Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by H.G. Bissinger

Jun 26, 2012 Jason rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-kindle, 2012, reviewed

This book is heartbreaking.

I grew up in a very liberal part of the country. My family is comprised mostly of hard-working European immigrants who value education above all else. In many ways, I should be the last person able to appreciate or understand life in small-town Texas with its conservative values and its unhealthy obsession with high school sports. Yet, I actually did attend a private junior/senior high school with a hockey program that is probably the best in the country. We won the st...more This book is heartbreaking.

I grew up in a very liberal part of the country. My family is comprised mostly of hard-working European immigrants who value education above all else. In many ways, I should be the last person able to appreciate or understand life in small-town Texas with its conservative values and its unhealthy obsession with high school sports. Yet, I actually did attend a private junior/senior high school with a hockey program that is probably the best in the country. We won the state championship every single year of my six years there, which was in fact part of a twenty-six year streak of consecutive titles. Dozens upon dozens of students from my school have been drafted by the NHL. So perhaps the whole concept of “high school sports are the most important thing you’ll ever do in your life and enjoy it because it is all downhill from there” shouldn’t be so foreign to me after all.

But nope, it is still foreign to me. Very foreign.

This book reminds me of about a handful of John Mellencamp songs that praise the glory days of youth and that try to recall a feeling of nostalgia for a simpler time and place. Mostly I feel sorry for anyone who actually identifies with any of that, as it just perpetuates the nonsense that one will spend the majority of his life with his best days behind him. To me that’s a bit pathetic. This book, though, is a complete embodiment of the Mellencamp philosophy. It is the story of the 1988 football season of Permian High School in Odessa, Texas. It is the story of the town itself, insular and deeply rooted in social conservatism, unabashedly ignorant of the larger national political scene, and seriously, seriously racist. Oh my God, how racist. But above it all, town pride for its high school football team shines through—pride that is fundamental to its nature, to its identity.

No connection in all of sports was more intimate than this one, the one between town and high school.

On the surface, the intensity with which the townspeople of Odessa embrace their high school football team is rather endearing. It gives the kids something to do on a Friday night; it gives them something to work for and to be proud of. But as the author delves further, the intensity starts to seem a little grotesque. These people depend on high school football to survive. More than just an escape from the financial ruin that has set in since the Texas oil bust, high school football is the only thing that matters. They live vicariously through these teenagers, these children, as if they are somehow their only connection to anything good or right in the world. That’s a pretty heavy burden for a 17 year-old to bear. And more than that, these 17 year-olds start to believe it themselves—that there’s nothing else for them beyond high school football. They are hit in the head with this concept over and over again as very little concern is shown for their academic progress. To their peers, their teachers, their counselors, their parents, town officials, and to basically everyone else in their sheltered world, high school football is the most important thing they will ever have.

And yet as sad as this is, I found myself getting caught up in it: the excitement, the rush, the adrenaline of the game. It’s dangerous. It’s dangerous to glamorize something that should really only represent a small part of someone’s life, but it was easy to understand how one could get wrapped up in it. I think this book is worth reading. I think it’s important. And I don’t think you need to be a high school football fan, or even a sports fan in general, to appreciate it.

Permian High School Panthers: 1988 Football Season
vs. Palo Duro Dons — LOSS (Pre-Season)
vs. El Paso Austin — WIN
vs. Marshall Mavericks — WIN
vs. Odessa High Bronchos — WIN
vs. Midland High Bulldogs — WIN
vs. Abilene High Eagles — WIN
vs. Dallas Jesuit — WIN
vs. Cooper Cougars — WIN
vs. Midland Lee Rebels — LOSS
vs. San Angelo Central Bobcats — WIN
_________________________

vs. Amarillo Tascosa Rebels — WIN (Post-Season)
vs. Andress Eagles — WIN (Post-Season)
vs. Irving Nimitz Vikings — WIN (Post-Season)
vs. Arlington Lamar Vikings — WIN (Quarter-Finals)
vs. Carter Cowboys — LOSS (Semi-Finals)

Don’t mess with Texas.(less)

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Mar 03, 2009 Charles rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

If you think this book is about high school football in Texas, you're pretty much wrong. There is a fair amount about football, but this book is really a sort of sociological study of a small Texas town where Football is played. There is a lot about the difficulties of the local economy after the oil slump, and in general the book gives what I thought was a fairly negative view of the people and their preoccupations.

I almost never like movies better than books, but in this case I thought the mo...more

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Nov 06, 2007 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was on an airplane one Friday night when I was reading this book. As the plane took off from Cleveland I noticed a high school football game in progress. I could see the lights.. the two teams on the field.. the crowd and the marching band. I watched the field as long as I could. Just at the point when I couldn't see the stadium anymore my eye caught the lights of another football field. Then.. when I looked out over the countryside I noticed that there were football games in most of the small...more

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Jul 29, 2009 Dan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My friends Matt & Cassie introduced us to the television show "Friday Night Lights" this past winter. I had only heard of it on blogs before then and never really paid any attention to it.

Wow, was I late to the party. The television show is excellent and I highly recommend it, even if you don't like football.

Being the bookworm that I am, I had to find the inspiration for the television show. I actually bought a copy of the book for my friend Matt for Christmas and the four of us eventually d...more

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May 20, 2012 Joe Mccahon rated it 5 of 5 stars

#4
The first third of the novel is the background of the little town in Texas called Odessa. In this little town, it may not have big corporations or a booming economy, but I does have one thing, high school football. The local high school team, the Panthers, has a great tradition of succeeding in football. To the players on the team and even the locals of Odessa, their "American Dream" is to win state. As one of the largest states in the US, Texas is also one of the best at football. That tall...more #4
The first third of the novel is the background of the little town in Texas called Odessa. In this little town, it may not have big corporations or a booming economy, but I does have one thing, high school football. The local high school team, the Panthers, has a great tradition of succeeding in football. To the players on the team and even the locals of Odessa, their "American Dream" is to win state. As one of the largest states in the US, Texas is also one of the best at football. That tall challenge is exactly what the town longs for.
However, unlike other books we read, the struggles to achieve their dream is not through one individual. It is not even through one team. The entire town as a whole longs for their dream to be fulfilled. No matter how work is going or how bad things are at home, football is their relief from the hardships of life. All year the town as a whole looks forward to those friday nights in fall to see their Panthers win. And thats exactly what they plan on doing. In the first third of the book it is only preseason, but the team, like any individual in the books we read, has set a goal to win state. They plan on doing everything in their power to achieve that goal.

#3
Going along with what we are learning in class about the movements Martin Luther King Jr. started and such, this book gives more understanding of the struggles of African Americans in society. The second third of the book talks more about the racism and discrimination in society. I like to think that I understand that racism is barely evident in our society; however, even though MLK helped break down many barriers between whites and blacks, some still exist. This book has enlightened me that racism, even though not as bad as the beginning of the 19th century, is still happening.
It came to me as somewhat of a shock and even an embarrassment that things like racism still occurred up to the late 1980s and possibly even today. This book has given me a greater understanding and knowledge that racism is very evident in modern society, especially in the south. The southern culture, along with many older generations in the south, believe strongly that white people are better than everyone else. It is quite sad that in almost the 90s this was still happening. Fortunately for the town of Odessa, on the football field it doesn't matter your still color; football is all that matters. (less)

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May 07, 2011 Eric rated it 4 of 5 stars

I came to Friday Night Lights in a bass-ackwards sort of way: first, my wife got me hooked on the popular TV series; then, I recently watched the feature film; finally, the film raised enough bothersome questions that I had to read Buzz Bissinger's book.

The book was a revelation. Compared to it, the film is a silly piece of Hollywood sports schlock, and the TV series (which I admit to liking a lot) is scarcely more than a sanitized Beverly Hills, 90210 set in West Texas. Like the video and cellu...more I came to Friday Night Lights in a bass-ackwards sort of way: first, my wife got me hooked on the popular TV series; then, I recently watched the feature film; finally, the film raised enough bothersome questions that I had to read Buzz Bissinger's book.

The book was a revelation. Compared to it, the film is a silly piece of Hollywood sports schlock, and the TV series (which I admit to liking a lot) is scarcely more than a sanitized Beverly Hills, 90210 set in West Texas. Like the video and celluloid adaptations of itself, Bissinger's book stirred a lot of emotions in me--far darker feelings, though, than the sunny sentiments the TV show usually inspires. This book isn't just a feel-good sports story--in fact, it is a detailed study of a small city: its history, steeped in racism and violence; its economy, devastated by a slump in oil prices; its people, consumed by a passion for high school football. As I read it, I came to feel a deep anger and revulsion toward these people of Odessa--their bigotry, their over-the-top football monomania, their fucked-up priorities with regard to what a municipal school system is supposed to be for. By the Epilogue, the only people I had any sympathy for were the players (or at least most of them): decent, hard-working boys whose only hope for a better life was to be found on the gridiron. For most, that hope took the form of securing the honor and respect of the people of their town through victory in the State Championship; for a few of the most talented, it was the slim possibility that a football scholarship would take them away from Odessa and perhaps get them a college education, maybe even--that wildest of dreams--a shot at the pros.

But realistically, that probably won't happen. Instead, at the end of their senior-year season, the players have little more to look forward to than a lifetime of looking backward at past glory while scratching out an existence in a boom-town gone bust. Bissinger has a deep empathy for his subjects that shines through every word on the page. He cares about the players, even more so than the rabid fans in their own hometown, for whom these boys are only as good as their last play from scrimmage. And it is obvious from the Afterword, written ten years after the book's first publication, that he is deeply hurt by the animosity aroused in Odessa by his portrait of the town and its all-consuming pastime. Thanks to Bissinger's compassion, tireless research, and gift for fluent description, there is a fitting memorial to the members of the 1988 Odessa Permian High School football team, one that pays tribute to their essential, lasting humanity, rather than their ephemeral feats on the field. (less)

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Oct 28, 2008 CJ H rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

CJ Herron

Mrs. Ebarvia

World Lit

10/21/08

H.G. Bissinger was born in New York City in November of 1954. He spent time writing for the Philadelphia inquirer. Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger is about a small town in Texas called Odessa. Permian High school football is a way of life and almost every kid dreams of wearing the black and white under Friday night lights some day. Permian’s goal in the 1988 season was to reach the state championship. The competition is high and the road is tough, but...more CJ Herron

Mrs. Ebarvia

World Lit

10/21/08

H.G. Bissinger was born in New York City in November of 1954. He spent time writing for the Philadelphia inquirer. Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger is about a small town in Texas called Odessa. Permian High school football is a way of life and almost every kid dreams of wearing the black and white under Friday night lights some day. Permian’s goal in the 1988 season was to reach the state championship. The competition is high and the road is tough, but will they find a way to get it done?
What I found interesting in the novel Friday Night Lights was the descriptions of the characters and the setting. For example, in the beginning of the novel they described Odessa (the town) and Boobie Miles (star running back) extremely well. The descriptions were always clear, and I felt like I knew the characters and I lived in the Odessa. I also found the point of view changes very interesting. In the novel there were many point of view changes; in one chapter the point of view was from Boobie Miles. But the next was from a former Permian High player from the 1960’s. Next I found that the language was interesting because the novel was based in Texas and some words I have never seen before or spelled differently. For example morning was spelled as mornin. Finally I thought that the plot was interesting and it had twists and turns.
The weaknesses I found in the novel were that there wasn’t too much plot about the football games, more about practices and the day of a game. In the novel there was not much game plot. Another weakness I found was the racism. I realized that people are still racist and it made me feel uncomfortable. The next weakness was that there wasn’t a main protagonist. It was many peoples point of view and the book could have been better if it had a protagonist. Finally a weakness that came to my attention was the adjectives.
Even though the novel Friday Night Lights had many weaknesses, it still was one of my favorite books. The strengths towered over the weaknesses and it was very enjoyable to read. I am looking forward to seeing the movie this weekend. If you love football like I do, I would recommend reading this Friday Night Lights, by H.G. Bissinger
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Mar 18, 2008 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, and A Dream"
By H.G. Bissinger

Before I knew of the book, I knew of the TV show, which itself grew out of the film adaptation. And I knew it was about high school football in the heart of Texas where football and religion were one and the same. I don't count myself as a fan of sports movies but I do watch them from time to time, but you won't find me actively searching for one. So it went with "Friday Night Lights". The film adaption came and went in theaters...more "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, and A Dream"
By H.G. Bissinger

Before I knew of the book, I knew of the TV show, which itself grew out of the film adaptation. And I knew it was about high school football in the heart of Texas where football and religion were one and the same. I don't count myself as a fan of sports movies but I do watch them from time to time, but you won't find me actively searching for one. So it went with "Friday Night Lights". The film adaption came and went in theaters and I thought nothing of it. The same went for its DVD release. And pretty much the same thing happened for the first season of the TV series. But slowly I started to hear things about the franchise, especially the TV series. One of the things I heard was that the TV series expanded on the themes and ideals that were explored in both the film and the book.

And before I knew it, within a month's span, I picked up the first season of the TV series, the DVD of the film, and with luck on my side I found a copy of the book at the bargain bin center of the bookstore. I watched the film and the plight of the Permian Panther's bid for the 1988 Texas State Championships and for a brief moment realized the intensity that came with the game. But two hours was just not enough. I wanted more. So I went to the TV series and devoured it up. It touched on many things that movie danced around and by the time I finished the season, I decided I had to read the original source material that started it all.

It's the middle of March now and I remember starting the book at the start the year. I had watched the movie back around November and I wasn't sure if I would remember the characters but sure enough I soon did. Before long, names such as Boobie Miles, Mike Winchell, Billingsley, Chavez, and Coach Gary Gaines lived in my mind as I read the book. Though I knew of what was going to come because of the movie, what I didn't account for was the wealth of information that H.G. Bissinger had incorporated in the book. There were histories towns, people, racism, and the Permian Panthers themselves. This book was not simply about football in West Texas but it is rather a bigger picture at a slice of life in this section of America.

In some ways Texas is a microcosm of the nation. Both Texas and the nation went from boom to bust in the Eighties during the time of 'big oil'. Racism was as much as a hotly debated topic of concern as it is for the nation. Football itself for the area has strong ties to racism and town histories and state championships.

But it's the concentrated concern of the high school football athletes that's always front and center. Just as most of the world seems concentrated at the years of high school and college, it is this sentiment seen at its height and ugliness with high school football. Boys have been brought up with the desire to play football and go all the way. Just like ancient gladiators or Spartans or Romans, do they fight with all their might on the field. The towns cheer for them. The towns cheat for them. The towns fight for them. The towns live through them. And all this comes to a head on a single day, on a single night: Friday nights.

- Michael Midnight(less)

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Jan 08, 2009 Hydra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: real-life

I figure that I'm from Texas where football reigns supreme. I figure that I love the TV show. I figure they filmed the movie & TV show in my neighborhood. I figure that Coach Caesar gave it an excellent review.... So, let me read this & see what I think. I'm about 1/4 way through the book & I've already dreamt about Odessa, TX, once.

Odessa's and West Texas's obsession with high school football is truly fascinating, and at times, very depressing. I gobbled up the first 3/4 of the boo...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Omar Zaidi rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book describes my childhood memories of being in the football stadium on Friday nights. I grew up in Austin, Texas. My alma mater, Westlake High School, was used to film a number of the scenes in the TV series that followed the movie, which followed the book.

Odessa Texas, where the book takes place, is a gritty town. Most people here are at or below the poverty level and it is a very hardscrabble place. The community comes together to cheer on the Odessa Permian Panthers every season. The t...more

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Mar 22, 2013 02janiek rated it 4 of 5 stars

This term I have read a few books I have read books about school and college. But I have decided to write a report on Sports in high school. So the book im going to tell you about is called Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by H.G. Bissinger. I also read a book about Getting a headstart on your future career and what schools you would like to go to in college. But this Football book happens to be my absoulute favorite book this year I have read.

While reading this book is was hard...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Book Friday Night Lights, a Town a Team and a Dream by H.G Bissinger is a story about more than just football. Friday Night Lights, a Town a Team and a Dream is a non-fiction book about Odessea, Texas and the football team there in 1988-1989. This book was published in 1990. Everyone who reads this book could get something out of it. This book has many different themes, from dealing with racism to how your actions affect other people. The book follows the football team through their season h...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Matt Sauter rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: friday-night-lights

This book has inspired me in my own life. This book has a real meaning. Not only does the book make it seem real but the movie as well. Everything about this book just catches my attention. This book maybe fiction in a sense, but related to my life as a high school student who has played football and has fell in love with the game, this makes it seem as real as it could ever get. I love this book, the show, and the movie a lot. I can never stop watching the series of it over and over again. On...more This book has inspired me in my own life. This book has a real meaning. Not only does the book make it seem real but the movie as well. Everything about this book just catches my attention. This book maybe fiction in a sense, but related to my life as a high school student who has played football and has fell in love with the game, this makes it seem as real as it could ever get. I love this book, the show, and the movie a lot. I can never stop watching the series of it over and over again. On a basis I read it even though I am on my second time around reading it since I have originally checked it out for this project.
This book makes every high school football players dream a reality. It relates to so much of what we have gone through in the process of our four years at school. It makes me feel as if someone has decided to write a book on high school football and a players life and has personally chosen me as if the books on my life. I can probably be sure to tell you that almost every guy that’s playing now or has played football in high school feels the same way. The book is as inspiring as it is ever going to get. No one could have thought of and have could have written a better book than he did to this.
To whomever that wrote the movie scripts and the television show could have not of done a better job either. Not only can we read the book but see it and just feel as if our life is on a television show. This book has probably saved and changed hundreds upon hundreds teenage guys lives. I love this book more than anything and would strongly recommend it to be read by anyone and especially high school football players now. There is absolutely nothing that can come close to neither this book nor the series on television or the movie.
No one else has yet to even try and attempt to make something similar. If someone did try something like that, I believe or my opinion would be of them failing miserably and getting horrible reviews for either their book or show or even movie. Nothing could ever come close to comparing with Friday Night Lights. I believe this book gives any kid with a dream hope and the courage to pursue their dream of playing football at any level weather it is high school, college, or even the NFL. This book is the book to get someone going.
You should pick up this book as soon as possible because you have no idea what you are missing out on. This book even could have you addicted as well. Once you start I can almost guarantee you that you will not stop reading until your done completely. GO PICK UP THIS BOOK NOW!!!!
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Feb 22, 2013 Nicole Lemke rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

This true story of how football reigns supreme in West Texas has been sitting on my book shelf -abandoned by my brother - for years. My newfound interest in the TV series based on the movie based on the book brought me back to the book. And- I loved this book.

I'm not even mad about the time it took me to pick up the book (I had to put some time between the present & when I actually lived in West Texas). This is a great companion to the TV series because you can see how the Hollywood drama is...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Davey Gee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Being an Australian fan of NFL (and cringing whenever I tell someone that I am an Arizona Cardinals fan and waiting for their laugh of pity--oh Cardinals, how I still love you!)as well as a fan of the 2004 film adaptation, I was extremely satisified when I managed to find this book after a long hunt.

H.G. Bissinger does an excellent job at describing the claustrophobic social climate of small town Texas life, exploring racial divide, economic downturn and the stress placed upon the seventeen-yea...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Allen Delao added it

If you love spotrs of in high school then this is a good book you. Friday Night Lights by H.G Bissinger is about a town called Odessa it wasent know for being a big place and none with any dreams but for their highschool team the Pathers become the best team in texas history.With this great accoplishment it left with hope and dreams to keep the town alive.
Every friday night from september to december when the pathers play football it leavs the town with dreams. With a single minded person that...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Steven rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Just finished a second reading, some 20 years after the first. Great sports book, and an excellent exploration of the role sports can play in the dead-end life of a small town suffering a bad economy. The author has an obvious affection for the players and the people of Odessa, though their sense of betrayal when the book came out is well-known. (Twenty years later, they are surely more proud than insulted, now that there has been a movie and a television show based on the book.)

The non-fiction...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Scott Vondebur rated it 5 of 5 stars

The author’s purpose for writing this book is very well stated. This book is very unique to other football books. The main focus in this book is the town itself and how football affected the small town of Odessa, Texas. The point of view in this book is that of a reporter at times, but at other times it appears that it is written as a history report for Odessa and the people that lived there. The author did a great job of showing the reader, rather than telling, how great the town of Odessa real...more The author’s purpose for writing this book is very well stated. This book is very unique to other football books. The main focus in this book is the town itself and how football affected the small town of Odessa, Texas. The point of view in this book is that of a reporter at times, but at other times it appears that it is written as a history report for Odessa and the people that lived there. The author did a great job of showing the reader, rather than telling, how great the town of Odessa really is.

The themes of this book are very easy to spot. In several occasions the coach of the Permian High School Panthers takes his players aside and tells them a story with a moral to it. Some of these morals or themes are friendship, brotherhood, determination, and the willingness to fight on even when the going gets tough. The book also talks about the hardships of the people that live in Odessa. At one time they had the highest homicide rate of any state, 29.8 homicides to 100,000 residents.

It is very hard to pin whether this book is a description or an exposition. Judged by the fact that the book rarely focuses on small details, but more on the overall details, I have pinned it as an exposition. The book focuses on analyzing the players, the town, and the problems that the town faces. The book is thought through wonderfully. The book doesn’t flood you with football terms and plays, but the book slows down at certain points to give you background on certain people, towns, and specific problems to give the characters and places some texture and feeling.

My personal opinion of the book is very high. It is a different style of book than I have read before, and I would recommend it to anyone, football fan or not. The story follows a high school football team’s season. The book has four sections to it, pre-season, regular season, push for the playoffs, and post-season. As the players progress in their season the book starts to focus in on the football team itself rather than the town. As a matter of fact, the book, to me, is slow in the beginning with a lot of background information about the town itself. In truth, the book relates more to the people and the town almost more than the football team. The team is the outlet for the town allowing adults to experience winning instead of a small town life, and the players to find a way to escape the small town life. In this way, the book made sense being presented this way. Being a football player myself, I would have wished for more football in the beginning, but I understand why he wrote the book in this fashion.
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Dec 04, 2012 Josh Davis rated it 5 of 5 stars

The author’s purpose for writing this book is very well stated. This book is very unique to other football books. The main focus in this book is the town itself and how football affected the small town of Odessa, Texas. The point of view in this book is that of a reporter at times, but at other times it appears that it is written as a history report for Odessa and the people that lived there. The author did a great job of showing the reader, rather than telling, how great the town of Odessa rea...more The author’s purpose for writing this book is very well stated. This book is very unique to other football books. The main focus in this book is the town itself and how football affected the small town of Odessa, Texas. The point of view in this book is that of a reporter at times, but at other times it appears that it is written as a history report for Odessa and the people that lived there. The author did a great job of showing the reader, rather than telling, how great the town of Odessa really is.

The themes of this book are very easy to spot. In several occasions the coach of the Permian High School Panthers takes his players aside and tells them a story with a moral to it. Some of these morals or themes are friendship, brotherhood, determination, and the willingness to fight on even when the going gets tough. The book also talks about the hardships of the people that live in Odessa. At one time they had the highest homicide rate of any state, 29.8 homicides to 100,000 residents.

It is very hard to pin whether this book is a description or an exposition. Judged by the fact that the book rarely focuses on small details, but more on the overall details, I have pinned it as an exposition. The book focuses on analyzing the players, the town, and the problems that the town faces. The book is thought through wonderfully. The book doesn’t flood you with football terms and plays, but the book slows down at certain points to give you background on certain people, towns, and specific problems to give the characters and places some texture and feeling.

My personal opinion of the book is very high. It is a different style of book than I have read before, and I would recommend it to anyone, football fan or not. The story follows a high school football team’s season. The book has four sections to it, pre-season, regular season, push for the playoffs, and post-season. As the players progress in their season the book starts to focus in on the football team itself rather than the town. As a matter of fact, the book, to me, is slow in the beginning with a lot of background information about the town itself. In truth, the book relates more to the people and the town almost more than the football team. The team is the outlet for the town allowing adults to experience winning instead of a small town life, and the players to find a way to escape the small town life. In this way, the book made sense being presented this way. Being a football player myself, I would have wished for more football in the beginning, but I understand why he wrote the book in this fashion.
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Nov 29, 2012 Tanner Manion rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was truly one of the best books i have ever read. Most have seen the movie which is an alltime favorite but the book hits you in a different way. The storys are real and could relate to just about anyone and the book leaves you many surprises that make you glues to the book. Its a tory of hard times going through high school and also hard times trying to raise a famiily. Dont let the cover fool you this book is about a lot more than just football. But if you do play highschool footbal...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Mitchell Zander rated it 2 of 5 stars

Friday Night Lights
H.G. Bissinger

I used to see football as a game and a fun thing to watch with my family, but since I read this book I can really see how much football can change a person and a whole city. Most people would say that football is just a sport and a fun one at that, but some people that play football see it as the only way of life for them and the only way they can live. Friday Night Lights, by H.G. Bissinger, is about a small town called Odessa that lives with football.

Friday N...more Friday Night Lights
H.G. Bissinger

I used to see football as a game and a fun thing to watch with my family, but since I read this book I can really see how much football can change a person and a whole city. Most people would say that football is just a sport and a fun one at that, but some people that play football see it as the only way of life for them and the only way they can live. Friday Night Lights, by H.G. Bissinger, is about a small town called Odessa that lives with football.

Friday Night Lights is a book about a small town known as Odessa and their high school football team (Permian High). Some of the players on this team have gone through some serious injuries in football, but still want to come back and play. During the football season Permian High has football games every Friday (hint the name) and the whole town gets hyped up and cheers for their team, the Panthers. Permian high started the season with some high expectations, since they had one last year. This novel has a great story, and if you like football and want to know what happens then I’d definitely read this book.

This book doesn’t have one solid main character due to it being a narrative, but there are many characters if this novel such as some of the players like mike and the head coach of the football team. Gaines is the head coach of the Permian football team that won’t take it easy on his players. Gaines pushes his team to do the best they can, or to be perfect. Gaines is motivated by his team’s hard work to keep on helping and making this team better, and also tries to motivate the his team as the season goes on and really wants them to do well, but i think he does some unnecessary things like threatening to put people in positions that shouldn’t be there. Sadly there is a lack of description about what this coach looks like.

In this game Gaines was being hard on his team, and at half time Permian is ahead 35 to 0, but the coaches and him told the team that they should have two more touchdowns and that they don’t due to penalties. After halftime this scene occurs as an act of Gaines getting a little bit too mad at his team. “It began at halftime when Gaines said he was going to let an untested junior named Chris Comer play the entire second half at fullback. It was Comer’s first game ever on the Permian varsity, and it was only because of Boobie’s ( a great player that got hurt) injury that he was there...” page 69 to 70 in this book. This shows that Gaines is acting a little bit too much over his team not playing how he wants them to, and he is threatening to put a kid in that isn't even a good starter, but as the story goes on you begin to like Gaines and enjoy how he pushes his team, knowing that he’s making them better through all of this.
The small town of Odessa would be lost without the Permian high school football team, and is now in full throttle with them doing great during their season. This book really gives you a sense of how important a sport can be to a person and a whole town. This book Friday Night Lights was definitely fun to read, and was great to read especially since I like sports.
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Nov 17, 2012 Liam c added it

I would not recommend the book Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger to a friend because it includes irrelevant, and off topic information, has situations I can’t relate to, and uses to many characters.
When the book talks about oil fields and government instead of what the book is about, football, I got bored and questioned why I was reading the book. The author would tell stories about people losing money from the oil bust, like on page 81 it said, “He made $40,000 the first year out when Ho...more I would not recommend the book Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger to a friend because it includes irrelevant, and off topic information, has situations I can’t relate to, and uses to many characters.
When the book talks about oil fields and government instead of what the book is about, football, I got bored and questioned why I was reading the book. The author would tell stories about people losing money from the oil bust, like on page 81 it said, “He made $40,000 the first year out when Houston back in those days was ‘blowin’ gold.” I do not care about some random guy losing money from oil that has nothing to do with the plot of the story and does not relate to it at all. Then the author tells the reader about presidential elections, and how people felt about them. Like on page 189 it said, “As election day neared in Odessa, the antagonism toward Dukakis and all that he represented became more and more venomous.” I want to read about football. Look at the front cover of the book it has three football players dressed in Permian black, not a guy at an oil rig or President Obama. One may say this extra content could provide back round knowledge for the reader. That may be true, but this off topic and irrelevant information slows the book down and makes it painfully boring for the reader. If the author sticked to the plot and got straight to the point with out off topic ideas or thoughts the writing would be easier and more fun to read.
Friday Night Lights also has situations to which I can’t relate. In the book the author talks about a kid from Odessa having their first drink at a very young age. On page 83 it said, “He had taken his first drink in fifth grade, and by the time he was a senior had built quite a reputation for drinking.” I thought it was crazy that someone could of had their first drink in fifth grade. That was tough for me to rap my had around. The author also talks about oil fields, the town setup, and racism. It’s hard to picture or relate to what’s unfolding in the story. Someone could say it may be hard for me to relate but not for everyone else. In response I would say that not everyone is from the south and lives in a small town of Texas. The book may be good for someone who lives in Texas and would really be able to follow without getting confused. It’s very hard to be enthusiastic about a book when you can not relate at all.
The book also includes way to many characters. By the end of the book I couldn’t even keep track of them. In the book it introduces people on the football team, cheerleaders, coaches, teachers, students, parents, and fans. When the author would talk about what happened and tell stories, it was hard to know who he was talking about. Although including so many would make for better character development I like being able to count how many characters there are on all of my fingers and toes. The use of so many characters was not a good idea in this book.
Other negatives are the use of foul language, racism, homophobia, and lots of inappropriate actions. I would not recommend Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger to a friend because it includes off topic info that slows the story down, has situations of which most people not from a setting or atmosphere like Odessa Texas can’t relate to, and includes way to many characters. This was not a good book!(less)

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Nov 07, 2012 Jake B rated it 5 of 5 stars

In small communities, Friday night football games are the place to be. It is a great way to entertain the whole family and watch some real football. Odessa was that small town. Everyone from town would watch the Permian Panthers play football. Some would watch particular people, like James “Boobie” Miles.

In Friday Night Lights, by H.G. Bassinger, the way that Bassinger went through and described the life of Boobie Miles during his last season. I enjoyed how Bassinger retold the choices made my...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Dylan Leigh added it

I'm almost done with this book. Coach Gary Gaines says, "gentlemen, the hopes and dreams of an entire town are riding on your shoulders. You may never natter again in your life as much as you do right now." This shows how much football means to this town. If someone messes up or anything in the game then the whole town could be mad at then. This must be a lot of pressure for the players. This book is about a season of the Permian Panthers football team. They have some losses in the season that s...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Rosalee Korte rated it 3 of 5 stars

Friday night lights is a book about football and the story behind it.It is a non-fiction book. This book is written by H.C. Bissinger. the book takes place in Odessa,Texas. Their team name is the panthers. This book revolves around the football players also the cheerleaders. Their big days like our high school are Fridays the cheerleaders always give them gifts on game day and they support the team with pep rallies and booster club. The Panthers get defeated by Carter team. then that team led to...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Bob Mustin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Having previously read After Friday Night Lights, I felt compelled by Bissinger’s years-after revisiting of Permian High School’s might-have-been superstar, Boobie Miles and Odessa, Texas’, obsession with high school football, to read the original eighties version. Bissinger is a Pulitzer winning writer, who went to live in Odessa for a year, and who immersed himself in the culture of West Texas and those folks’ fascination with high school football.

But Bissinger doesn’t just portray the pluck o...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Mackenzie O'brien rated it 5 of 5 stars

Friday Night Lights tell the story of a small Texas town by the name of Odessa in the year 1988. The oil business has recently crashed, but there is one thing keeping the spirits of the citizens up: Permian High Football. This non-fiction book gives readers an idea of the role high school football plays in the small Texas town by telling the tales of players, coaches, and fans over the grueling season.
I enjoyed this book because it captured the atmosphere and mood extremely well. I could almost...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Ryan Holiday rated it 5 of 5 stars

I LOVE this show. I don't know why it took me so long to get into it but I finally watched all the episodes on Netflix, so then I had to read the book. Of course, the book is a classic for a reason. The book is much less inspiring and heartwarming than the show. The coaches don't actually care about the kids (whereas on the show Eric Taylor is maybe the greatest father figure character I've ever seen. Seriously he's like the definition of what a father should be), there are no strong women, the...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Randy Ehrler rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Insanity of High School & Youth Sports

I am not really sure where to begin. Friday Night Lights is soul stirring, heartbreaking, discouraging and amazing read. It reaffirmed my opinion of high school athletics – that they are vehicles for immature, child-like coaches and parents with repressed fantasies of athletic glory. They use their children to pursue their own personal ambitions. Fifteen-year old kids are fodder in the high school football machine.

Having played football in high schoo...more The Insanity of High School & Youth Sports

I am not really sure where to begin. Friday Night Lights is soul stirring, heartbreaking, discouraging and amazing read. It reaffirmed my opinion of high school athletics – that they are vehicles for immature, child-like coaches and parents with repressed fantasies of athletic glory. They use their children to pursue their own personal ambitions. Fifteen-year old kids are fodder in the high school football machine.

Having played football in high school, I learned this lesson early on. Though the coaches talked of “building character” and “learning life-lessons” from the game – the true objective was “win or I will get fired!” – OR – “win, because I need a good record to build my resume so I can escape this crappy job and move onto a better school!” It is not about the kids. It is about the ambitions and ego of the coaches. It is about the vanity of parents who are able to live vicariously through the exploits of their children during their few years of glory.

What is amazing is how absolutely ridiculous this sports obsession has become. Though it was driven by ego and vanity when I played 20+ years ago – it was limited in many ways. We didn’t give the sport a thought until two-a-days began in August, then we moved onto other things when the season ended. The model revealed in Friday Nights Lights – of a year-round football meat-grinder – building, using and discarding young players – was, I thought, isolated to football-obsessed Texas. Then I saw Hoop Dreams and realized that this madness surrounding a sport existed in basketball as well.

But it has now spread – everywhere and to all sports. No one plays for fun anymore. All sports have been “professionalized” and “specialized” beginning around the age of 8 or 9. Today, kids have private coaches and trainers; they play on club teams that require 5 or 6 practices weekly plus extensive travel for games and tournaments. Games are attended by ALL parents – who passionately hang onto the outcome of every game – assessing, critiquing and correcting in an effort to make their kid a “great” player. Coaches and referees/umpires are walking targets for parental vitriol if their child fails at their expense. This is high-stakes. It is a full-time job of at-least one parent - and a significant investment – just to play sports. Just go to a Little League Baseball game – look at the equipment bags that 10 years olds have – several bats, several gloves, their own helmet. Not just one kid – every kid. Why is this?

Can you say CRAZY!

Every year the bar gets raised a little higher. One player will add a new coaching method, or personal trainer, or dietician to their program – then everyone else feels compelled to do the same – or (God forbid) they may fall behind, not make the team - ending the delusions of grandeur held by their parents. It’s Little League meets keeping up with the Joneses – MADNESS!
Sadly, the madness has spread worldwide – from youth soccer in Europe – where promising players are taken from their parents and put into training camps at young ages – to develop their full-potential as a player – a dream come true for many parents. Same in tennis and gymnastics – and I am sure many others.

Friday Night Lights is a book we should all read – or re-read – paying special attention to the hearts and minds of the players – of the wounds they endured by placing so much dedicated effort into a single purpose (that ultimately benefitted others) at such a young age – sucking all of the fun from what is supposed to be a game. If youth sports is a business – lets call it one and stop portraying it as an outlet for character building – lets pay the kids to play and stop pretending we care about anything other than winning. Or, better yet, lets regain our perspective; remember that these are games, designed for recreation and fun, and return to a simpler design for leagues and play. Wishful thinking!
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Jun 14, 2012 Captainhoward73 rated it 4 of 5 stars

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title link	preview: Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream
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Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream

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