Spikes

by Michael Griffith

At twenty-six, Brian Schwan is washed up. Four years hacking away on third-rate golf courses across the South have produced a grand total of $19,000 in earnings, zero wins, and a string of spectacular tournament flame-outs. He’s just shot a horrendous opening round, his wife wants him to come home and start a family, and even his father, who dreamed of seeing his son a star golfer, seems to have given up on his game. Critically acclaimed, Spikes is a sharply observed novel about the obscurity of our motivations, our capacity for self-delusion, and the surprising, unexpected possibilities for grace.

Genres: Sports

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Red Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think someone gave me this book, and I read it as was in the middle of a golf craze, and found it to be pretty decent with some very funny parts and some great musings on the glories and tragedies of golf.

The narrator summarizes his life - Oliver Wendell Holmes's first principle of jurisprudence was this: "My right to swing my fist ends at the other man's face." That seems easy enough, but how is it that everywhere you flail, someone's contrived to set a jaw there."

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, fun read about the loser in all of us. The language is wonderful. A way with words, he has. I don't even play golf, but I was itching to after reading this book.