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The Kicker of St. John's Wood
This is a story of America in the year 2020: Fractured socially and politically, its enemies are gaining ground and its civil liberties are threatened like never before. Jayesh Blackstone, a professional football player, finds himself at the focal point of an historic a woman is going to play in a football game, and it will happen in the Super Bowl. It turns out that this is just a foretaste of the metamorphosis that is taking shape. The very same event is the venue for an announcement by world leaders of a new order, one that defines humanity exclusively in terms of race and gender. The new reality steadily encroaches on Blackstone's world; he is compelled to choose his allies, declare his identity, and determine the price he is willing to pay to live the life of a free individual. Embracing controversy from its very first pages, The Kicker of St. John's Wood is a rampage through the pantheon of contemporary idols, and a literary journey into the American national psyche of the twenty-first century.
220 pages, Paperback
First published February 20, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 30, 2009
Yay! I won a book!
Okay, before I get to the proper review, I have to post the following complaint to get it out of my system. The author all-too frequently uses "I" when he means "me", e.g., "Coach Petersen told Blake, Thelonius and I to get in the pickup truck" is wrong, wrong wrong. I cringe when I hear people talk like that and reading it is so much worse (because the author and editor should both know better). When in doubt, reduce the group to just the first person pronoun: you wouldn't say "Coach Petersen told I to get in the pickup truck". Brrr!
Okay, that's out of the way... Time for the actual review!
This is a social/political thriller touching various themes such as political correctness, racism, sexism and tolerance, but it's not exactly 1984.
Satire is difficult to pull off without going overboard and burying your point. Farce has a far more subtle balance. Gary Wolf certainly did not hit me over the head with either the humor nor his viewpoint, allowing the story to flow. The book is amusing and fun, though I confess I thoroughly dislike sports so the football details tended to make my brain glaze over - but that's not his fault.
So why did I want to read this book? For the political upheaval of the US in 2020. The premise pulled me in.
But I wanted to like the book more than I actually did. There wasn't much background to how the world got so insanely PC that not wanting to have women in the NFL is evil and not wanting to promote how evil America is during the Superbowl half-time show is considered racism, though the concept is interesting. Political Correctness at its most extreme is funny, when it isn't bewilderingly sad, and Wolf captures many absurdities quite well, though fails to capitalize on many of them.
(With mandates of 80% minority in every business - racial, immigrant, GLBTG - there's no exploration of what effects the enforced reduction of 40% of the population - white males - to 20% participation in the workplace has had on society. Nor is there any exploration of the effects of enforced ethnic quotas - apparently disadvantaged people suddenly have the education and expertise to perform in all areas. What about the focus of the PC attacks, the wealthy elite? What about the 5% who control nearly 60% of the money in this country? How are they faring under the new rules? The football players in the novel don't seem to be suffering.)
Further, the story simply comes to a stop with no resolution except an offhand note to say that it was resolved through another American civil war.
The point of the story was supposed to be in the growth of the protagonists... but the book falls shy of that goal. Jayesh, our protagonist and narrator, has Maureen McGovern's problem - torn between two lovers. I'd say he's distracted by two lovers, as he's only just met both of them and one he really doesn't know at all. He makes a firm choice between the two by the end of the book, but it's fairly anticlimactic, inspite of the gunfire.
His girl friend Ashley makes the only real change in the course of events, but her initial rhetoric seems hollow to begin with, making her adoption of Jayesh's outlook somewhat mindless (although, within the context of the story, the "right" viewpoint).
Though farce doesn't rely on verisimilitude to make its point, a little more development of these areas and others would have made this a gripping novel. As it stands, it's still an interesting, light read.
Okay, before I get to the proper review, I have to post the following complaint to get it out of my system. The author all-too frequently uses "I" when he means "me", e.g., "Coach Petersen told Blake, Thelonius and I to get in the pickup truck" is wrong, wrong wrong. I cringe when I hear people talk like that and reading it is so much worse (because the author and editor should both know better). When in doubt, reduce the group to just the first person pronoun: you wouldn't say "Coach Petersen told I to get in the pickup truck". Brrr!
Okay, that's out of the way... Time for the actual review!
This is a social/political thriller touching various themes such as political correctness, racism, sexism and tolerance, but it's not exactly 1984.
Satire is difficult to pull off without going overboard and burying your point. Farce has a far more subtle balance. Gary Wolf certainly did not hit me over the head with either the humor nor his viewpoint, allowing the story to flow. The book is amusing and fun, though I confess I thoroughly dislike sports so the football details tended to make my brain glaze over - but that's not his fault.
So why did I want to read this book? For the political upheaval of the US in 2020. The premise pulled me in.
But I wanted to like the book more than I actually did. There wasn't much background to how the world got so insanely PC that not wanting to have women in the NFL is evil and not wanting to promote how evil America is during the Superbowl half-time show is considered racism, though the concept is interesting. Political Correctness at its most extreme is funny, when it isn't bewilderingly sad, and Wolf captures many absurdities quite well, though fails to capitalize on many of them.
(With mandates of 80% minority in every business - racial, immigrant, GLBTG - there's no exploration of what effects the enforced reduction of 40% of the population - white males - to 20% participation in the workplace has had on society. Nor is there any exploration of the effects of enforced ethnic quotas - apparently disadvantaged people suddenly have the education and expertise to perform in all areas. What about the focus of the PC attacks, the wealthy elite? What about the 5% who control nearly 60% of the money in this country? How are they faring under the new rules? The football players in the novel don't seem to be suffering.)
Further, the story simply comes to a stop with no resolution except an offhand note to say that it was resolved through another American civil war.
The point of the story was supposed to be in the growth of the protagonists... but the book falls shy of that goal. Jayesh, our protagonist and narrator, has Maureen McGovern's problem - torn between two lovers. I'd say he's distracted by two lovers, as he's only just met both of them and one he really doesn't know at all. He makes a firm choice between the two by the end of the book, but it's fairly anticlimactic, inspite of the gunfire.
His girl friend Ashley makes the only real change in the course of events, but her initial rhetoric seems hollow to begin with, making her adoption of Jayesh's outlook somewhat mindless (although, within the context of the story, the "right" viewpoint).
Though farce doesn't rely on verisimilitude to make its point, a little more development of these areas and others would have made this a gripping novel. As it stands, it's still an interesting, light read.
June 23, 2009
The Kicker of St. John’s Wood is set in a politically and socially divided US in the year 2020. Jayesh Blackstone, the protagonist, is a professional football player caught in the middle of a controversial shift — the first woman is about to play in the Super Bowl and race and gender are quickly becoming the pivotal issues in American society.
The overall concept here is intriguing; however, the character development falls short. This narrative may benefit from a more streamlined cast. Many of the characters receive only a paragraph or two dedicated to their description, or said description is delayed. For example, when Jayesh’s sister first appears in the tale, Jayesh says, “I do not wish at this juncture to describe my parents, my sister Julie …. Allow me … to defer that narrative to a later point in the story.” These statements are situated at a critical point during which nuances of Jayesh’s character could have been described, but it is a missed opportunity.
The storyline has strong potential. Brief moments of political intrigue give the reader a glimpse of the potential of this story. The experiences during the trek to Sundar Prabhat are captivating, but like many of the situations described throughout this tale, there is a certain abrupt quality that does not allow the reader to process what occurs.
A greater amount of description and character development offer the opportunity to transform this novel.
The overall concept here is intriguing; however, the character development falls short. This narrative may benefit from a more streamlined cast. Many of the characters receive only a paragraph or two dedicated to their description, or said description is delayed. For example, when Jayesh’s sister first appears in the tale, Jayesh says, “I do not wish at this juncture to describe my parents, my sister Julie …. Allow me … to defer that narrative to a later point in the story.” These statements are situated at a critical point during which nuances of Jayesh’s character could have been described, but it is a missed opportunity.
The storyline has strong potential. Brief moments of political intrigue give the reader a glimpse of the potential of this story. The experiences during the trek to Sundar Prabhat are captivating, but like many of the situations described throughout this tale, there is a certain abrupt quality that does not allow the reader to process what occurs.
A greater amount of description and character development offer the opportunity to transform this novel.
April 13, 2009
I received this book through a GoodReads giveaway. I really liked the sound of the premise, but sort of feel like maybe there was just too much going on. The year is 2020. We have a female president. Our world has gone the route of PC/culture assimilation/etc. But have we gone too far? So far that the banning of male-only sports is on the horizon?
As a woman reading this book, I wasn't that interested in the football talk. I like watching football, but the more I watch it, the more I realize how stupid of a game it really is. (Don't even get me started...) I'd rather watch baseball or volleyball (male or female). I also didn't like the way the women in the book were represented - they never got to do anything and the one woman who infiltrated the NFL didn't even want to be there (sorry for the spoiler). The year is 2020 and women are still being rescued by men and given the backseat? I realize it's just the author's perception of what the future could be like, but it wasn't really a future I was enjoying.
I have to say that this book felt similar to one of Robert Ludlum's "Bourne" books. It had the same sort of spy thriller/around the world feel to it, which was pretty cool. The main character does a lot of traveling, which I think was at his own expense. So, good to know that even in the future, sports celebrities are still overpaid. :)
As a woman reading this book, I wasn't that interested in the football talk. I like watching football, but the more I watch it, the more I realize how stupid of a game it really is. (Don't even get me started...) I'd rather watch baseball or volleyball (male or female). I also didn't like the way the women in the book were represented - they never got to do anything and the one woman who infiltrated the NFL didn't even want to be there (sorry for the spoiler). The year is 2020 and women are still being rescued by men and given the backseat? I realize it's just the author's perception of what the future could be like, but it wasn't really a future I was enjoying.
I have to say that this book felt similar to one of Robert Ludlum's "Bourne" books. It had the same sort of spy thriller/around the world feel to it, which was pretty cool. The main character does a lot of traveling, which I think was at his own expense. So, good to know that even in the future, sports celebrities are still overpaid. :)
May 7, 2009
WTF?
I could get into the problems with this book from an editorial standpoint--the sentence structure, the style of the prose, the story development and pacing -- but I won't. Instead, I'll just repeat: WTF? I didn't buy what I could pick out of the plot (there wasn't much of a plot). I didn't buy most of the characters, especially as the strongest female character gave up on her dissertation because of an opposing view held by her boyfriend (what sort of boyfriend is that?) and I couldn't figure out why some football players were traveling to France to rescue a man they barely knew.
And no one thing happened. Jayesh is involved in something, but three pages later he changes his mind abruptly. I couldn't figure out what the point of the narrative was, as there was way too much going on without any one thing happening. And aside from the feminist character becoming a dimwit by the story's end, there was no character development present.
I'd say the only thing the story has going for it is the length, as it's short enough to read in a day. The only reason I finished The Kicker of St. John's Wood was because I'm participating in a five-week reading challenge and I couldn't bear the thought of losing a book halfway through.
I could get into the problems with this book from an editorial standpoint--the sentence structure, the style of the prose, the story development and pacing -- but I won't. Instead, I'll just repeat: WTF? I didn't buy what I could pick out of the plot (there wasn't much of a plot). I didn't buy most of the characters, especially as the strongest female character gave up on her dissertation because of an opposing view held by her boyfriend (what sort of boyfriend is that?) and I couldn't figure out why some football players were traveling to France to rescue a man they barely knew.
And no one thing happened. Jayesh is involved in something, but three pages later he changes his mind abruptly. I couldn't figure out what the point of the narrative was, as there was way too much going on without any one thing happening. And aside from the feminist character becoming a dimwit by the story's end, there was no character development present.
I'd say the only thing the story has going for it is the length, as it's short enough to read in a day. The only reason I finished The Kicker of St. John's Wood was because I'm participating in a five-week reading challenge and I couldn't bear the thought of losing a book halfway through.
April 16, 2009
As far as books set in the future go, I liked that the alterations and predictions were believable - essentially many of today's trends were taken to the extreme, overcompensating for the issues they are currently addressing. The small changes (like a Hawaiian football team, female president and racism as a crime) seemed feasible for a book set only 10 years in the future and did pose some interesting questions about "equality"
The story itself was interesting in that it maintained a sense of mystery about what was really going on, but I didn't feel particularly connected to the characters. The narrative was the main character telling a story about his past. Overall the book was enjoyable but it seemed like there were too many storylines and many weren't really resolved in the end. Its much more about the issues, a commentary on where we are headed, than it is about the characters and the story itself.
The story itself was interesting in that it maintained a sense of mystery about what was really going on, but I didn't feel particularly connected to the characters. The narrative was the main character telling a story about his past. Overall the book was enjoyable but it seemed like there were too many storylines and many weren't really resolved in the end. Its much more about the issues, a commentary on where we are headed, than it is about the characters and the story itself.
May 12, 2009
I won this book a few months ago . . .
I was really looking forward to this book, it had such an interesting premise. A futuristic world where women were entering the sports world for good would ignite changes in world leadership and policy.
The book seemed very much like Dan Brown's DaVinci Code, but at a much slower rate. I was really confused at the sudden turns the plot took. There always seemed to be a new threat, with nothing happening until the end of the book. I would have really liked to seen what the war would have been like. Maybe, start the novel from the president's speech and go on from there. I don't believe there was enough characterization in the novel to carry the plot. A story involving the horrors of war would have worked much better.
I was really looking forward to this book, it had such an interesting premise. A futuristic world where women were entering the sports world for good would ignite changes in world leadership and policy.
The book seemed very much like Dan Brown's DaVinci Code, but at a much slower rate. I was really confused at the sudden turns the plot took. There always seemed to be a new threat, with nothing happening until the end of the book. I would have really liked to seen what the war would have been like. Maybe, start the novel from the president's speech and go on from there. I don't believe there was enough characterization in the novel to carry the plot. A story involving the horrors of war would have worked much better.
July 5, 2009
I got this book, signed by the author, as a goodreads book give away. I enjoyed the book, despite my initial trepidation. I don't follow football, and was nervous that I wouldn't enjoy the story or characters as the primary character was a football hero. As it turns out...the story is about America, where we are, where we are going and the apathy and mis-directed understanding of what it means to be free. Well written, clever, funny and terrifying...all in the same short set of pages. I kept anticipating the plot turns, only to be suprised when something unexpected occured. Worth a read!
April 13, 2011
I'm still reading this book because I just can't make myself pick it up again. Maybe it's the style of the writing, but I just can't get into it. I want to try to finish it, because sometimes the end of a book can redeem the rest of the book no matter how bad it is, but I'm not holding my breath.
Want to read
March 28, 2009A FirstReads win I am very much looking forward to reading!
May 17, 2011
I won this book and just received it in the mail today. I am planning on starting it soon.
not-read
May 14, 2009Won this and received it in the mail today (thanks Gary!) -- looking forward to reading it.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews