If you know a man and want him to read at least one novel this year, this is it. The Throwback Special is a book that’s about far more than the title and summary suggest. Chris Bachelder’s “The Throwback Special” is 2016’s first Great Book, and, despite being about football and being set in a dingy hotel, it is almost transcendentally tender. Start by marking “The Throwback Special” as Want to Read: Error rating book. He gets the simple anxieties of how we present to each other, and how we present to ourselves. Something went wrong. Everyone is worse than they seem. This is not a book about football or about reenactment. It happens to be set over a weekend when some men gather, as they have each year for many years, to enact an event that took place in a football game decades ago. Bachelder's brand of humor is pitch perfect, and this was just great for Thanksgiving weekend. And I did! —John Williams, New York Times Book Review Powerful, intelligent, and entertaining…Bachelder works a kind of poignant comedic magic, expertly locating and drawing out central truths about life.—Drew Nellins Smith, Los Angeles Times Book Review Chris Bachelder pulls a “full Hemingway” in, Read (or rather endured) in serialized form in Paris Review. What were they smoking?!?!? Awards: Kindle Book. Don’t be discouraged by the plot description—there’s so much more to it than football, though the subject matter provides a fitting gateway into middle-aged manhood. But when it was longlisted for the National Book Award I thought I'd give it a try. The Throwback Special is a book that’s about far more than the title and summary suggest. 'The Throwback Special' Tackles Middle-Age Manhood Rachel Martin speaks with Chris Bachelder. His novel tells the story of a group of friends who gather each year to … I'll give Bachelder credit: he's an interesting writer. I avoided this book for a few reasons namely that the cover looked exactly like The Art of Fielding and I thought it would be a poor imitation of that excellent book and I'm an Australian with zero interest in or knowledge of American football (the exception being Friday Night Lights which, of course, is not about football at all). Please try your request again later. This book is really something special. Over the course of a weekend, the men reveal their secret hopes, fears, and passions as they choose roles, spend a long night of the soul preparing for the play, and finally enact their bizarre ritual for what may be the last time. I have a collection of Sports Illustrateds from the 1980s that I'm constantly adding to with Ebay purchases or junk store finds (most recent: Moses Malone on the cover of the 1982-83 NBA Preview), so a book about a group of effete dudes who organize their year around replaying Lawrence Taylor's gruesome sack of Joe Theisman was a no-brainer. In his wistful and elegantly written fourth novel, “The Throwback Special,” Chris Bachelder plays Jane Goodall to a … National Book Award nominee Chris Bachelder talks about football, writing, rituals, and the importance of moving on in his most recent novel. The book does this interesting thin. ago. It’s about life (marriage, parenting, insecurities, human behavior, etc) with a weird football tradition as the backdrop, not the other way around. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages that interest you. Without a doubt the best book I've read this year. It's about rituals we don't even realize we partake in; it's about wanting to fit in and wanting to be unique; it's about predictability and the inevitability of change. It's a book y. Funny and sad and very witty. . was it because they had to sanitize it after travelers wash their clothes in it? I'll give Bachelder credit: he's an interesting writer. John Williams - New York Times Book Review. But when it was longlisted for the National Book Award I thought I'd give it a try. I hadn't heard of this book at all before the National Book Award longlist was announced, so it was a bit of a surprise to see it on there. 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. Definitely the kind of book where style is more prominent than substance. There are 0 reviews and 1 rating from Canada, Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. So glad I did or I would have missed out on this tender and joyful delight. 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. 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. This just made the 2016 National Book Award nominations list and I'm really pleased. "Chris Bachelder is a witty, compassionate troublemaker, and we need more like him." Well, this ended up feeling like a reading purgatory of my own making. More than one man has wondered, in his heart, whether this might be the last Throwback Special of them all. Should be read in a single sitting, otherwise it slightly loses its charm. No Kindle device required. Sometimes very funny and true to life -altough sometimes a bit too American/Hollywood. 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. I lost count of the times the dialogue lost all touch with any semblance of authenticity - like Rachel Cusk's serialized novel last year in the PR this felt like some prized submission from an Iowa writer's workshop that garners plaudits for its style over its substance. 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. 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. To be totally immersed. 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. Early in this novel I wondered why it was shortlisted for the National Book Award, but then as it progressed, it drew me in. But this book’s absurd premise almost qualifies as slipstream, which Wikipedia defines as “a kind of fantastic or non-realistic fiction that crosses conventional genre boundaries between science fiction, fantasy, and literary fiction. . It tells you shit about the men's past and future, only about their pretty awkward present, all in some very abrupt detail. Along the way, mishaps, misunderstandings, and grievances pile up, and the comforting traditions holding the group together threaten to give way. Here's a tip though--there are a LOT of characters, but you don't need to keep them straight. See 2 questions about The Throwback Special…, National Book Award Fiction Winners and Finalists 2010-2020, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, National Book Award Longlist: Throwback Special. The Throwback Special conjures the rewarding melancholy of Richard Ford’s Frank Bascombe novels. 1-Click ordering is not available for this item. 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. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. 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's about ritual and tradition. The plot, such as it is, is completely absurd: A group of 22 men meet every year to re-enact the play where Lawrence Taylor broke Joe Thiesmann’s leg. 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. One of the very few books I couldn't finish. Reviews/Praise "The narrator's role in this book is a descriptive one, and Bray is a good guide." It’s about life (marriage, parenting, insecurities, human behavior, etc) with a weird football tradition as the backdrop, not the other way around. 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. 2016 National Book Award Finalist in Fiction Winner of the Paris Review's 2016 Terry Southern Prize for Humor A slyly profound and startlingly original novel about the psyche of the American male, The Throwback Special marks the return of one of the most acclaimed literary voices of his generation. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. 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 un. Throwback Special tells the story of a group of men who reunite once a year to reenact a football play called the Throwback Special. And it's not really even a book about the kind of men who would do that or the event itself. Years earlier, Steven made a large lottery drum of the reenactment. These are men I know, the ones I admire and those I don't want to be. 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. Nevertheless, it's a perfectly sized novel(-la) featuring an absurd male tradition based on a sports event of a particularly obscure kind (yep, that was the most indecipherable first page of all). Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Twenty-two men meet yearly to reenact a devastating football play from 1985, but it is each individual story that is so compelling. But with some books I get lost in them...like I really believe what is happening as I read. 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. Release date: March 14, 2016 OverDrive Read. by W. W. Norton Company. We've got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day. 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. A fantastic surprise...spot-on social commentary against a football backdrop, Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2016. 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 Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2018. A very agreeable font that more publishers should look into. 2.5 stars. Can be read in an afternoon. 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. Chris Bachelder's fourth novel—nominated for the 2016 National Book Award—is a virtuosic love note to the age-old rituals of male friendship and the unifying power of sports. I always appreciate books that make me empathize with self-pitying middle-aged men (see also, George Saunders, Tenth of December). Winner of the Paris Review's Terry Southern Prize for Humor. I don't need to read stories of declining ordinary middle-aged men, not anymore. I always appreciate books that make me empathize with self-pitying middle-aged men (see also, George Saunders, Tenth of December). They neglected to say you have to like 20+ whiny and unhappy guys to enjoy it. 213 pp. 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 book is not about football. Download one of the Free Kindle apps to start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, and computer. 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. The book does this interesting thing where it sort of mashes the characters together and, with a few exceptions, doesn't give them terribly distinctive personalities or voices. Full disclosure: This book isn't really about football. toys with historical fact and brings Upton Sinclair back to life. It’s easy to poke holes in this setup – how did it start, how do they manage to keep doing it year after year, why would they do it when it only takes a couple of minutes to recreate? Bear v. Shark plays with a very public spectacle, the simulated battle between the animals of the title. Also, the tailback is named Riggins! George explains that football is a scientific game in which it “is a series of discrete experiments” (58). Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Bachelder is a witty observer and I clearly need to go and read everything he's ever written. I literally could not stop laughing as I read this. Without the career-ending fractured bones, of course. Full disclosure: This book isn't really about football. The Throwback Special is Bachelder’s fourth novel, and it seems to look back to and incorporate features of his first three. The Throwback Special is 2016’s first Great Book. W. W. Norton & Company. I found it to be bleak, frustrating, and overwhelmingly cynical. 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. But the point of this novel is one I just can't get behind. The book opens with each player arriving at their nondescript hotel and it reads like the opening scene of The Dinner…with social commentary so biting and spot-on that you don’t realize all the characters have done is arrive at a hotel (or, at a restaurant, in The Dinner‘s case). $25.95. Well worth reading. Absolutely surprising and completely wonderful. But each is a microcosm of a contemporary man, equally sympathetic or not. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. 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. 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. There are moments, virtual flashes, of gripping brilliance to this novel: a man washing a stain out of shirt in the middle of the night in a hotel fountain; the rotating image of the hotel's sixteen security cameras; the reenactment seen through the eyes not of the men but of the young tech employees also staying at the hotel. For 16 years, these men have met to do the reenactment. A hilariously sorrowful rendering of American masculinity and a wise, patient examination of American culture. It’s not really a novel so much as an overlong novella, but that’s ok. Nevertheless, it's a perfectly sized novel(-la) featuring an absurd male tradition based on a sports event of a particularly obscure kind (yep, that was the most indecipherable first page of all). 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. Bachelder’s quirky, defiant style…achieves something fresh and surprising. Unfortunately it la, Read (or rather endured) in serialized form in Paris Review. 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. There is a lot of balance and structure that would be fun to study in more depth. I’m usually a. 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. It tells you shit about the men's past and future, only about their pretty awkward present, all in some very abrupt detail. 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. It’s easy to poke holes in this setup – how did it start, how do they manage to keep doing it year after year, why would they do it when it only takes a couple of minutes to recreate? 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. This book tries to undercut that message but it fails - because at its core, it cannot escape wanting the same thing: a time when books like this mattered, instead of being a relic even as it debuts. Refresh and try again. Each year, a cast of 22 gather at a fleabag hotel to recreate the fateful Joe Theismann play. Find all the books, read about the author and more. Matt Seidel - The Millions. 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. ago. The 5-star pieces and passages were just too few. Unable to add item to Wish List. It will make you laugh out loud, and it will make you feel pangs of pity, revulsion, recognition, and kinship. I read 100+ pages. Why exactly they do this isn't made clear, but it's not really the point. 2.5 stars. 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. Not bad at all! 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. That to me is what makes a good work of fiction. 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. Early in this novel I wondered why it was shortlisted for the National Book Award, but then as it progressed, it drew me in. It's a book you can see yourself in. - It didn't matter that I don't like football - it's all about the characters. U.S.! They are all parts of the same familiar persons, those we know and those we are. But the point of this novel is one I just can't get behind. To be totally im. 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