lisareadsthings's review against another edition
2.0
King is an excellent writer and there are some genuinely funny and sweet (taking mother-in-law to game) moments. But I stopped giving a damn about sports 25ish years ago. So, for me, the only thing more boring than watching baseball is reading about it.
beightmana's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
5.0
mcsnide's review against another edition
3.0
A fun account of the 2004 season written from the perspective of two fans as the season unfolded. It was fun to relive that season during the dark days of winter. And now, just 14 more days til pitchers and catchers report!
pawsomereads2's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a huge baseball fan but sadly there's no baseball to watch on tv so I decided to read about it instead!
lilias's review against another edition
4.0
It's a great cover.
To make things simple in conversation, I have often fallen back on telling people I am not a sports fan. So it was a suprise for a few friends of mine when I was going ca-razy during the post-season Red Sox games this year. The way I see it, being a fan of the Red Sox, or of baseball really, doesn't necessarily mean you're a fan of sports; you could just be a fan of history. Baseball, to me, is all about history. And, while I couldn't care less about any other sports team on the planet (except for Italy's national soccer/football/calcio... team, but that's another review), I love the Red Sox. I grew up watching them. Then I let college and grad school stop me. And that's really why I read this book.
So, yes, about the book. There were some moments I really loved, and they usually came from my fellow Mainer Stephen King. Those moments were the ones when he broke away from the play-by-play recounting of each game and shared with the reader what it means to be a Red Sox fan. An example because I am procrastinating and it's worth it:
"There is a very real streak of dour pessimism in the New England character, and it runs right down into the bedrock. We buy new cars expecting them to be lemons. We put in new heating systems and suspect them not just to go tits-up but to do it stealthily, thereby suffocating the kiddies in their beds (but leaving us, their parents, to grieve and blame ourselves for at least fifty years). We understand we're never going to win the lottery, we know we'll get that unpassable and exquisitely painful gallstone on a hunting or snowmobiling trip far from medical help, and that Robert Frost was fucking-A right when he said that good fences make good neighbors. We expect the snow to turn into freezing rain, rich relatives to die leaving us nothing, and the kids (assuming they escape the Black Furnace Death) to get refused by the college of their choice. And we expect the Red Sox to lose. It's the curse, all right, but it has nothing to do with the Bambino; it's the curse of living here, in New England, just up that Christing potholed I-84 deathroad from the goddamn New York Yankees." (page 199, if you're interested.)
Every game from the entire season is in here, and for me that got pretty tedious and took away from my enjoyment. But this book is the ultimate book about baseball, its history, and its fans. It's worth a read even if you hate the Sox but love the game.
To make things simple in conversation, I have often fallen back on telling people I am not a sports fan. So it was a suprise for a few friends of mine when I was going ca-razy during the post-season Red Sox games this year. The way I see it, being a fan of the Red Sox, or of baseball really, doesn't necessarily mean you're a fan of sports; you could just be a fan of history. Baseball, to me, is all about history. And, while I couldn't care less about any other sports team on the planet (except for Italy's national soccer/football/calcio... team, but that's another review), I love the Red Sox. I grew up watching them. Then I let college and grad school stop me. And that's really why I read this book.
So, yes, about the book. There were some moments I really loved, and they usually came from my fellow Mainer Stephen King. Those moments were the ones when he broke away from the play-by-play recounting of each game and shared with the reader what it means to be a Red Sox fan. An example because I am procrastinating and it's worth it:
"There is a very real streak of dour pessimism in the New England character, and it runs right down into the bedrock. We buy new cars expecting them to be lemons. We put in new heating systems and suspect them not just to go tits-up but to do it stealthily, thereby suffocating the kiddies in their beds (but leaving us, their parents, to grieve and blame ourselves for at least fifty years). We understand we're never going to win the lottery, we know we'll get that unpassable and exquisitely painful gallstone on a hunting or snowmobiling trip far from medical help, and that Robert Frost was fucking-A right when he said that good fences make good neighbors. We expect the snow to turn into freezing rain, rich relatives to die leaving us nothing, and the kids (assuming they escape the Black Furnace Death) to get refused by the college of their choice. And we expect the Red Sox to lose. It's the curse, all right, but it has nothing to do with the Bambino; it's the curse of living here, in New England, just up that Christing potholed I-84 deathroad from the goddamn New York Yankees." (page 199, if you're interested.)
Every game from the entire season is in here, and for me that got pretty tedious and took away from my enjoyment. But this book is the ultimate book about baseball, its history, and its fans. It's worth a read even if you hate the Sox but love the game.
kmk182's review against another edition
2.0
As a casual baseball fan this season was thrilling. In book form that thrill didn't translate. A lot more statistics than emotion at times. While King's writing was good, I found O'Nan's portions too dry.
blackestclovers's review against another edition
5.0
Stellar telling of the 04 MLB Seasons the Red Sox broke all curses and damned all doubters to make history. Remembering this season as the season the Sox captured my young, baseball heart it was amazing. The feels! Check this out (unless you're a Yankees fan. Then... maybe keep trying to forget it)
Good review here: http://www.ninetyfoot.com/articles/2016/12/15/faithful-is-timeless
Good review here: http://www.ninetyfoot.com/articles/2016/12/15/faithful-is-timeless