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MVP
Superstar Gilbert Marcus rapes and kills a young woman in a hotel room during the off-season. That's the prologue. MVP is Marcus's life story from conception to his act of incredible violence. Raised an only child -- the son of a difficult and demanding father -- Gilbert Marcus, a basketball player with extraordinary skill, is expected to be the greatest. His life is one of both excessive privilege and immutable obligation. He becomes a monster. James Boice is a startling and exciting new voice in fiction, and MVP is his ambitious and fascinating debut.
346 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
4 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
James Boice
11 books15 followersNovels, short stories. The Good and the Ghastly, MVP NoVA, Esquire, McSweeney’s, Fiction, Salt Hill. NYC. Boston. Cambridge. Northern Virginia. www.jamesboice.com
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 26, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “IS THE WRITING STYLE UNIQUE? DIFFERENT? OR WHAT? YOU DECIDE.”
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I’ve tried very hard, to try to come to a single definition, of the writing style of this author. But I cannot narrow it down, past the following three: 1) Like playing jazz with no rehearsal. 2) A poetry reading by a 1950's beatnik. 3) He’s on speed. This novel is obviously based on Kobe Bryant’s life, which obviously entails including SHAQ in the story midway through. The second irritant, in the telling of this story, is the fact that sometimes he uses real names, and sometimes he doesn’t. The main character (Kobe) is Gilbert Marcus. The “SHAQ” character is called, Papa Bear Ben Jermaine. Now, being that this is a novel, this would normally not be a problem, but the author, then uses the real names of people such as Larry Bird, Julius Erving, and Magic Johnson. And there are some very nasty and negative things said about Magic. So, if the author can use their names, why can’t he use the other names? If that isn’t confusing enough. Then, instead of using real team names, such as the Boston Celtics (Larry Bird’s team of course!) he uses the Boston Colonials. Instead of the San Antonio Spurs, he uses the San Antonio Ramblers. The author describes, in almost exact detail what Ron Artest had done, but gives him the name Ron Harrington. Again, this would be fine, if he didn’t also use Bird’s, Magic’s, and Erving’s real names. It’s a contradiction in the story, and makes the reader, a little leery, to buy into the story fully. At one point the author states: “The team was running slick greased with diesel fuel.” “DIESEL” of course, as any knowledgeable basketball fan would know, is one of Shaq’s nicknames! Why not make a commitment
to using all real names, or using all fake names? Another, less than concealed real name reference, are all the reference’s to Darren
Dickinson, who it’s even more obvious, is Michael Jordan, than even the fact that, Gilbert Marcus is Kobe. Another habit of the author, that may not make this an enjoyable read, for potential readers, is the fact that the author describes things in 20 sentences, that can be described in 3. He makes every 100 yard dash into a marathon. It should be noted for potential readers, that this entire story, has a backdrop of deviant sexuality. There is as much written about this type of sex, as there is written about basketball. Lost, in the middle, of all the previously described habits, are some pretty interesting scenes, but their power is diminished, due to the style of writing.
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I’ve tried very hard, to try to come to a single definition, of the writing style of this author. But I cannot narrow it down, past the following three: 1) Like playing jazz with no rehearsal. 2) A poetry reading by a 1950's beatnik. 3) He’s on speed. This novel is obviously based on Kobe Bryant’s life, which obviously entails including SHAQ in the story midway through. The second irritant, in the telling of this story, is the fact that sometimes he uses real names, and sometimes he doesn’t. The main character (Kobe) is Gilbert Marcus. The “SHAQ” character is called, Papa Bear Ben Jermaine. Now, being that this is a novel, this would normally not be a problem, but the author, then uses the real names of people such as Larry Bird, Julius Erving, and Magic Johnson. And there are some very nasty and negative things said about Magic. So, if the author can use their names, why can’t he use the other names? If that isn’t confusing enough. Then, instead of using real team names, such as the Boston Celtics (Larry Bird’s team of course!) he uses the Boston Colonials. Instead of the San Antonio Spurs, he uses the San Antonio Ramblers. The author describes, in almost exact detail what Ron Artest had done, but gives him the name Ron Harrington. Again, this would be fine, if he didn’t also use Bird’s, Magic’s, and Erving’s real names. It’s a contradiction in the story, and makes the reader, a little leery, to buy into the story fully. At one point the author states: “The team was running slick greased with diesel fuel.” “DIESEL” of course, as any knowledgeable basketball fan would know, is one of Shaq’s nicknames! Why not make a commitment
to using all real names, or using all fake names? Another, less than concealed real name reference, are all the reference’s to Darren
Dickinson, who it’s even more obvious, is Michael Jordan, than even the fact that, Gilbert Marcus is Kobe. Another habit of the author, that may not make this an enjoyable read, for potential readers, is the fact that the author describes things in 20 sentences, that can be described in 3. He makes every 100 yard dash into a marathon. It should be noted for potential readers, that this entire story, has a backdrop of deviant sexuality. There is as much written about this type of sex, as there is written about basketball. Lost, in the middle, of all the previously described habits, are some pretty interesting scenes, but their power is diminished, due to the style of writing.
June 28, 2019
I liked it but it's written by a really young guy about a really young guy and all the stuff that flows from various sex concerns seems remote (and thus more implausible than it probably is) to my middle-aged self. It's a good first novel though
November 12, 2008
This is one of those books you read for the artistry of its construction: they vivid yet impersonal style of the language, the POV shifts, the abstract-concreteness of it. This is the kind of book that I imagine my sophomore year Creative Writing Seminar Professor choosing, to go along with all of those stories that were so thought-provoking and had such poignant language, but that I didn’t quite “get.” Yet what makes Boice’s novel unusual is its here-and-now, popular culture subject: the life of a (fictional) professional basketball player.
This subject has probably been done a number of times by a number of authors. I would wager that it has been glorified to the extreme on one end, and written to evoke sympathy bordering on tears on the other. Yet MVP does neither of those, or else it does both: it shows the ostentatiousness of a professional athlete’s lifestyle and expectations from life, as well as the simplicity of a child’s dreams and how difficult it is to live those dreams out. You hate the protagonist even while you are pitying him. In any work of modern art, I find that ambivalence is the key to artistry, and so this is a work of “modern” fiction.
I wish I could find an English teacher or school board willing to try teaching this book to kids in inner-city high schools. Catcher in the Rye and The Great Gatsby are great and certainly well written, but this would probably be my choice of material to teach because not only would there be good writing to model and interesting themes to pursue, but the kids might actually find something in this novel they can relate to. Even I, a suburban white girl, found something to relate to in Gilbert’s struggles for selfhood and self-ownership, and the fact that I can imagine many of my former jerk-off classmates actually becoming interested within the first chapter makes me keen to try my theory. However, my efforts would probably end in MVP landing on the banned book list and me landing out the door on my tush. Sex and drug use is not skirted in this novel, nor should it be for the subject it is addressing and the stare-in-the-face manner it uses to tackle that subject. I believe high school juniors and seniors would be up to the task of facing these references and descriptions, with which they are most likely already familiar. Sadly for me—and for most high schoolers out there—school administrations will never agree.
This subject has probably been done a number of times by a number of authors. I would wager that it has been glorified to the extreme on one end, and written to evoke sympathy bordering on tears on the other. Yet MVP does neither of those, or else it does both: it shows the ostentatiousness of a professional athlete’s lifestyle and expectations from life, as well as the simplicity of a child’s dreams and how difficult it is to live those dreams out. You hate the protagonist even while you are pitying him. In any work of modern art, I find that ambivalence is the key to artistry, and so this is a work of “modern” fiction.
I wish I could find an English teacher or school board willing to try teaching this book to kids in inner-city high schools. Catcher in the Rye and The Great Gatsby are great and certainly well written, but this would probably be my choice of material to teach because not only would there be good writing to model and interesting themes to pursue, but the kids might actually find something in this novel they can relate to. Even I, a suburban white girl, found something to relate to in Gilbert’s struggles for selfhood and self-ownership, and the fact that I can imagine many of my former jerk-off classmates actually becoming interested within the first chapter makes me keen to try my theory. However, my efforts would probably end in MVP landing on the banned book list and me landing out the door on my tush. Sex and drug use is not skirted in this novel, nor should it be for the subject it is addressing and the stare-in-the-face manner it uses to tackle that subject. I believe high school juniors and seniors would be up to the task of facing these references and descriptions, with which they are most likely already familiar. Sadly for me—and for most high schoolers out there—school administrations will never agree.
March 19, 2011
This is James Boice's first novel and he masterfully employs a style all his own; unique, edgy and fresh. One does not have to be a fan of the NBA or organized sports to appreciate the well developed characters and their road to entitlement. Some say MVP is based on Kobe Bryant's life; whether it is or isn't, MVP is a gripping tale of a young kid (Gilbert Marcus)who has been groomed for nothing but the NBA his entire life, and what unveils after his arrival.
My only complaint is, at times, the author describes in 20 sentences what could adequately be described in 10. Articles I've read said Boice has done his research and has created a believable voyeuristic tension throughout the story regarding the deviant sexual behaviors of the Gilbert and his teammates.
My only complaint is, at times, the author describes in 20 sentences what could adequately be described in 10. Articles I've read said Boice has done his research and has created a believable voyeuristic tension throughout the story regarding the deviant sexual behaviors of the Gilbert and his teammates.
January 11, 2008
The first chapter was published as an Esquire short story and is fantastic... It's a fictionalized account of a Kobe Bryant-like Las Vegas hotel room situation, and it goes fast and has a relentless language style which furthers the internal nature of the narrative.
But overall the book doesn't pan out and disappointed me - everything happens in the first 8 pages and the other couple hundred are spent on a prolonged character study of a man who is capable of the best in basketball and the worst in human behaviour. This is well-worn territory and what's missing is the post-crime aftermath, how people around him dealt with it, how it was excused, and how he got back on top.
But overall the book doesn't pan out and disappointed me - everything happens in the first 8 pages and the other couple hundred are spent on a prolonged character study of a man who is capable of the best in basketball and the worst in human behaviour. This is well-worn territory and what's missing is the post-crime aftermath, how people around him dealt with it, how it was excused, and how he got back on top.
Read
May 24, 2011MVP is a chilling examination of the private and public worlds of professional basketball superstar Gilbert Animal Marcus. The most disturbing aspect of Marcus is not his ultimate act of senseless violence, which frames the novel. The childish self-indulgent nature of Marcus, his inability to develop into anything resembling a real man, is what is most disturbing. The final two paragraphs of the novel, which mention the nightly routine of Marcus examining his youthful face in the mirror, summarize this idea. The ultimate reflection being that Gilbert Animal Marcus is simply an overgrown child.
September 24, 2007
Riffing off a Kobe Bryant template, James Boice tells the story of an exceptional groomed from birth to become the next Darren Dickinson (for some reason Scribner's counsel weren't cool with the MJ handle).
Staring with his conception, the story selectively travels from his youth (and daily regiment of wind sprints, wheatgrass shots & coffee enemas) to a post-prime off-season mishap in a Las Vegas hotel room that ends with a single-white-nude-dead-female.
Boise's dialogue is spot-on, and has a wicked sense of humor. I look forward to his future work.
Staring with his conception, the story selectively travels from his youth (and daily regiment of wind sprints, wheatgrass shots & coffee enemas) to a post-prime off-season mishap in a Las Vegas hotel room that ends with a single-white-nude-dead-female.
Boise's dialogue is spot-on, and has a wicked sense of humor. I look forward to his future work.
June 18, 2008
The NBA Finals reminded me of how good this book is... Boice, who published this at 25, uses the life of Kobe Bryant as the jumping off point for a story about success, corruption, and not knowing what you want. The book has lots of sharp elbows, but compassion for the people great and small who cross paths with Gilbert "Animal" Marcus. I would call this the male version of Joyce Carol Oates' "Blonde," which takes a similar fictionalized approach to the life of Marilyn Monroe. It's the last book I just couldn't stop reading.
December 26, 2008
I thought this book was stunning. Although professional basketball and rough sex are not my ideal topics for reading, I bought this book as it got a starred review in Publishers Weekly. I was really blown away by it. James Boice is an extremely talented writer who takes his readers off in unexpected directions at unexpected times. It is unfortunate that many of the mainstream book reviews, i.e., New York Times, missed this one (or if they did review it, I never saw it).
June 29, 2015
James Boice is a very talented author. His style is enigmatic and interesting. I especially liked the interweaivng of the lives Gilbert had an impact on tangentially.
However, overall, I feel that this plot was somewhat 'been there done that.' We all know that professional athletes are often afforded too much privilege to the point that they cannot accept responsibility for the damage they caused. But overall, it was interesting and I enjoyed the book.
However, overall, I feel that this plot was somewhat 'been there done that.' We all know that professional athletes are often afforded too much privilege to the point that they cannot accept responsibility for the damage they caused. But overall, it was interesting and I enjoyed the book.
February 5, 2008
hard for me to agree with the "new paradigm" raves on this one. sometimes I think there's a bit of a generation gap between how a new generation talks and the last generation perceives it -- the prose didn't strike me as particularly revolutionary. i have a hard time with books where I dislike many of the main characters. a personal flaw, perhaps.
June 1, 2014
Excellent book. Although you empathize with some of the characters, you don't particularly like any of them. The shifts in time add another layer without being confusing or overdone.
I almost forgot how the book started by the end because I was so wrapped up in what was happening in the storyline right then.
I almost forgot how the book started by the end because I was so wrapped up in what was happening in the storyline right then.
July 17, 2008
I don't know why this jumped off the shelves at me. I was interested to read a book written by someone so young. I haven't read anything with any substance lately and this filled a void. I liked the way that it jumped around without being spotty. I look forward to more.
April 10, 2009
This really was a fascinating book. I hated pretty much every character in it for one reason or another, but I couldn't stop reading it. I had to find out what happened. However, it felt rather incomplete to me. The ending is really abrupt and maybe I'm just slow... but I don't get it...
August 28, 2009
James Boice is a fearless young author who thrives on details. Timeline gets a little screwed up without any real markers, but this is someone who clearly understands the human experience, even if it isn't his.
June 26, 2007
Death starts in the colon.
August 4, 2007
Romanaclef about a Kobe Bryant-like personality who (possibly) rapes and kills a hotel employee. Exceptionally well-written.
December 12, 2007
Interestingly written, just not that good.
January 16, 2008
MVP:sports fiction::Casino Royale:Bond films
May 26, 2009
swearing and graphic sex, no thank you
September 22, 2009
Disturbing, heartbreaking, and gorgeous.
October 27, 2009
an ugly story told ugly ... RIP Kobe's rep!
Currently reading
June 26, 2007my ex-housemates first novel. mid read.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews