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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780140073867
ISBN number: 0140073868
Label: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 208
Printing Date: April 02, 1985
Publishing house: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Sale Popularity Level: 317688
Studio: Penguin (Non-Classics)
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Rated by buyers -
W.P. Kinsella writes fiction that is a reflection of his true love of baseball. His devotion to his topic is evident to his readers in each of his works of fiction that often seem too realistic to be fiction. Particularly in this collection of stories, the line between fact and fiction is blurry.
"The Last Pennant Before Armageddon" is the highlight of the set as other reviewers have noted. As one might guess based on the title, the plot involves the Cubs winning the pennant. Though some countries, playoff alignments, and even teams from the story no longer exist, the end of the world would seem to be the logical conclusion to a Cubs pennant victory. The swerve at the end of the story may or may not surprise some readers.
Other highlights in the set include "The Night Manny Mota Tied the Record", "The Battery", and "The Thrill of the Grass". In a plot that preceded anything written by Mitch Albom, "The Night Manny Mota Tied the Record" explores the feelings after the death of Yankee catcher Thurmon Munson. Would a hardcore (non-Yankee) baseball fan give his life to save Munson's? "The Battery" takes readers to Santo Domingo where a wizard created in the vein of author Terry Pratchett sees the birth of baseball playing twins. While at least one twin excells in baseball, the wizard is the star of this story. "The Thrill of the Grass" is set during the 1981 players' strike, though the same scenario woud apply to 1994. The narrator breaks into an empty stadium as the story begins. Though he dislikes the lack of activity, he is most appalled by the artificial turf.
Though not all of the stories were gems, baseball fans are certain to enjoy this collection just as much as Kinsella's other works.
Rated by buyers -
W.P. Kinsella is an excellent writer of short fiction. Many will know him as author of Shoeless Joe which became the movie Field of Dreams (Widescreen Two-Disc Anniversary Edition).
Kinsella also has written a number of short stories, relying on baseball as the theme, but with themes that are universal. This isn't the "get the big hit to win the game" story, but rather baseball as a metaphor.
With any collection, the question of best and worst short stories come up. Particulary strong is the opener "The Last Pennant Before Armageddon" which deals with a prophecy that the subsequent pennant that the Cubs win will be the last pennant that any team ever wins -- a prediction that still hasn't been tested since this piece was penned in 1984.
The collection also closes strong with "The Thrill of the Grass" dealing with the baseball strike and a populist secret revolt against artificial turf -- a methphorical return to purity.
Excellent work. Kinsella is truly a master writer.
Rated by buyers -
My brother told me about W.P. Kinsella in 1984 and I've been a huge fan ever since. I've read everything I can find by him, starting with "Shoeless Joe" and this might be my favorite book of his. He has written at least three collections of baseball short stories and this is easily the best.
Most of the stories are not so much about baseball, it's more a case of using baseball as a background and common thread to tie the stories all together.
These are the kind of stories you can read over and over again. One of my favorites was the story about the fans who decided to turn the latest player's strike into a chance to replace astroturf with real grass. With the stadium shut down for the strike, they came in and returned the field to a natural state. I've always thought that when the players strike they should strike to get rid of astroturf; a cause many fans could get behind.
I don't know of any baseball fan who would not enjoy these stories.
Rated by buyers -
A collection of baseball stories - or rather, stories involving baseball and baseball players in some way. Kinsella is at hist best when he stays close to earth - hopeful bush leaguers, women trouble - but tends to go way over the top when he tries to involve more "magic" (in his own words) to the game and the story. The Iowa Baseball Confederacy suffered from this problem, and so do a few of the stories in this collection. But when his "stories aren't about events, they're about the people they happen to", he has a wonderful touch. Some of my favourites in this collection are "Drive me to the moon", about a Rookie leaguer and his affair in a one-horse town in Canada, "Barefoot and pregnant in Des Moines", about a big league star and his marriage. Some of these stories are true gems and fully warrant the five-star rating; others are filler, but then even the most classic games have their straightforward 6-3 groundouts.
Rated by buyers -
W. P. Kinsella writes with poignance and wit, capturing both the humour and the occasional tragedy of the game. This collection displays some of his best work.
My alltime favorite among this collection is "The Last Pennant Before Armageddon." In the wake of the Cubs' collapse this fall, a work like this has real prescience and is somehow reassuring that there was a higher purpose behind it all.
Still, there are other strong stories in the mix. In one, the narrator is offered the chance to trade places with the recently-killed Yankees catcher Thurman Munson. Another, more whimsical story takes you inside the clubhouse of the 1951 Giants, as a surprisingly literate team debates whether The Greaty Gatsby is an allegory.
For me, "The Last Pennant Before Armageddon" is reason enough to buy this book. In the wake of the 2003 NLCS, I feel a dire need to read it . . . repeatedly.
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