Review – Audiobook: The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
The Art of Fielding
by Chad Harbach
Narrated by Holter Graham
Genre: Fiction, Baseball
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Publish Date: December 6, 2011
Format: Audio, 16 hours
Audio Listening Level: Intermediate
Rating: 4½ of 5
I usually write my own summary but I was having trouble with a concise description so I gave up and used the synopsis, above, from the publisher.
While the backdrop of the novel is baseball, and the title says baseball, there is a lot more going on than just sports; call it a literary sports novel. The plot is driven by five well-developed, engaging but ultimately flawed characters. It’s the individuals and their relationships with one another that will grab your interest and keep you reading/listening hour after hour.
Henry wants the American dream, to be a big league baseball player. He is ambitious, devoted to practicing hour after hour, long after everyone else’s day is finished. But when a single throw goes wrong, and a player is injured, Henry begins to doubt himself and his confidence is shattered. Mike Schwartz has subconsciously sabotaged his own career; he’s applying to law schools he won’t be admitted to, has succumbed to an addiction to pain pills and now faces an uncertain future. Meanwhile Owen and Guert have begun a dangerous liaison and are toying with disaster, and Pella needs to tie up some loose ends, put the past behind her and start fresh.
In the end a few things wrapped up a little too conveniently but I can overlook that because the rest of the novel was so good; and the very end was quite satisfying. Holter Graham’s narration was superb, a joy to listen to. I flew through the audio in only a few days never growing tired of his voice.
For me, as a baseball fan, it was obvious that the author knows the game, which only enhanced my enjoyment. But even if you know nothing about the game, I recommend giving this one a try. It’s that good.
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Source: Borrowed from the library
© 2012 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Everyone has been raving about this one.
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I really need to get to this book. I might be able to get to it quicker if I grabbed the audio.
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It’s one of the better audio productions I’ve listened to. Sixteen hours of listening flew by.
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This does sound so good and perfect fit for summer listening. I know a bit about baseball, so I’m intrigued. Sounds like an awesome narrator too!
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Hm….I’ve been avoiding this title because I’m not much of a sport’s fan, but this does seem like something I could get into. Thanks for the review!
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Terrific review! I can tell this audio book was a “hit” with you (sorry, I’m making bad puns today).
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I enjoyed this one too, but I shared your assessment of the ending. There was one storyline in particular I didn’t quite buy; it seemed inauthentic compared to the rest. I don’t listen to audio very often (if at all), but I bet this story would work quite well in that format. I’m glad you enjoyed this one!
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I really liked this book. I’m often flummoxed when asked to recommend a good “summer read” but I think this is it. Glad you liked it too.
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