The Art of Fielding

[lilibet]

Has anyone read this? iIve jsut finished it and would love to chat about it.

I have, I liked it, though a bit US studenty. What did you think?

Oooh, good! someone turned up.

SPOILERS IN THIS POST IN CASE ANYONE TURNS UP WHO HASN'T READ IT!

I thought it was very good at the start but tailed off. I couldn't understand why Pella slept with Henry and thought it was at that point where the book started to loose me a bit.

I also didn't think that Owen's feelings for Guert were real until the second 'funeral'.

I did love Schwartz though.

I agree about the whole Pella Henry thing being very odd, but I guess it was a symptom of Henry's loss of self and Pella's apathy. And maybe it needed to happen for the final redemption? Pella & Schwartz who were obviously made for each other needed a break too, to make the ending better. At least there was a proper ending, and kinda nice that Henry took over Schwartz role.

Have you read A Prayer for Owen Meany? It reminded me of that while I was reading it, particularly the two central characters. But I also read The Marriage Plot just after The Art of Fielding, and now looking back am getting the two a bit mixed up, though at the time much preferred The Art of Fielding, far more interesting characters.

A Prayer for Owen Meaney is in my top five all time books, I love it. Yes, I thought about that with the baseball hitting Owen.

The VW Beetle in the school and the nativity play are two of the funniest things I have ever read.

I'm now reading The Tin Drum which has also been compared to Owen Meaney, but it's not grabbing me.

I read Virgin Suicides recently, same writer as The Marriage Plot, it wasn't what I expected.