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A review by bryanfarmer
The Sportswriter by Richard Ford
5.0
In 1996, I read The Sportswriter and loved the simple story of a divorced man in the early 80s who is navigating new relationships, new friendships, the death of a son, the trappings of being a writer and, most importantly, regret. Up until a few month ago, I would consider it my most favorite book ever ([b:On Beauty|3679|On Beauty|Zadie Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495961870s/3679.jpg|910752], by Zadie Smith, holds that title now).
Now that I'm over 40, I wanted to re-read it and see if it still resonated the same with me. Most of it did (it's still in the top ten), but I found some parts of the book hasn't withstood the test of time. Frank Bascombe overthinks everything and doesn't quite understand his own privilege (a very new concept blossoming in the Internet age). However, it's beautifully and keenly written and a great profile of a divorced intellectual learning to deal with grief in a very honest way. The book contains one of my favorite quotes, and I feel like it summarizes the book wholly:
Now that I'm over 40, I wanted to re-read it and see if it still resonated the same with me. Most of it did (it's still in the top ten), but I found some parts of the book hasn't withstood the test of time. Frank Bascombe overthinks everything and doesn't quite understand his own privilege (a very new concept blossoming in the Internet age). However, it's beautifully and keenly written and a great profile of a divorced intellectual learning to deal with grief in a very honest way. The book contains one of my favorite quotes, and I feel like it summarizes the book wholly:
"For now let me say only this: if sportswriting teaches you anything, and there is much truth to it as well as plenty of lies, it is that for your life to be worth anything you must sooner or later face the possibility of terrible, searing regret. Though you must also manage to avoid it or your life will be ruined. I believe I have done these two things. Faced down regret. Avoided ruin. And I am here to tell about it."