The Art of Fielding

A Novel

By: Chad Harbach

Narrated by: Holter Graham

Length: 15 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

A disastrous error on the field sends five lives into a tailspin in this award-nominated tale about love, life, and baseball.

At Westish College, a small school on the shore of Lake Michigan, baseball star Henry Skrimshander seems destined for big league stardom. But when a routine throw goes disastrously off course, the fates of five people are upended.

Henry's fight against self-doubt threatens to ruin his future. College president Guert Affenlight, a longtime bachelor, has fallen unexpectedly and helplessly in love. Owen 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, and secrets. In the process they forge new bonds, and help one another find their true paths. Written with boundless intelligence and filled with the tenderness of youth, The Art of Fielding is an expansive, warmhearted novel about ambition and its limits, about family and friendship and love, and about commitment - to oneself and to others.

©2011 Chad Harbach (P)2011 Hachette

Critic reviews

"Reading 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)

"Chad 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)

"Chad Harbach has hit a game-ender with The Art of Fielding. It's pure fun, easy to read, as if the other Fielding had a hand in it - as if Tom Jones were about baseball and college life." (John Irving)

great book

If you could sum up The Art of Fielding in three words, what would they be?

compelling baseball story

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

one error on the field will forever change the lives of five people.

Any additional comments?

well-written, accessible story.

good story, excellent narrator. ignore the plants

Would you consider the audio edition of The Art of Fielding to be better than the print version?

dont know?

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Art of Fielding?

The college experieinces

What about Holter Graham’s performance did you like?

He is one of the best narrators working today. His voices changes for every character, he modulates his tone...in short he performs his narration. he studies the book and characters and is very prepared before he actually records the reading. Excellent

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no

Any additional comments?

There are too many

Beautiful Writing, Thoughtful Story

I enjoyed this book quite alot. Like "The Art of Racing in the Rain" it uses a sports metaphor for life involving a sport I have little or no interest in. In each book, the sport is embedded in a compelling storyline and the prose is wonderful. Full disclosure: as a Cheesehead myself, I found the Wisconsin location appealing.
Highly recommeded.

You Can Enjoy This Even If You Detest Baseball

THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Set on the campus of a (fictional) small liberal arts college in the Midwest, The Art of Fielding follows a year in the life of four different people, all of whom are at a crossroads in their lives: Henry Skrimshander, a soft-spoken baseball prodigy whose entire life revolves around the game; Mike Schwartz, the charismatic, hard-working jock/leader who tries for greatness in sports but finds it more in inspiring and guiding others; Guert Affenlight, the college president who is experiencing a love affair that leaves him feeling dizzy and dangerous; and Pella Affenlight, Guert’s estranged daughter who returns to the campus after fleeing her marriage and is trying to find out just who she really is. Intertwined with the four main characters is Owen Dunne, a self-assured and confident student.

MY THOUGHTS

I wasn’t going to read this book because of the whole baseball thing (which isn’t of interest to me in the slightest). But after reading a few positive reviews that said “Don’t worry about the baseball stuff,” I plunged into it and I’m so glad I did. This isn’t really a baseball book (although baseball plays an important role in it). It is really more about identity, friendship, family, facing your fears, finding your true voice, and figuring out your path in life. In a way, it is five-way coming of age story (even for the “old” guy.) The narration rotates between Henry, Mike, Guert and Pella, and Harbach does a great job of giving them each a unique voice. His decision not to give Owen his own voice was interesting, and I think it worked—even though Owen became one of the most intriguing and interesting characters and I was dying to get inside his head. Despite the plot veering off to “ridiculous” land near the end, I was always involved in the story and it even, maybe a teeny tiny itty bitty little bit, made me appreciate the game of baseball.

ABOUT THE NARRATION

Holter Graham was the narrator, and he did a top-notch job. He gave each character a unique voice (making it easy to switch from one to the other without getting confused) and made the words come alive rather than feeling like they were being “read aloud.” It was easy to fall into the story, and I think his narration elevated the book for me—making it even more special than it might have been just reading it in print. If you’re looking for an audiobook, this would be well-worth your time (even if you hate baseball like me. HA!)

Exceptional

The characters in this book -- Mike, Owen, Pella et al -- are now among my favorites in all of literature. Holter Graham's narration is tremendous. Don't let the fact that it centers on baseball give you pause. The Paris Review had a nice line about that, saying "The Art of Fielding is a book about baseball the way Moby Dick is a book about whaling; it is and it isn't. For the first time since joining Audible last year, when I finished this book I immediately started it again. If you want a higher endorsement than that, call a freaking publicist.

Grand slam for this baseball fan!

What made the experience of listening to The Art of Fielding the most enjoyable?

I loved this story. I am a baseball fan to begin with and I thought this book was amazingly genuine and accurate. The story is engaging and the baseball commentary is spot on.

What did you like best about this story?

I thought the story flowed effortlessly and remained engaging throughout. The baseball imagery and detail feels very authentic.

And I'm Not A Big Baseball Fan

......but now I have an insight into athletes and their love of their sport. Yet it is the characters and the mesmerizing story that I found so addicting. It was my book clubs selection and now I am recommending to all of my friend who love great writing

Incredibly well written and narrated!!

So gripping, tragic and yet funny. A story of soul-searching and resilience cleverly and at times metaphorically told through the intrinsic poetry that baseball is. And I’m not even that big of a baseball fan. The character development is exquisite - you get to know and love everyone. This book is a 10!!

A great account of college

I read reviews often and I hardly find a book of this genre having so many negative reviews. I count that on the discomfort many will feel on the homosexual twist that dominates half of the plot. But if you, as rightful heterosexual person, manage to get over that, you will see that there is real beauty to this book. That beauty resides on the fine grain the characters have, on the wonderful analysis of what a baseball player is, on what it means to be a semi-adult in today's America. And if you do so, the story of the unconventional (or maybe just illegal) love of an older man to a younger one will become understandable. I should also mention that the reader is simply flawless and perfect to my ears.

Triple Play!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Art of Fielding to be better than the print version?

I have both and I went back and forth. I just prefer the audio because I don't really have time to sit and read.

Have you listened to any of Holter Graham’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listen to his performance before but I have to say he did an amazing job. I knew who each character was just based on his performance.

Who was the most memorable character of The Art of Fielding and why?

Owen was quite a character because he really did march to the beat of his own drum.He was so relaxed with who he was. Yet, he never got to tell his story himself.