A review by bunnieslikediamonds
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

2.0

Somewhat puzzled by the praise heaped on this novel. The writing isn't bad, the college setting is charming, and I'm sure all the baseball stuff is interesting for those who know anything about it. The characters though - none of them seemed believable to me. At first, I was eager to know what lay beneath the surface of Mike's devotion to the team, Guert's lovesickness, Owen's composure, Henry's innocence, Pella's general snottiness. Turns out, there's not much there. The insights these people have are so banal it's hard to care. The whole thing felt artificial, from the precious names (Guert? Pella?) to the lovable Owen (look! a black gay man on the baseball team and nobody raises an eyebrow!). I'd rather read "The Sperm Squeezers".