Darlings, Is THIS The "Book Of The Year?"

Well, girls.....not quite!!!!!!!!!

Let's start at the beginning: I read the "Vanity Fair" article, touting both Chad Harbach, and his first novel, "The Art Of Fielding." Which received a ringing endorsement by no less than our Literary/Generational Voice, Mr. Jonathan Franzen, he of the bespectacled dreaminess. With that pedigree, lambs, you know it was set to be, as I earlier posted, one of the Literary Events of the Fall. So,darlings, I simply haaaaaaaaad to read it! How could I show myself at cocktail parties, if I didn't?????

It turned out to be a very interesting experience. I began with some misgivings, because the first chapter turned out to be so loaded with baseball terminology, I thought I would have to purchase a Dummies Guide. Remember, I am someone whose knowledge of that sport comes exclusively from Gwen Verdon and the musical, "Damn Yankees," not to mention that Chris Burns film classic, "These Bases Are Loaded!!!!!"

"Is that what I am in for, the whole time?" I thought. "I will never make it!"

Then it moved away from baseball to developing some kind of narrative, which, by page 35, I was still unsure of. Or whether I wanted to continue, and if I had already wasted my money and time!!!!!! But then came page 50, when everything changed! That commences a chapter on Herman Melville, no less, and from that point, dolls, the book TAKES OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What starts out to be an almost exclusively baseball-centric novel turns into an amalgamation of the sport and American social mores in both academia and athletics. Mr. Harbach can write,; he has an insider's knowledge of both baseball and academics. But he is also full of surprises; one of the primary characters, Owen Dunn, turns out to be gay, and a relationship he develops herein turns out to be the crux of much of what motivates and drives the plot of Harbach's driving novel. I could not stop reading, till I found out what happened to Owen, Pella, Henry, Schwartzy, Affenlight, and the rest, because I was so invested in them, darlings, I literally gobbled this delicious literary delicacy!!!!!

So, why is it not "Book Of The Year???" It will certainly make my "Ten Best" list in a few months, and some, I am certain will choose it as their "Best." What stops it is that rocky start, which did not blow me away!!!!! With last year's book, "Freedom," by Mr. Franzen, you were off and running with the opening sentence, as you were with "The Corrections." Harbach takes time to establish himself, and creates some initial doubt, but, honey, you have to move beyond it, to get at the gold!!!!!!

"The Art Of Fielding" is a singular achievement, that, by the way, will make you want to reread "Moby Dick," which I now want to do--if I can fit it in to everything else, darlings!!!!!!!! It may not be the Novel Of The Year, but it is one of the Best Of The Year, and is certainly the Novel Of The Moment! Read it, girls, before its moment passes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See you at the bookstore, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!