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Past the Bleachers
Agreeing to coach what would have been his son's baseball team after his son Nathaniel's death at the age of ten, Bill Parris hopes to exorcise his grief, even when a new boy who looks disturbingly like Nathaniel joins the team.
254 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
December 2, 2023
3.5 stars. This is one of Bohjalian's earlier works and it was a lovely bittersweet read although it left some unanswered questions about "mysterious " happenings or coincidences which took off a star for me. The main storylines focused on two people, Bill Parrish, a grieving father and a strange new resident of the rural Vermont setting of the novel, 11 y/o Lucky Diamond.
Bill thinks coaching a Little League baseball team might help him heal from the loss of his young son, Nathaniel, who died from cancer the previous year. Nathaniel was an excellent baseball player and Bill went to all the games, a common bonding experience between fathers & sons. He knows most of the boys & a couple of girls who would be on the team as they had been friends of Nathaniel. There is one name he doesn't know, Lucky Diamond, and once he meets the boy, he is strangely attracted to him. Lucky is a wonderful player but has a disability, lives up the mountain away from the town and is not in the local school. All that plays into his difficulty fitting in with the rest of the team and increases Bill's interest in him.
There are some mysterious incidents that occur that make one think there is something paranormal going on or is a lean to magical realism and as stated before they are not totally explained to satisfaction, although it did not dampen my enjoyment of the novel; just left me wanting at times.
Bill thinks coaching a Little League baseball team might help him heal from the loss of his young son, Nathaniel, who died from cancer the previous year. Nathaniel was an excellent baseball player and Bill went to all the games, a common bonding experience between fathers & sons. He knows most of the boys & a couple of girls who would be on the team as they had been friends of Nathaniel. There is one name he doesn't know, Lucky Diamond, and once he meets the boy, he is strangely attracted to him. Lucky is a wonderful player but has a disability, lives up the mountain away from the town and is not in the local school. All that plays into his difficulty fitting in with the rest of the team and increases Bill's interest in him.
There are some mysterious incidents that occur that make one think there is something paranormal going on or is a lean to magical realism and as stated before they are not totally explained to satisfaction, although it did not dampen my enjoyment of the novel; just left me wanting at times.
June 9, 2018
Chris Bohjalian's books take two or three issues that people tend to have strong opinions about, and somehow make them all come together into one cohesive novel where the issues are not the stars of the story and no bias on the author's part is revealed. The reader is not asked to form a decisive stance on the issues, and the book does not lay the controversies of the issues to rest. The issues are there without being introduced, and the story line does not focus on them, but rather weaves through them. The books are written in a flowing way that draws you in and makes you want to keep reading till the end. I appreciate that his novels very rarely cause the reader to predict an obvious next step in the story, and that when this does happen, the prediction never comes true - not even predictably the opposite. What does occur makes sense, without being predictable. I personally enjoy that he and I coincidentally have resided in (or often visited)some of the same towns, which are usually the settings of his novels and always accurately depicted. (Eg. Stowe, VT, Amherst, MA) Having read most of his books one after the other in a short period of time, I've noticed a few shared characteristics; one being that a lot of the novels begin after a death, which starts the story with tension in the characters while often not using the death as a primary plot point.
I need to reread this to remember the issues involved. Past the Bleachers and The Buffalo Soldier both have a welcome self-contained small town in the country feel, unlike some of his other novels that include a focus on a main character's work life in the city or travel town to town.
I need to reread this to remember the issues involved. Past the Bleachers and The Buffalo Soldier both have a welcome self-contained small town in the country feel, unlike some of his other novels that include a focus on a main character's work life in the city or travel town to town.
August 26, 2012
I am a big Chris Bohjalian fan and this was one of the few novels of his that I hadn't read.
I liked the characters that were involved in the story. The main character, Bill Parrish, has recently lost his eleven year old son and at times, the loss he felt was palpable and real.
I also liked Lucky Diamond, the mysterious boy who materializes in the small Vermont town where the story takes place. I liked the limitations that being mute placed upon him. But, it may have been interesting to see things from his perspective at some point.
The "mystery" that surrounded Lucky, though, seemed as though it could have been better developed. Generally, I like the author because endings are often unexpected, but make sense. This one may have been somewhat unexpected, but it didn't make much sense in the end. I don't know, I just wasn't impressed with the way it was wrapped up.
Regardless, I still enjoyed the writing style. And despite baseball terms I knew nothing about, it was still a compelling read.
I liked the characters that were involved in the story. The main character, Bill Parrish, has recently lost his eleven year old son and at times, the loss he felt was palpable and real.
I also liked Lucky Diamond, the mysterious boy who materializes in the small Vermont town where the story takes place. I liked the limitations that being mute placed upon him. But, it may have been interesting to see things from his perspective at some point.
The "mystery" that surrounded Lucky, though, seemed as though it could have been better developed. Generally, I like the author because endings are often unexpected, but make sense. This one may have been somewhat unexpected, but it didn't make much sense in the end. I don't know, I just wasn't impressed with the way it was wrapped up.
Regardless, I still enjoyed the writing style. And despite baseball terms I knew nothing about, it was still a compelling read.
May 28, 2017
I am a fan of Chris Bohjalian's novels but this early one was not my favorites. (I think I recall that he himself said he did not like some of his earlier books?) My opinion is that this book could not decide if it was a story about baseball, about grieving parents and how a Dad tries to heal by coaching what would have been his son's Little League team or a mystery about paranormal activity. It all comes together in the end in a mostly satisfactory way but there were some weird things that just did not make sense to me. One instance was when Bill and his son finding a bloody shirt while on a hike. It was mentioned one other time later on but there did not seem to be a connection to the story and it was noted that although the shirt was turned in to police, no news about it was ever forthcoming. Then there were the strange "coincidences" - for instance when the bat flew out of Lucky's hands and just missed another player's head and Bill knew it was going to happen and screamed the boy's name just in time to avoid a catastrophe. And when a boy made fun of Lucky and the next day ended up in a coma. The way the book was tied up in the end did not (to me) connect the dots to these strange coincidences. Not a bad book, but his later books are so much better!!
Want to Read
December 5, 2016This book is no longer in print, as per Bohjalian's wishes.
November 15, 2021
I have finished all his books I can get (17) and this one I had to buy used for a significant amount of money. That's how much I love his writing. BTW, although this is like his third book it's the last of my reads which started with his latest ("The Red Lotus") and introduced me to his writing.
Some have criticized this novel even saying the TV movie from 1995 was better but I beg to disagree. The day after finishing the book I found the movie on Amazon Prime and watched it. It's a good movie - well acted and with just some minor variances from the book. But, as is usually the case the book leaves open what the characters look like and sound like. It also give you insight into the characters thoughts and lets your imagination fill in all the details. It's a good book with a unique story that will tug at your heart and finish with a bang. Recommend.
Thank you Mr. Bojhalian for all the books. You've filled a gaping hole in the heart of an old man who lives alone. When is the next one due?
Some have criticized this novel even saying the TV movie from 1995 was better but I beg to disagree. The day after finishing the book I found the movie on Amazon Prime and watched it. It's a good movie - well acted and with just some minor variances from the book. But, as is usually the case the book leaves open what the characters look like and sound like. It also give you insight into the characters thoughts and lets your imagination fill in all the details. It's a good book with a unique story that will tug at your heart and finish with a bang. Recommend.
Thank you Mr. Bojhalian for all the books. You've filled a gaping hole in the heart of an old man who lives alone. When is the next one due?
July 19, 2020
"Past the Bleachers" is a slowly paced jog around the baseball diamond-shaped grief of a father whose son has died.
Nathaniel has been dead for a little more than a year. His father, Bill, decides he will coach what would have been his son's Little League team this year. A new kid appears in town and on the team. The new kid initially reminds Bill of Nathaniel, but then he freaks out Bill's cats and nothing makes sense anymore.
This book didn't go in the direction I anticipated at all.
The freaked-out cats and sinister accidents had me convinced that we were going in a supernatural direction. Nope. The novel ends with a much more subdued and ordinary stumble into unexciting territory.
Although I have read most of Chris Bohjalian's books, I missed this one previously. Appropriately enough, I read it now just as the Covid-19 truncated baseball season is getting ready to begin. I'm glad enough that I read it, but mostly I'm just disappointed.
Nathaniel has been dead for a little more than a year. His father, Bill, decides he will coach what would have been his son's Little League team this year. A new kid appears in town and on the team. The new kid initially reminds Bill of Nathaniel, but then he freaks out Bill's cats and nothing makes sense anymore.
This book didn't go in the direction I anticipated at all.
The freaked-out cats and sinister accidents had me convinced that we were going in a supernatural direction. Nope. The novel ends with a much more subdued and ordinary stumble into unexciting territory.
Although I have read most of Chris Bohjalian's books, I missed this one previously. Appropriately enough, I read it now just as the Covid-19 truncated baseball season is getting ready to begin. I'm glad enough that I read it, but mostly I'm just disappointed.
December 24, 2024
Bohjalian takes the story of a father grieving over the death of a son and wraps it around hints of a ghost story. About a year after his son's death, Bill Parrish decides that coaching the local Little League team for which his son would have played will help him cope with the loss. When he gets the roster for his team, he notices a name, Lucky Diamond, that he's never heard before, unusual in his small Vermont town. A natural at baseball, Lucky should fit in well on the team. But the mystery surrounding him and his arrival deepen, and Bohjalian adds a few seemingly supernatural occurrences (strange cat behavior and the like) to a few odd and vaguely threatening coincidences (a boy who makes mean comments about Lucky is almost killed by a flying baseball bat) and Bill (and the reader) question who Lucky really is and what he's doing there. While the answer to those questions isn't overly satisfying (although it's reasonable enough) the resolution to the story is immensely gratifying.
May 14, 2025
This was Bohjalian's 3rd book, and the first (in my opinion) that showed his writing talent. The story of Bill and Harper's grief is very well done. It feels authentic, raw, and heartbreaking. The rest of the book was average...it felt like Bohjalian could not decide if this book was meant to be a supernatural/ghost story or a mystery. Neither were very well done, nor very interesting. I would not recommend his prior two books (they were awful), so if you are interested in his earlier works, start with this one.
September 20, 2024
No one can ever accuse Chris Bohjalian of improving as he writes more. He has been great from the start. I have read almost every book of his I can lay my hands on. He is one of my top five favorite authors. It is a huge endorsement when you get that high on my list, as I am a prodigious reader. I am not sure anyone but me cares, but it is true. This was excellent.
March 27, 2018
Loved the book.
January 5, 2023
This was one of the last Christopher Bohjalian book I hadn’t read. I found it comforting as we also lost a son to childhood cancer.
October 3, 2023
one of his earlier books... some unanswered questions about the mystery
September 25, 2021
Chris Bohjalian is one of my favorites. While this doesn't have the same depth and layers that his later novels do, it is still an interesting story. Really a 3 1/2 star for me, but probably a little more towards 3 since I can't do 1/2. :)
July 25, 2021
Past the Bleachers is Chris Bohjalian's third book, now out of print. I recently was given it as a gift, a first edition, by the author. I expected that I would enjoy it it mostly as the first efforts of a writer who became one of our premier novelists. I was wrong. While the plot is far simpler than the more complex books he later came to write, its simplicity is its grace. It is wonderful.
Bill and Harper Parrish lose their ten-year-old son, Nathaniel, to leukemia. A little more than a year later, Bill becomes coach of the Little League team on which Nathaniel would have played. An eleven-year-old boy, Lucky Diamond, who lives "over there, past the bleachers," is a member of that team of boys and girls. What happens during that baseball season is a story of love, of loss, of aching, of fathers and sons, of small town America.
Only one other contemporary writer "gets" children and is capable of rendering them so well on the page, and that is James Lee Burke, a god of American literature. These kids are real.
The scenes of the practices and games in Past the Bleachers rang true on every level, from the goofiness of the kids, the the loving instruction from the coaches, to the interfering parents, to details such as Cindy Fletcher's sartorial display at second base and Mark Lamphere's "best catch of the season" and its aftermath.
Details of setting the scene had me stop reading in order to absorb the beauty of the passage:
"There are not many stars out tonight, and the moon darts constantly behind drifting clouds, offering them each the barest, briefest of halos."
or so stunningly specific that the image is immediately fixed in the reader's mind:
"The Maple Tree sits across the street from the Sedgebury Inn, in a restored village house with fish scale woodwork and two cupolas."
Moments later, Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" playing in the background while Bill and Hilton talked set the tone and atmosphere perfectly.
As the mother of two sons who were this age when Past the Bleachers was written (1992) I had flood of memories fill my heart. While neither of our boys played Little League baseball, at exactly in the time period of the book, our family spent countless happy summer days at a nearby minor league ball part. Past the Bleachers is a sentimental trip back in time. Our time.
Highly recommended
Bill and Harper Parrish lose their ten-year-old son, Nathaniel, to leukemia. A little more than a year later, Bill becomes coach of the Little League team on which Nathaniel would have played. An eleven-year-old boy, Lucky Diamond, who lives "over there, past the bleachers," is a member of that team of boys and girls. What happens during that baseball season is a story of love, of loss, of aching, of fathers and sons, of small town America.
Only one other contemporary writer "gets" children and is capable of rendering them so well on the page, and that is James Lee Burke, a god of American literature. These kids are real.
The scenes of the practices and games in Past the Bleachers rang true on every level, from the goofiness of the kids, the the loving instruction from the coaches, to the interfering parents, to details such as Cindy Fletcher's sartorial display at second base and Mark Lamphere's "best catch of the season" and its aftermath.
Details of setting the scene had me stop reading in order to absorb the beauty of the passage:
"There are not many stars out tonight, and the moon darts constantly behind drifting clouds, offering them each the barest, briefest of halos."
or so stunningly specific that the image is immediately fixed in the reader's mind:
"The Maple Tree sits across the street from the Sedgebury Inn, in a restored village house with fish scale woodwork and two cupolas."
Moments later, Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" playing in the background while Bill and Hilton talked set the tone and atmosphere perfectly.
As the mother of two sons who were this age when Past the Bleachers was written (1992) I had flood of memories fill my heart. While neither of our boys played Little League baseball, at exactly in the time period of the book, our family spent countless happy summer days at a nearby minor league ball part. Past the Bleachers is a sentimental trip back in time. Our time.
Highly recommended
December 27, 2012
This book had a level of suspense that made my physically uncomfortable, to the point where I kept putting it down and picking it back up until I finished the final 80% of the book in basically one sitting.
This wasn't my favorite story. It centered around a father who lost his son to cancer a year prior and decides to coach what would have been his son's Little League team in an effort to help him move on. There was a lot of time spent talking about their practices and strategy that felt like filler-story to me when I wanted more character development and more answers.
This wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. I can see that it was one of Bohjalian's earlier books and I think he honed his story-telling skills after this book was published. I did recognize a lot of his descriptions and characters from other books of his though. (Not the actual characters - more the gist of characters in future books)
That being said, there were some unanswered questions at the end of the book that annoyed me.
Looking forward to my next Bohjalian book though, as I can never quite tell what to expect.
This wasn't my favorite story. It centered around a father who lost his son to cancer a year prior and decides to coach what would have been his son's Little League team in an effort to help him move on. There was a lot of time spent talking about their practices and strategy that felt like filler-story to me when I wanted more character development and more answers.
This wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. I can see that it was one of Bohjalian's earlier books and I think he honed his story-telling skills after this book was published. I did recognize a lot of his descriptions and characters from other books of his though. (Not the actual characters - more the gist of characters in future books)
That being said, there were some unanswered questions at the end of the book that annoyed me.
Looking forward to my next Bohjalian book though, as I can never quite tell what to expect.
July 25, 2008
Bohjalian takes the story of a father grieving over the death of a son and wraps it around hints of a ghost story. About a year after his son's death, Bill Parrish decides that coaching the local Little League team for which his son would have played will help him cope with the loss. When he gets the roster for his team, he notices a name, Lucky Diamond, that he's never heard before, unusual in his small Vermont town. A natural at baseball, Lucky should fit in well on the team. But the mystery surrounding him and his arrival deepen, and Bohjalian adds a few seemingly supernatural occurrences (strange cat behavior and the like) to a few odd and vaguely threatening coincidences (a boy who makes mean comments about Lucky is almost killed by a flying baseball bat) and Bill (and the reader) question who Lucky really is and what he's doing there. While the answer to those questions isn't overly satisfying (although it's reasonable enough) the resolution to the story is immensely gratifying.
May 16, 2024
This was the earliest Bohjalian book I have read. It was very strange for me. He's changed a lot in his style. I was compelled to finish because I had an inkling of the "mystery" and it was finally revealed near the end. That was satisfying.
The story was about a man who lost his young son to cancer earlier but he was still grieving. His son was a very good baseball player before he became sick. In the present, he decides to coach the local Little League perhaps to feel an essence of his son. One of the boys on the league, Lucky Diamond, becomes somewhat of an obsession to the main character. It's almost as if the coach had a premonition and was very suspicious. It was odd and didn't feel natural to me. By the end, though, I was curious about his background too. And as I said, mystery was solved. And the story had a satisfying ending.
The story was about a man who lost his young son to cancer earlier but he was still grieving. His son was a very good baseball player before he became sick. In the present, he decides to coach the local Little League perhaps to feel an essence of his son. One of the boys on the league, Lucky Diamond, becomes somewhat of an obsession to the main character. It's almost as if the coach had a premonition and was very suspicious. It was odd and didn't feel natural to me. By the end, though, I was curious about his background too. And as I said, mystery was solved. And the story had a satisfying ending.
August 24, 2011
I read this book because it is an early work by one of my favourite writers, Chris Bohjalian. I thought it would be interesting to compare it to later novels, like Midwives or Water Witches, and it was interesting. The story was touching and the writing did not dissappoint. I even read a couple of pages to my husband and brought tears to his eyes. However, I don't know enough about baseball and Little League to enjoy the whole book, as there is alot of the game and strategies in it (which I imagine enhance the narrative for someone who can interpret the parallels). Also, the mystery part of the plot was a bit contrived and left a few questions unanswered. Overall, an interesting, well-written book that I'm glad I read.
July 20, 2016
With this author, before I begin reading, I never know if I'm going to like the book or not. Some authors I'm pretty much guaranteed the book is going to be good. Not with this guy! Midwives was the first one I read and it was really good. From there, it was hit or miss.I liked the Law of Similiars, Buffalo Soldiers, Secrets of Eden and Trans-Sister Radio. All the other books he's written I started but couldn't finish because I didn't like them. This one though, was really good! Its about a couple in Vermont that lose their son. The father decides to coach the little league baseball team. It had a nice pace to it, and I enjoyed reading it.
Read
June 28, 2010The author who most closely matches Picoult in writing style, characters and subject matter is Chris Bohjalian. Another New England author who favors close examination of hot button issues in small town settings, Bohjalian has taken on midwifery, transsexuality and homeopathy just to name a few topics.
In this book -- After Bill Parrish loses his young son Nathaniel to leukemia, he fills the void in his life by coaching a local Little League team and becoming attached to a mute boy, Lucky, who eerily reminds Bill of his own lost son.
In this book -- After Bill Parrish loses his young son Nathaniel to leukemia, he fills the void in his life by coaching a local Little League team and becoming attached to a mute boy, Lucky, who eerily reminds Bill of his own lost son.
April 25, 2025
My 23rd C. Bohjalian book.
This one's about baseball. Or maybe what makes a family. Or maybe some grief, and love.
If I had a list of top fave authors CB would be on it but I don't have a list bc I really do have a bunch of faves. I read my first back in 2015. This one was published in 2016, how did I miss it? Lol.
I loved this story. Though it takes place in Vermont, there's reference to the NY Mets of course.
The characters are not only real they are people I'd want to meet.
Don't miss this one.
This one's about baseball. Or maybe what makes a family. Or maybe some grief, and love.
If I had a list of top fave authors CB would be on it but I don't have a list bc I really do have a bunch of faves. I read my first back in 2015. This one was published in 2016, how did I miss it? Lol.
I loved this story. Though it takes place in Vermont, there's reference to the NY Mets of course.
The characters are not only real they are people I'd want to meet.
Don't miss this one.
December 26, 2008
This was also not one of Bohjalian's best works. The novel was too predictable and everything was wrapped up neatly at the end. I prefer his later works where things are not quite worked out. The characters were not as well developed as they could have been and Bohjalian tosses in a ghostly element which makes absolutely no sense.
February 17, 2018
Just when you thought the novel might be too predictable, Bohjalian throws a "curve ball" at you to keep you guessing whether everything will be wrapped up neatly at the end.
Bohjalian is a wonderful storyteller and this one rides the cusp of a "ghost" story.
Bohjalian is a wonderful storyteller and this one rides the cusp of a "ghost" story.
July 5, 2012
For some reason I felt let down by the ending. I can't imagine a different ending, but even so. Still worth reading and would be a good book for a book group since it deals with the resulting psychological results of a catastrophic event in a family. (I don't want to give anything away...)
February 1, 2016
I'm all for symbolism, but in this case Bohjalian went over-the-top with coincidence and supernatural phenomena we were expected to buy into to advance the plot. I wouldn't have stopped reading the novel -- I enjoyed it enough -- but I thought he relied far too much on contrived devices here.
December 8, 2016
I am great fan of this author. This was one of his earlier books. It was well written but a little choppy and I kept losing the thread of the story. The storyline was interesting and it kept you wondering to the end.
July 10, 2011
It was interesting reading this book after so many of his others. This was one of his first novels. Good read; a father copes with the loss of his son, Nathaniel, who died of leukemia.
October 9, 2012
One of Bohjalian's early books - you don't have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this one, but if you know one be sure to pass it on. Love pretty much all of C.B.'s books.
December 26, 2016
An early novel by one of my favorite authors.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews