like being in rural France in possibly I think the late 1950's maybe early 60's. I had to read this book in silence just absorb every gorgeous metaphor and simile.
The unreliable narrator (and I do love a good unreliable narrator) gives this book added depth, it is more than a boasting playboy American and the French local he seduces, it is the narrator imagining how they actual felt about each other, how they spend their time together, how they have sex. And I do have to say, I liked that the sex was quite fumbley at times, bodies crashing into one another. Bad breath in the morning. The sex scenes were never over blown, always simple and to the point. It was surprisingly refreshing.
Though I do have to say the narrative did smell a little like a French art house film. Think Last Tango in Paris, but Marlin Brando only thinking about other people have sex. Or Bridget Bardot smoking in a bath tub, and never wear pants, while still smoking.
This is a novel that reminds of a time when books could be sparse, to the point and did not have to pad every thing out to a plump 400 pages. This is an exercise of pure writing.
chelsea21's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
inoirita's review against another edition
5.0
The book is narrated by a very unreliable narrator, who describes the extremely passionate affair of a dashing American college dropout Philip Dean and a young French girl, Anne Marie.
Set in the 1960s France, our unnamed narrator meets Philip Dean. He is instantly impressed with his wisdom and goes on to imagine the relationship between Philip and the girl he is seen with, Anne Marie. Philip is everything that our narrator is not.
The narrator falls in love with someone and rather than approaching her like Philip would do, he gives up the idea of it and makes it difficult for us to comprehend the existence of Philip Dean. Maybe he did, maybe the narrator envied him, admired him or maybe he was just a string of his imagination caused due to his own shortcomings. The uncertainty of the existence of Philip Dean will surely drive the reader crazy.
Philip and Anne Marie is imagined by the narrator as if they were a young couple, very exuberant and filled with passion in their hearts.
Besides this, the best part of the novel is the ornamentation. The prose style of James Salter is beautiful and he creates such a vivid picture of the French countryside and it's dainty cafes and shops and the mesmerizing landscape.
Set in the 1960s France, our unnamed narrator meets Philip Dean. He is instantly impressed with his wisdom and goes on to imagine the relationship between Philip and the girl he is seen with, Anne Marie. Philip is everything that our narrator is not.
The narrator falls in love with someone and rather than approaching her like Philip would do, he gives up the idea of it and makes it difficult for us to comprehend the existence of Philip Dean. Maybe he did, maybe the narrator envied him, admired him or maybe he was just a string of his imagination caused due to his own shortcomings. The uncertainty of the existence of Philip Dean will surely drive the reader crazy.
Philip and Anne Marie is imagined by the narrator as if they were a young couple, very exuberant and filled with passion in their hearts.
Besides this, the best part of the novel is the ornamentation. The prose style of James Salter is beautiful and he creates such a vivid picture of the French countryside and it's dainty cafes and shops and the mesmerizing landscape.