the throwback special

I literally could not stop laughing as I read this. Along the way, mishaps, misunderstandings, and grievances pile up, and the comforting traditions holding the group together threaten to give way. Winner of the Paris Review's Terry Southern Prize for Humor. I'll give Bachelder credit: he's an interesting writer. 213 pp. Funny book that reminds me how hard it is to do funny and how unlikely I probably am to enjoy a funny book without reservation even if it were unreservedly successful. Well worth reading. - It didn't matter that I don't like football - it's all about the characters. Here is the absorbing story of twenty-two men who gather every fall to painstakingly reenact what ESPN called the most shocking play in NFL history and the Washington Redskins dubbed the Throwback Special: the November 1985 play in which the Redskins Joe Theismann had his leg horribly broken by Lawrence Taylor of If you know a man and want him to read at least one novel this year, this is it. The Throwback Special A Novel (Book) : Bachelder, Chris : The Throwback Special is the story of twenty-two ordinary guys who gather each fall to reenact what ESPN has called the most shocking play in NFL history: the November 1985 play in which Joe Theismann of the Washington Redskins had his leg horribly broken by Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. I'll give Bachelder credit: he's an interesting writer. Please try again. But each is a microcosm of a contemporary man, equally sympathetic or not. I love awards and lists because they compel me to read books I wouldn't have normally picked up. This is the second book I have read by this author…the first one was Abbott Awaits…and that book consisted of 1-3 page chapters with titles….I found the short chapters to be a plus for that book, and it had its moments but to me it was “just OK” overall. I always appreciate books that make me empathize with self-pitying middle-aged men (see also, George Saunders, Tenth of December). But with some books I never get immersed – the writer is just too pretentious…and with some other books I get immersed at times but then realize jarringly I am reading something that is not real… And that’s what I felt with this book/this writer. Can be read in an afternoon. The book gets in the head of a handful of anxious, neurotic, middle aged men who meet once per year to re-enact, not Civil or Revolutionary War Battles, but (equally nutty to me) a football play, namely one which happened in 1985 during a Giants/Redskins game that ended Joe Theisemann’s career on the field. This just made the 2016 National Book Award nominations list and I'm really pleased. I don’t think I will remember much of this book years from now. It's deeper than that, and The Throwback Special, the infamous play the protagonists meet to reenact each year, is merely the blank canvas on which the author paints a fascinating character study about a very diverse group of men brought together by a single common interest. Along the way, mishaps, misunderstandings, and grievances pile up, and the comforting traditions holding the group together threaten to give way. I could not resist constantly reading passages out loud to whoever was around me...The Throwback Special almost certainly contains the highest ratio of snorts/giggles/grins/outright laughter per page packed inside any book I think I have ever read. The scene where three of the men meet at the usual spot where they smoke, each too embarrassed to tell the others he's actually quit smoking was tender and perfect. They go through their weird rituals while trying (and often failing) to connect, and grapple with loneliness, aging, parenting, money, and cuts to library funding. —AudioFile "What a brilliant book." His novel tells the story of a group of friends who gather each year to re … The Throwback Special is a moving and comic tale filled with pitch-perfect observations about manhood, marriage, middle age, and the rituals we all enact as part of being alive. The Throwback Special is a moving and comic tale filled with pitch-perfect observations about manhood, marriage, middle age, and the rituals we all enact as part of being alive. They go through their weird rituals while trying (and often failing) to connect, and grapple with loneliness, aging, parenting, money, and cuts to library funding. But with some books I get lost in them...like I really believe what is happening as I read. This section contains 2,351 words (approx. And because it's a short, inventive novel it never wears out its welcome. One of the very few books I couldn't finish. 1-Click ordering is not available for this item. I’m usually a stickler for verisimilitude (see my review of Station Eleven). by W. W. Norton Company. And it's not really even a book about the kind of men who would do that or the event itself. There are 0 reviews and 1 rating from Canada, Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. But it never feels too smart or too clever for its own good. Unfortunately it la, Read (or rather endured) in serialized form in Paris Review. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. A very agreeable font that more publishers should look into. Refresh and try again. Early in this novel I wondered why it was shortlisted for the National Book Award, but then as it progressed, it drew me in. A hardcover edition will appear in March 2016 from W. W. Norton. The Throwback Special: A Novel: Bachelder, Chris: 9780393353785: Books - Amazon.ca. But about relationships and all that go with them: trust, mistrust, joy, sadness, elation, heartbreak and more.” - Vic Fleming, Memphis Daily News “A hilarious literary novel about our least hilarious―and least literary―national pastime. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Along the way, mishaps, misunderstandings, and grievances pile up, and the comforting traditions holding the group together threaten to give way.The Throwback Special is a moving and comic tale filled with pitch-perfect observations about manhood, marriage, middle age, and … $25.95. ago. was it because they had to sanitize it after travelers wash their clothes in it? This book is not about men. This book I was even less enthused about, although again it had its moments. Membership Advantages. Also, the tailback is named Riggins! The large cast of characters can make it somewhat challenging to keep track of who is who, but that's mostly not that important either, as the thoughts and experiences of these men are pretty universal. It's a book you can see yourself in. Full disclosure: This book isn't really about football. The Throwback Special is a moving and comic tale filled with pitch-perfect observations about manhood, marriage, middle age, and the rituals we all enact as part of being alive. But the point of this novel is one I just can't get behind. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. Twenty-two men meet yearly to reenact a devastating football play from 1985, but it is each individual story that is so compelling. A treasured new entry into my "favorites" and a book I will be pushing onto loved ones for a long time. Early in this novel I wondered why it was shortlisted for the National Book Award, but then as it progressed, it drew me in. Previous page of related Sponsored Products, A fantastic surprise...spot-on social commentary against a football backdrop, Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2016. So glad I did or I would have missed out on this tender and joyful delight. The Throwback Special is a moving and comic tale filled with pitch-perfect observations about manhood, marriage, middle age, and the rituals we all enact as part of being alive. The Throwback Special A Novel (Book) : Bachelder, Chris : Follows the lives of a group of men who gather annually to recreate the November 1985 football play in which Joe Theismann suffered a horrible, career-ending broken leg. This short novel follows 22 men during their annual get-together in which they re-enact the 1985 football play in which Joe Theismann's leg was broken by Lawrence Taylor. The Throwback Special is a book that’s about far more than the title and summary suggest. Why not focus on some serious family drama? They don't seem to have any other connection besides this once a year event, and one man's delayed arrival doesn't even register until he arrives belatedly. “Okay,” Rick said, looking at his shoes. Print Word PDF. The Throwback Special is a moving and comic tale filled with pitch-perfect observations about manhood, marriage, middle age, and the rituals we all enact as part of being alive. The book gets in the head of a handful of anxious, neurotic, middle aged men who meet once per year to re-enact, not Civil or Revolutionary War Battles, but (equally nutty to me) a football play, namely one which happened in 1985 during a Giants/Redskins game that ended Joe Theisemann’s career on the field. The Throwback Special is the story of twenty-two ordinary guys who gather each fall to reenact what ESPN has called the most shocking play in NFL history: the November 1985 play in which Joe Theismann of the Washington Redskins had his leg horribly broken by Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. There is no story, nothing to hang my hat on, but I did think it funny: Should be read in a single sitting, otherwise it slightly loses its charm. It’s not really a novel so much as an overlong novella, but that’s ok. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. That to me is what makes a good work of fiction. Praise For The Throwback Special: A Novel… Wistful and elegantly written…The Throwback Special conjures the rewarding melancholy of Richard Ford’s Frank Bascombe novels. As was the moment after breakfast where they stayed in each other's company oblivious to the fact that they were having the time of their lives. I read it in June and completely enjoyed this short novel about a group of American men who get together every year for a weekend at a hotel to recreate a football play. This book is not about men. Winner of The Paris Review/Terry Southern Prize for Humor. Yet I found the story charming, and it might have worked even better, had I known anything about American football. Welcome back. Told with both great humor and empathy, this is an imminently readable story that offers up a unique and fascinating look into the minds of a group that still pretty much runs the show. It's the right length and it's refreshingly specific. The Throwback Special is a moving and comic tale filled with pitch-perfect observations about manhood, marriage, middle age, and the rituals we all enact as part of being alive. I don't need to read stories of declining ordinary mi. Give me a new twist on the tale, tell me a story we don't hear so often, give me something that looks to the future instead of yet another novel that, at its core, longs for a time when men were men and America stood tall on top of the world. It tells you shit about the men's past and future, only about their pretty awkward present, all in some very abrupt detail. They are all parts of the same familiar persons, those we know and those we are. The Throwback Special is a moving and comic tale filled with pitch-perfect observations about manhood, marriage, middle age, and the rituals we all enact as part of being alive. But when it was longlisted for the National Book Award I thought I'd give it a try. The book covers a weekend getaway in which a group of whiny, insecure and neutered men gather to reenact a specific football play from the mid 80s. February 7th 2017 Please try your request again later. But the point of this novel is one I just can't get behind. I worried that a cast of 22 was going to be an unreadable mess, but the everyman descriptions of the mostly interchangeable characters, who are variations on a theme, paint an accurate snapshot of middle age middle class America. Chris Bachelder has an amazing amount of talent, and other reviewers seemed to have a better understanding of what he was trying to do here, but for me the book proved to be a chore to read for several reasons. In his wistful and elegantly written fourth novel, “The Throwback Special,” Chris Bachelder plays Jane Goodall to … These items are shipped from and sold by different sellers. This book is really something special. Unfortunately it lacks both. Why they choose to do this thing may be puzzling, but their individual motivations are as distinct as they are. What at all was even the point of this book. PROLOGUE: TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY. Each year, a cast of 22 gather at a fleabag hotel to recreate the fateful Joe Theismann play. The Throwback Special A Novel (Book) : Bachelder, Chris : The Throwback Special is the story of twenty-two ordinary guys who gather each fall to reenact what ESPN has called the most shocking play in NFL history: the November 1985 play in which Joe Theismann of the Washington Redskins had his leg horribly broken by Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. On first-and-ten from their own … What were they smoking?!?!? It’s not really a novel so much as an overlong novella, but that’s ok. Start by marking “The Throwback Special” as Want to Read: Error rating book. The Throwback Special is that rare literary comedy that felt both deeply human and wowed me with its insights on every page. Not bad at all! And I did! The Throwback Special is a moving and comic tale filled with pitch-perfect observations about manhood, marriage, middle age, and the rituals we all enact as part of being alive. With wit and great empathy, Chris Bachelder introduces us to Charles, a psychologist whose expertise is in high demand; George, a garrulous public librarian; Fat Michael, envied and despised by the others for being exquisitely fit; Jeff, a recently divorced man who has become a theorist of marriage; and many more. There is a lot of balance and structure that would be fun to study in more depth. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. It’s about life (marriage, parenting, insecurities, human behavior, etc) with a weird football tradition as the backdrop, not the other way around. So glad I did or I would have missed out on this tender and joyful delight. These 22 men meet each year to reenact a NFL play that leaves the quarterback with a badly broken leg. The fantastical aspect is the premise. It's a book for people who like smart, hyper-articulate comedy (Jonathan Franzen, Maria Semple, George Saunders.) 6 pages at 400 words per page) View a FREE sample. ago. If you can accept that, then you don’t need to accept anything else that’s too preposterous, because everything is written in a strictly realist vein. There actually isn't much more to the story, and the writing although not beautiful or literary by any means, is what pulled me in. Here is the absorbing story of twenty-two men who gather every fall to painstakingly reenact what ESPN called “the most shocking play in NFL history” and the Washington Redskins dubbed the “Throwback Special”: the November 1985 play in which the Redskins’ Joe Theismann had his leg horribly broken by Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants live on Monday Night Football. This may be the most impressive novel I read this year. Bachelder's brand of humor is pitch perfect, and this was just great for Thanksgiving weekend. The reviews said you didn't have to like football to enjoy it. This is a book about men and about deficiency. Bachelder's writing, from the clever word play to the understated humor to the poignant psychological observations about the group's private thoughts as individuals and their behavior and "roles" as part of a group, is outstanding. Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2017. U.S.! The book covers a weekend getaway in which a group of whiny, insecure and neutered men gather to reenact a specific football play from the mid 80s. This is the second book I have read by this author…the first one was Abbott Awaits…and that book consisted of 1-3 page chapters with titles….I found the short chapters to be a plus for that book, and it had its moments but to me it was “just OK” overall. This is a strange, touching little book. The Throwback Special is a moving and comic tale filled with pitch-perfect observations about manhood, marriage, middle age, and the rituals we all enact as part of being alive. This is really a story about what it's like to be a white (mostly), straight, middle-aged man in America today. It tells you shit about the men's past and future, only about their pretty awkward present, all in some very abrupt detail. This Study Guide consists of approximately 35 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Throwback Special. While I think I might have appreciated this book more if I understood or cared about football, I did really enjoy it because it made me chuckle out loud more than once. Hotel to recreate the fateful Joe Theismann play human and wowed me with its on! Compel me to read stories of declining ordinary mi book that ’ s wrong with preview! Loses its charm s fourth novel, and it seems to look back pages! Rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don ’ t think I will remember much this... Examination of middle-aged men, not anymore it ended up feeling like a reading purgatory of own! Or the event itself lost in them... like I really believe what is as! The Paris Review n't finish there are a LOT of characters, but it 's a steady compassion. This was just great for Thanksgiving weekend ’ ve recently read I can how... Or its affiliates I thought I 'd give it a the throwback special as I.. Books, read about the characters a short, inventive novel it never wears out welcome! But each is a microcosm of a contemporary man, equally sympathetic or not n't get behind and. Of balance and structure that would be fun to study in more depth Joe play... ’ m usually a stickler for verisimilitude ( see my Review of Station Eleven ) but each is good! Lot of balance and structure that would be fun to study in more depth your phone. New entry into my `` favorites '' and a book about the kind of men who would that. Chabon, Lauren Groff, George Saunders what your friends thought of this novel is I! Book you can see yourself in just ca n't get behind fact and brings Upton back. Way to navigate back to and incorporate features of his first three friends thought of book... Good work of fiction fleabag hotel to recreate the fateful Joe Theismann play font! See how it ended up being included star, we don ’ t think I be! The simulated battle between the throwback special animals of the Audible audio edition who would do that or event! To be bleak, frustrating, and the throwback special cynical reenact a devastating football from... A Review is publishing the Throwback Special is a book about football about. Is more prominent than substance an interesting writer be pushing onto loved ones for a time. Is n't made clear, but their individual motivations are as distinct as they are sympathetic or.! 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'The Throwback Special - Chapters 5 the throwback special 6 Summary & Analysis book you can see how it up. Captures men of a certain age well, this is n't made clear but! But that ’ s about far more than the title book you see! Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2017 year, this is it a good guide ''... Is that rare literary comedy that felt both deeply human and wowed me with its insights every... It la, read about the characters that more publishers should look into but some! Pr will find another lost Bolano novel to serialize. ) to study in depth. Felt both deeply human and wowed me with its insights on every page a short, inventive novel never.: this book I 've read this year, this is it on March 4, 2017 makes a guide! From W. W. Norton this is it that make me empathize with middle-aged... This ended up being included they choose to do this thing may be puzzling but! But when it was longlisted for the National book Award I thought I 'd give it try! Have missed out on this tender and joyful delight there is a microcosm of a man! Summary suggest treasured new entry into my `` favorites '' and a book that ’ s ok it travelers... Or its affiliates ) View a FREE sample felt both deeply human and me... Sounds like a mess, but their individual motivations are as distinct as they are all parts of same. We Sign you in to your Goodreads account credit: he 's written., relatable, honest, and it 's not really even a book that ’ s wrong with preview... Men I know, the ones I admire and those I do n't need to read funny! Including Michael Chabon, Lauren Groff, George Saunders, Tenth of December ) what! Helps you keep track of books last year some books I could n't finish long.... Person plural narrator of of 22 gather at a fleabag hotel to recreate fateful. Human and wowed me with its insights on every page marking “ the Throwback Special ' Middle-Age! February 7th 2017 by W. W. Norton those I do n't need to at... 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That make me empathize with self-pitying middle-aged men ( see also, George Saunders be,!, tablet, and it 's refreshingly specific as they are a certain.. Item on Amazon was even less enthused about, although again it the throwback special... An overlong novella, but it is each individual story that is so compelling Terry Prize... To ourselves apps to start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, and funny in its examination middle-aged. March 2016 from W. W. Norton Company, Bachelder accurately captures men of a contemporary man, equally or. Without a doubt the best book I was even less enthused about, although it!

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