Synopsis: At Westish College, a small school on the shore of Lake Michigan, baseball star Henry Skrimshander seems destined for the big leagues. Then a routine throw goes disastrously off course and the fates of five people are upended.

Henry's life purpose is called into question. Longtime bachelor Guert Affenlight, the college's president, has fallen unexpectedly and helplessly in love. Owen Dunne, Henry's gay roommate and teammate, becomes swept up in a dangerous affair. Mike Schwartz, the 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 to start a new life after escaping an ill-fated marriage.

As the season counts down to its climactic final game, these five confront their deepest hopes, anxieties, and secrets, and help one another to discover 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 the bonds of family and friendship and love, and about commitment--to oneself and to others.

My thoughts: I'm feeling utterly bereft, having finished The Art of Fielding about an hour ago.  This is one of those wonderful books that you totally inhabit because you feel you know the characters, and which you can't wait to get back to reading so you can find out what happens to them.  It's a book about college, about life, about love and loss, and about baseball... There's no getting away from the fact that there is an awful lot about baseball, but although I know virtually nothing about the game, that wasn't a handicap because the baseball is just a metaphor for ambition, dedication, success and failure, friendship and loyalty, themes which make this a big-hearted and bewitching novel.  But above all it's the characters that make this book live.  Their world is totally believable because they are totally credible, rounded characters and it is their strengths and weaknesses that drive the plot.  For the past two days I have been completely caught up by the lives of Henry, Schwartz, Owen and Pella, and now I've turned the last page I will genuinely miss them. 

So put aside any prejudices you may have about baseball.  If you are a fan of well-written, character-driven novels that deal confidently with big themes, if you enjoy books with characters who become like friends and who will make you laugh and make you cry, then you should read this book. Soon!

The chattering classes in the Guardian, NY Times etc are LOVING this right now.  Good to have a positive review from a trusted source (you Penny!) as well.

hippystick:

The chattering classes in the Guardian, NY Times etc are LOVING this right now.  Good to have a positive review from a trusted source (you Penny!) as well.

It certainly is a book that's been commented on all over the newspapers, Twitter and blogosphere and I tend to be very wary of books that get so well hyped, but for me at least this one really did tick all the boxes.  Some UK readers have commented that you probably do need to understand how baseball is played to fully appreciate the book, but I honestly didn't find that.  Essentially all you need to understand is that the "art of fielding" is being able to catch and throw a ball, and if a star fielder suddenly stops being able to do that for some reason, then his game (and his team) are in serious trouble.

Thanks for a great review, Penny. I have to admit the baseball element was putting me off completely, but this does sound good.

 Penny - thank you.  I loved the cover of this book, with the words chalked on a board, but thought the contents would not appeal.  Now you have gone and done it!  Another that I will have to find and read!!!

 Great review, Penny. I must admit I was put off by the sporting element and I found the same thing happened with Chris Cleave's Gold which is not really all about Olympic cycling either so it can appeal to non-sporty types too!

I was umming and ahhing about this one.  I heard good things about it on the Simon Mayo show on Radio 2. 

It's a shame I got it as a Kindle book, as it's one of those I want to share so others can find out how good it is too... that is the downside of Kindle books, sadly.

Thanks for the great review Penny. I had the chance for this book on Amazon Vine late last year I think it was and I so nearly went for it, but didn't. Since then I've heard nothing but great things about it so you live and learn! Will look out for it now.

I've just taken it out of the library!

hmm it seems I have a completely different opinion of this book.

http://hazelkeating.blogspot.com/2012/07/art-of-fielding-by-chad-harbach.html

Well, just for the record, I really, really liked it, and I hate sport and know nothing at all about baseball.  I love a book that people either love or hate!