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The Art of Fielding
544 pages, 2012
fiction
1382 booksWhen a baseball star's routine throw goes disastrously off course, five lives will be changed forever. Henry Skrimshander, the fates of five people are upended. College president Guert Affenlight, a longtime bachelor, has fallen unexpectedly in love. Owens Dunne, Henry's gay roommate and teammate, becomes caught up in a dangerous affair. Mike Schwartz, the Harpooners team captain and Henry's best friend, realizes he has guided Henry's career at the expense of his own. And Pella Affenlight, Guert's daughter, returns to Westish after escaping an ill-fated marriage, determined to start a new life. As the season counts down to its climactic final game, these five are forced to confront their deepest hopes anxieties secrets. In the process, they forge new bonds and help one another find their true paths.
In The Art of Fielding, Chad Harbach shows us that passion is a driving force in life. The main character, Henry, is deeply passionate about baseball, and it's this passion that drives him to excel. So, if you're passionate about something, don't be afraid to pursue it with all your heart.
Failure is a part of life, and it's something that Henry has to deal with in the book. Harbach teaches us that it's not about avoiding failure, but learning how to handle it and grow from it. So, next time you face a setback, remember Henry and see it as an opportunity to learn and grow.
Friendship is a central theme in The Art of Fielding. The relationships between the characters are complex and realistic, showing us the power of friendship in overcoming life's challenges. So, take a look at your own friendships and appreciate the support they provide.
Chad Harbach explores the struggle for identity in his book. Each character is trying to figure out who they are and where they fit in the world. This is a universal struggle that we all can relate to. So, if you're feeling lost, you're not alone. This book might help you find some answers.
Even if you're not a sports fan, you can appreciate the beauty of baseball as described by Harbach. He uses the sport as a metaphor for life, with its ups and downs, victories and defeats. So, why not check out a baseball game and see if you can find the beauty in it?
Quotes 3
The Art of Fielding is not only a wonderful baseball novel—it's also a magical, melancholic story about friendship and coming of age that marks Chad Harbach as an immensely talented new voice in American fiction.
John Irving - Novelist, ScreenwriterReading The Art of Fielding is like watching a hugely gifted young shortstop: you keep waiting for the errors, but there are no errors. First novels this complete and consuming come along very, very seldom.
Jonathan Franzen - Novelist, EssayistChad Harbach's The Art of Fielding is one of those rare novels—like Michael Chabon's Mysteries of Pittsburgh or John Irving's The World According to Garp—that seems to appear out of nowhere and then dazzles and bewitches and inspires until you nearly lose your breath from the enjoyment and satisfaction, as well as the unexpected news-blast that the novel is very much alive and well.
James Patterson - Author, Philanthropist
