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Pound for Pound
Pound for Pound is a big novel in the truest sense of the word, a story of family, honor, perseverance, and forgiveness. Set in towns where violence is the norm and success stories take on an almost mythic importance, it tells of grandfathers and grandsons—older men for whom life has not been easy and the young men who look to them for guidance —and reveals the transformative power of that relationship. Dan Cooley, an aging but legendary Los Angeles trainer, takes on a troubled young fighter named Chicky Garza, hungry to make a name for himself in the San Antonio boxing circuit, which is rife with crime and corruption. The bond between them grows more powerful than the obstacles they face, ultimately reviving in each man the courage it takes to triumph both in and out of the ring.
This masterful, posthumous novel follows Toole's remarkable fiction debut, Rope Burns (recently published in paperback as Million Dollar Baby), which earned comparisons to Ernest Hemingway, Raymond Carver, and Frank McCourt, and which became an Academy Award-winning film four years after publication. As James Ellroy says in the foreword, “F. X. Toole did not live to visit the set or hug the stars at the premiere. The rumor was true. He had a bum ticker.” It is a tragedy that the world will not hear more from F. X. Toole, but Pound for Pound is a novel that any writer would be proud to leave behind, marking his place in the world of letters.
This masterful, posthumous novel follows Toole's remarkable fiction debut, Rope Burns (recently published in paperback as Million Dollar Baby), which earned comparisons to Ernest Hemingway, Raymond Carver, and Frank McCourt, and which became an Academy Award-winning film four years after publication. As James Ellroy says in the foreword, “F. X. Toole did not live to visit the set or hug the stars at the premiere. The rumor was true. He had a bum ticker.” It is a tragedy that the world will not hear more from F. X. Toole, but Pound for Pound is a novel that any writer would be proud to leave behind, marking his place in the world of letters.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
16 people are currently reading
252 people want to read
About the author
F.X. Toole
14 books40 followersF. X. Toole was the pseudonym of Jerry Boyd (1930–2002), a boxing trainer and author whose work inspired the award-winning film Million Dollar Baby. In 1988, Boyd began writing about boxing, using the pseudonym F. X. Toole to keep his hobby secret from his colleagues in the boxing world. One of his stories caught the eye of a literary agent, who sold Rope Burns, a collection of Boyd’s stories, in 2000. Boyd died two years later, but before he passed he wrote the posthumously published Pound for Pound (2006) and sold the film rights to his story “Million $$$ Baby.” Clint Eastwood’s adaptation, Million Dollar Baby, won four Academy Awards, including the Oscar for Best Picture.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
January 20, 2015
Reads like it was written by that crusty Irish codger who hangs around the boxing gym talking shit with other old timers, which is what makes this book kind of terrible but also what makes it pretty damn great. I bought it in an airport and when I started reading on the plane was like, "Oh no, I just can't believe how crappy this is." But then for some reason I couldn't set it down, and I ended up getting sucked in and loving it way more than I've loved anything in awhile. You could say Pound for Pound got knocked down in the first round and lost the first few -- there were moments early on when I considered throwing in the towel -- but then turned things around fast and wound up with a knockout victory.
If the corniness of that just now bothered you, then don't read this book. In fact, if any corniness or cheesiness or central-casting-type cartoony characters or efforts to capture ethnic or regional slang bother you, don't read this book. Furthermore, I would absolutely never in a million years recommend this to anyone who isn't into boxing, because they'd likely be unforgiving of what's not good in here and bored by the rest, so if you don't love boxing, you shouldn't read this book.
But if you do happen to be enamored of boxing and its many contradictions -- its romance and seediness, its vulgar brutality and scientific sweetness, its art and poetry and its clumsy cliches, not to mention its often repellant but always fascinating relationship to race -- you could easily fall in love with this book. Similarly to the way that I feel bad about myself when I'm watching a particularly bloody fight, I felt bad about myself for relishing a plot that turned on the love of a desperate man for a stray dog, not to mention the many characters who my better, educated, critical self recognized as enormously problematic, but so what? No young men were harmed in the writing of Pound for Pound, which makes it an infinitely less damning form of entertainment than prizefighting, from an ethical perspective. It was the most fun reading that I've had in awhile, probably because I keep trying to read highfalutin stuff that's supposed to be "a classic" or "critically acclaimed," but it turns out I don't necessarily want to read something that's gorgeously written or spellbindingly original or profoundly intelligent or otherwise deemed artistically and intellectually superior by someone somewhere who's artistically and intellectually superior to me. This was a good story with heart, and that goes a long way.
If the corniness of that just now bothered you, then don't read this book. In fact, if any corniness or cheesiness or central-casting-type cartoony characters or efforts to capture ethnic or regional slang bother you, don't read this book. Furthermore, I would absolutely never in a million years recommend this to anyone who isn't into boxing, because they'd likely be unforgiving of what's not good in here and bored by the rest, so if you don't love boxing, you shouldn't read this book.
But if you do happen to be enamored of boxing and its many contradictions -- its romance and seediness, its vulgar brutality and scientific sweetness, its art and poetry and its clumsy cliches, not to mention its often repellant but always fascinating relationship to race -- you could easily fall in love with this book. Similarly to the way that I feel bad about myself when I'm watching a particularly bloody fight, I felt bad about myself for relishing a plot that turned on the love of a desperate man for a stray dog, not to mention the many characters who my better, educated, critical self recognized as enormously problematic, but so what? No young men were harmed in the writing of Pound for Pound, which makes it an infinitely less damning form of entertainment than prizefighting, from an ethical perspective. It was the most fun reading that I've had in awhile, probably because I keep trying to read highfalutin stuff that's supposed to be "a classic" or "critically acclaimed," but it turns out I don't necessarily want to read something that's gorgeously written or spellbindingly original or profoundly intelligent or otherwise deemed artistically and intellectually superior by someone somewhere who's artistically and intellectually superior to me. This was a good story with heart, and that goes a long way.
February 14, 2016
Before this book, I knew about F.X. Toole from reading his short story collection originally published as Rope Burns; better known as Million Dollar Baby: Stories from the Corner from the story in it that became an Academy Award-winning movie.
He was seventy when that collection was published. He did not live to see the movie. He did not live to see this book in print. He had a bad heart. He carried his 900 page manuscript of Pound For Pound to the hospital when he went in for emergency surgery, asking the doctor to get him enough time to finish the book. That did not happen.
Toole's children turned to Nat Sobel and James Wade to prepare the manuscript for publication, although they are credited for this only in the forward by James Ellroy. The voice in the story is all Toole. He sings from first page to last, and the reader can feel the emotion that must have been driving him to get one more sentence down, one more paragraph, one more chapter before the time came when he would be down for the count.
The book is powerful. We follow Dan Cooley through some of the most intense days of his life, as he struggles with loss of loved ones, loss of faith, loss of nearly everything that means anything to him. We meet 'Chicky' Garza, a young boxer with a connection to Dan that he has no idea about. And we get to know the world of boxing. How to move, how to punch, to jab, how to appreciate the beauty of the sport even while deploring its ugly side. Oh, and let's not forget Barky, who came along at exactly the time he was needed and proved his worth more than once.
I could babble on forever here, but mostly I want to say that whether you like boxing, loathe it or don't care one way or another, read this book. It is a human story: raw, real, hardly ever politically correct, but intensely moving and unforgettable.
He was seventy when that collection was published. He did not live to see the movie. He did not live to see this book in print. He had a bad heart. He carried his 900 page manuscript of Pound For Pound to the hospital when he went in for emergency surgery, asking the doctor to get him enough time to finish the book. That did not happen.
Toole's children turned to Nat Sobel and James Wade to prepare the manuscript for publication, although they are credited for this only in the forward by James Ellroy. The voice in the story is all Toole. He sings from first page to last, and the reader can feel the emotion that must have been driving him to get one more sentence down, one more paragraph, one more chapter before the time came when he would be down for the count.
The book is powerful. We follow Dan Cooley through some of the most intense days of his life, as he struggles with loss of loved ones, loss of faith, loss of nearly everything that means anything to him. We meet 'Chicky' Garza, a young boxer with a connection to Dan that he has no idea about. And we get to know the world of boxing. How to move, how to punch, to jab, how to appreciate the beauty of the sport even while deploring its ugly side. Oh, and let's not forget Barky, who came along at exactly the time he was needed and proved his worth more than once.
I could babble on forever here, but mostly I want to say that whether you like boxing, loathe it or don't care one way or another, read this book. It is a human story: raw, real, hardly ever politically correct, but intensely moving and unforgettable.
April 24, 2015
First and foremost, thanks to David O'Flaherty for not simply recommending that I read this, but insisting upon it and giving me the book as a gift. It is muchl appreciated.
Excellent, a great American novel, and something to be revered as a classic in coming years. If they don't already, classes should teach this book alongside Steinbeck and do a compare/contrast sort of thing. Nostalgic for those with ties to boxing, but also deeply rooted in Texas and L.A. life, with a truly epic scope and intertwined story arcs for characters spread by distance and experience. Compellingly paced and written with voices and authentic dialogue you can hear inside your head as you go. If any work I've read is a true masterpiece, it's this one.
Two small critiques (and what kept this from being five stars instead of the four I gave): Lupe, as a character, could use more space and depth - should this become a movie, that material is certainly there to be shaped by an actress, and the translations from Spanish to English (a character speaks in Spanish, then repeats themselves in English) rang hollow occasionally. Neither of these tiny things should keep you from this book, though - it is worth every minute of your time.
Excellent, a great American novel, and something to be revered as a classic in coming years. If they don't already, classes should teach this book alongside Steinbeck and do a compare/contrast sort of thing. Nostalgic for those with ties to boxing, but also deeply rooted in Texas and L.A. life, with a truly epic scope and intertwined story arcs for characters spread by distance and experience. Compellingly paced and written with voices and authentic dialogue you can hear inside your head as you go. If any work I've read is a true masterpiece, it's this one.
Two small critiques (and what kept this from being five stars instead of the four I gave): Lupe, as a character, could use more space and depth - should this become a movie, that material is certainly there to be shaped by an actress, and the translations from Spanish to English (a character speaks in Spanish, then repeats themselves in English) rang hollow occasionally. Neither of these tiny things should keep you from this book, though - it is worth every minute of your time.
September 10, 2016
"La boxe tenta gli scrittori. Ci vanno per il pathos e il dramma, ma poi passano ad altro. F.X. Toole era un'eccezione. Ha lavorato come allenatore e cucitagli. Ha sostenuto brocchi, purosangue, mezze tacche e contendenti di serie C. Non ha mai tirato su un campione o uno stallone da tv via cavo. Lui amava la boxe. E' arrivato da non scrittore e se ne è andato che era il miglior scrittore di boxe della sua era."
James Ellroy
Se un libro riceve un così sentito elogio da parte di Ellroy è difficile che io non lo legga. Mi sono sempre piaciuti i temi di Ellroy, l'America che racconta e il linguaggio con cui lo fa. In più Million Dollar Baby, film tratto da un racconto di Toole, è secondo me il miglior film di Eastwood, un capolavoro fatto e finito. Perciò è stato naturale avvicinarmi a questo romanzo, unico del suo autore, che iniziò a scrivere tardi nella sua vita, così come iniziò tardi a boxare. Un romanzo che fa rimpiangere che non ci siano più opere da leggere da parte di questo scrittore, potente e bello, dolente e dolce. Come molti libri americani il tema è quello della redenzione, in questo caso di Dan Cooley, irlandese di Los Angeles, ex promessa della boxe, ora allenatore affranto dalla perdita della famiglia, che pensa solo a farla finita. Sarà l'incontro con Chicky Garza, mancino peso welter del Texas, a cambiargli la vita. Nonostante la prevedibilità, il tenersi su binari classici del romanzo, la lettura non ne viene scalfita. Rimane un libro splendido da leggere, costruito e scritto magnificamente da un autore che ha decisamente dato troppo poco alla letteratura.
James Ellroy
Se un libro riceve un così sentito elogio da parte di Ellroy è difficile che io non lo legga. Mi sono sempre piaciuti i temi di Ellroy, l'America che racconta e il linguaggio con cui lo fa. In più Million Dollar Baby, film tratto da un racconto di Toole, è secondo me il miglior film di Eastwood, un capolavoro fatto e finito. Perciò è stato naturale avvicinarmi a questo romanzo, unico del suo autore, che iniziò a scrivere tardi nella sua vita, così come iniziò tardi a boxare. Un romanzo che fa rimpiangere che non ci siano più opere da leggere da parte di questo scrittore, potente e bello, dolente e dolce. Come molti libri americani il tema è quello della redenzione, in questo caso di Dan Cooley, irlandese di Los Angeles, ex promessa della boxe, ora allenatore affranto dalla perdita della famiglia, che pensa solo a farla finita. Sarà l'incontro con Chicky Garza, mancino peso welter del Texas, a cambiargli la vita. Nonostante la prevedibilità, il tenersi su binari classici del romanzo, la lettura non ne viene scalfita. Rimane un libro splendido da leggere, costruito e scritto magnificamente da un autore che ha decisamente dato troppo poco alla letteratura.
Read
February 5, 2009With unexpected twists and even more unexpected emotional largesse, this unfinished novel stands toe-to-toe with some of the best writing on boxing. Pound for Pound reaches bookshelves four years after its author's death. Better known in the boxing world by his given name, Jerry Boyd, F. X. Toole came to the attention of most folks for his collection of short stories Rope Burns (2000). Published when Toole was in his 70s, a longer piece in the collection served as screenplay grist for Clint Eastwood's Oscar-winning film, Million Dollar Baby. Toole never saw the film__he passed away before it was released__but he left behind more stories, including the 900-page manuscript from which Pound for Pound was whittled. The majority of critics find the book inherently imperfect but overflowing with the magic that brought the ripe talent of Toole to the public's attention.
This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.
June 7, 2019
F.X Toole. I wish he had had more time.
I loved Clint Eastwood's adaptation, or rather, amalgamation of two of the short stories in Rope Burns, in the form of Million Dollar Baby. That I found out that this amazing writer had passed before he could see his work adapted into the silver screen, nearly broke my heart.
Never mind the fact that it indeed broke when I found out, later on, that he had left an unfinished novel. Which was then published posthumously and finished by his editor and surviving family.
You can tell when Mr. Toole, Jerry Boyd, left it and us. Heck, I nearly left it right after Tim-Pat!
But I didn't. I kept at it, suffering with these characters that are so fleshed out, that feel so real. I loved the book, and I will gift it to my friend, who, I don't want to say 'stole' my copy of Rope Burns, but I let him borrow it and he didn't want to give it back, even though he'd finished it already. I know that feeling. I know this will feel the same, when my copy leaves my hands and lands on his.
Thank you for one last wonderful ride, Mr. Boyd.
I loved Clint Eastwood's adaptation, or rather, amalgamation of two of the short stories in Rope Burns, in the form of Million Dollar Baby. That I found out that this amazing writer had passed before he could see his work adapted into the silver screen, nearly broke my heart.
Never mind the fact that it indeed broke when I found out, later on, that he had left an unfinished novel. Which was then published posthumously and finished by his editor and surviving family.
You can tell when Mr. Toole, Jerry Boyd, left it and us. Heck, I nearly left it right after Tim-Pat!
But I didn't. I kept at it, suffering with these characters that are so fleshed out, that feel so real. I loved the book, and I will gift it to my friend, who, I don't want to say 'stole' my copy of Rope Burns, but I let him borrow it and he didn't want to give it back, even though he'd finished it already. I know that feeling. I know this will feel the same, when my copy leaves my hands and lands on his.
Thank you for one last wonderful ride, Mr. Boyd.
January 7, 2018
Although I am not a fan of boxing, the stories that evolve from this book are wonderful. The intersections of two fighters, one at the beginning of his career and the other near the end and both suffering losses, particularly Dan, who has virtually lost all of his children, his wife, and only grandchild. Dan's ability to learn to forgive and live again, in part thanks to a lost, near death old fighting dog and the meeting of a young boxer who shows promise. The story lines, and the ending, although, somewhat predictable and a bit too "happily ever after" but, overall a great story in demonstrating how good can overcome bad even in the worst of situations for those willing to step outside of their own misfortune and grief and find someone or some other cause to uplift or focus their attention on, which in the end becomes (in most cases) their saving grace as well as that of someone else. Overall, I found it an easy and uplifting read.
September 10, 2007
This was a brilliant first and (sadly) last novel by F.X. Toole. In addition to having published a collection of short stories that included "Million Dollar Baby" he left this manuscript behind. I can't say that I would have picked this up on my own but I am really glad that I read it. It has all the elements of a good boxing novel.
Underdogs, shady promoters, and fixed fights have left gifted boxer Eduardo "Chicky" Garza y Duffy ready to give up on his Olympic dreams to return home to the family farm. Dan Cooley is the older gentleman trainer who has lost his loved ones and has given up on life, until he meets a dog and the young up-and-coming fighter. The messages of honesty, honor and learning your craft make this an uplifting novel that is a hallmark of all of the greatest sports stories.
Underdogs, shady promoters, and fixed fights have left gifted boxer Eduardo "Chicky" Garza y Duffy ready to give up on his Olympic dreams to return home to the family farm. Dan Cooley is the older gentleman trainer who has lost his loved ones and has given up on life, until he meets a dog and the young up-and-coming fighter. The messages of honesty, honor and learning your craft make this an uplifting novel that is a hallmark of all of the greatest sports stories.
December 27, 2013
Nicely written book from somebody who's obviously familiar with the business of boxing. The book paints a depressing reality of boxing and its affiliation of violence, drug use, gambling, and shady characters. Cheating and back-stabbing seemed to run rampant. There're good guys, stand-up guys who are the main characters but for one reason or another (just like in the real world), these guys always get the short end of the stick.
Pound for Pound can certain inspire you from chapters to chapters, but the main sentiment will be of overcoming life's tragedies, of getting back up from failures, and that it requires acceptance of those failures.
Pound for Pound can certain inspire you from chapters to chapters, but the main sentiment will be of overcoming life's tragedies, of getting back up from failures, and that it requires acceptance of those failures.
January 16, 2008
I love this book. Jerry Boyd (F.X. Toole) had spent years in the Southern California boxing scene and it shows. His characters are spot on, it feels like I have met many of them in the dank boxing clubs in California. In fact, Dub Huntley, who loosely inspired the Morgan Freeman character in Million Dollar baby trains his light heavyweight contender in the boxing gym I go to. This book gives gives a sense of the tradition and noir drama that has drawn me to boxing instead of mma with it's drunken frat boy persona.
December 31, 2008
This is a great story that thoroughly describes the life of amatuer and professional boxing. From some business acquaintances I was aware of the sordid world of boxing. F.X. Toole (who has a life story that is intriguing) gives the flavor, emotion, smell, and pain of the life. All of this revealed in a tale of heart-warming and very human interaction. The movie, "Million Dollar Baby" which was inspired by F.X. Toole's story portrays the noble and loving nature of people involved in a nefarious game like boxing. A really entertaining book.
October 9, 2015
This book is like an episode of Grey's Anatomy or any other soapy show that aspires to be something better but more often than not falls into cliche. It's cheesy and clunky at points, but you read it compulsively without really understanding the attraction. Perhaps it would have been better if FX Toole had lived to see it finished, as it is it's an imperfect work with some very memorable characters.
February 24, 2007
The writing in parts is just, completely lovely. If I explain the plot to you, it will sound so, so, cheesy and bad. It even has a loveable dog who helps save the protaganist from himself, à la Disney movie. But it's just really well done, and has such great dialogue and development that it doesn't feel forceably cheesed out. It's a nice cheesy. Like fondue!
March 4, 2017
I couldn't put this book down. The author is perhaps better known for the short story that became the film "Million Dollar Baby," and like that story, Pound for Pound is a story centered in the world of boxing. F. X. Toole created a fascinating tapestry of characters with interwoven lives. It's a great read, even if, like me, you are not a fan of fighting!
November 19, 2017
Good prose, as with all his writing, but the book wasn’t finished when he died and it reads that way. It feels like too much was left in because no editor had the right to really cut. Still, worth the read, some superb moments.
January 31, 2016
One of the best boxing books ever.
July 13, 2008
I enjoyed learning about the workings of the boxing world, and the authenticity of the boxing-related content cannot be denied. The writing often struck me as clumsy or tedious.
January 15, 2009
Great Last Book!
April 10, 2018
Sweet science.
January 17, 2022
FX Toole is a pen name for boxing trainer Jerry Boyd. Boyd led a totally interesting life. As the NY times said his life as a bartender, bootblack, longshoreman, private detective, teamster, actor and bullfighter (he said bulls gored him three times) sounded fictional. He is the best writer I have ever read on the subject of boxing. Boxers hit harder than any other fighter. They fight through pain and must have incredible endurance. HIs Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner contains the story that the Clint Eastwood movie Million Dollar Baby was based upon. This book is a bit less well edited but still takes you into the real world of boxing. I admire MR. Boyd. He did a bit of everything and did them all well. He died too early from heart problems but he wrote the best short story boxing fiction ever. https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/edu... As I recall his father coached the Giants baseball team. A truly interesting man whose short writing span ended way too soon for me. Do read Rope Burns if you get a chance. I recommend it highly.
September 14, 2017
Una storia sul riscatto e la sopravvivenza farcito di tanta, tanta boxe. A bordo ring non è solo un bel romanzo sportivo scritto con amore da chi il pugilato lo respira come l'aria, ma anche il racconto malinconico di vite segnate da lutti e ingiustizie. Peccato che Toole sia scomparso dopo aver scritto così poco.
May 15, 2025
The terms 'unjustly overlooked' and 'lost classic' are thrown around too often, but they both genuinely describe F.X. Toole's 'Pound for Pound.' It's the story of dreamers and the downtrodden, set against a background of boxing gyms and aspiring fighters. There's a lot here, both tragic and triumphant, and I highly recommend this novel.
December 21, 2022
Libro epico sulla box. Se non avete dimestichezza come me per questo sport leggetelo. Cadranno luoghi comuni radicati e insinuati da holliwoodiane visioni, per lasciare il posto a poesia, rispetto dell’avversario, consapevolezza di se stessi, fatica e tanto altro.
December 27, 2022
I thought it was a good story. I learned some things about boxing I didn't know. It wasn't terrifically written but it was ok.
A feel-good story about a boxer who just wants to do well and wants to be trained by the best.
A feel-good story about a boxer who just wants to do well and wants to be trained by the best.
February 17, 2024
Loved his first book and this is more of that same good stuff. Only a couple of moments where it feels like he hadn't completely finished the book, but overall it's a fantastic read, especially if you like boxing
May 19, 2025
Dan Cooley is the protagonist in this family’s name and honor story of all about Boxing. The book must hold interest for Boxing buffs, am sure, but for me personally it was feeling like a wrong purchase decision.
March 19, 2025
What a story!
Life as it is. With its brutal honesty and beauty and sorrow.
F.X. Toole’s one of a very few writes who makes me cry.
If only he were to live long enough to write so more…
Life as it is. With its brutal honesty and beauty and sorrow.
F.X. Toole’s one of a very few writes who makes me cry.
If only he were to live long enough to write so more…
March 24, 2025
Heaps on the despair but a brisk read nonetheless, especially if one’s ever laced em up, even if only against a heavy bag.
December 7, 2013
Je me suis battu pour aller au bout.
Voilà tout ce qui me vient au moment d'écrire deux ou trois mots sur ce livre. Il m'est tombé dessus tout auréolé de discours tapageurs. "Un livre sur la boxe écrit par un professionnel de la boxe, celui-là même qui a donné les grandes lignes de Million Dollar Baby".
Effectivement le livre a cette même veine, ses personnages rappellent ceux du film de Clint Eastwood, les techniques de boxe, celles du combat, celles de l'organisation des matchs... tout est précis, parfois trop. Certaines constructions du récit sont très cinématographiques, parfois trop, comme si un montage trop classique faisait se chevaucher des scènes jusqu'à une collision fatale. Mais qu'importe...
Le souci, c'est cette écriture... et les questions qui l'entourent. Coup pour coup a-t-il été mal traduit en français ? Les erreurs de syntaxe, les phrases avec des mots en trop, les adverbes qui s'invitent sans virgule sont une catastrophe. Est-ce parce que l'auteur est mort en ne laissant qu'un manuscrit ? Est-ce un premier jet ? Toutes ces approximations ont entravé mon plaisir de lecture... Pire : elles font pour moi de Coup pour Coup un livre sous la moyenne, alors que ses personnages méritaient mille fois mieux.
Voilà tout ce qui me vient au moment d'écrire deux ou trois mots sur ce livre. Il m'est tombé dessus tout auréolé de discours tapageurs. "Un livre sur la boxe écrit par un professionnel de la boxe, celui-là même qui a donné les grandes lignes de Million Dollar Baby".
Effectivement le livre a cette même veine, ses personnages rappellent ceux du film de Clint Eastwood, les techniques de boxe, celles du combat, celles de l'organisation des matchs... tout est précis, parfois trop. Certaines constructions du récit sont très cinématographiques, parfois trop, comme si un montage trop classique faisait se chevaucher des scènes jusqu'à une collision fatale. Mais qu'importe...
Le souci, c'est cette écriture... et les questions qui l'entourent. Coup pour coup a-t-il été mal traduit en français ? Les erreurs de syntaxe, les phrases avec des mots en trop, les adverbes qui s'invitent sans virgule sont une catastrophe. Est-ce parce que l'auteur est mort en ne laissant qu'un manuscrit ? Est-ce un premier jet ? Toutes ces approximations ont entravé mon plaisir de lecture... Pire : elles font pour moi de Coup pour Coup un livre sous la moyenne, alors que ses personnages méritaient mille fois mieux.
May 15, 2009
This is not quite a finished work. You can't blame the author. He literally died trying to write it. Some respectful editors turned FX Toole's raw manuscript into a posthumous novel. So there are holes and rough edges, and Toole might have cut out some of the overlapping story lines had he lived long enough to read a finished draft. The result is less clean, less Hemingway than Tales from the Corner (aka Million Dollar Baby), but has some amazing scenes and stories of the boxing life that made it worth wading through some of the departures.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews