Joey

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Joey’s Bookshelves

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currently-reading‎ (2)

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Joey is Currently Reading

Joey is currently reading

The Running Grave (Cormoran Strike, #7)

by Robert Galbraith

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Sep 11, 2026 04:24PM

Joey is currently reading

The Art of Fielding

by Chad Harbach (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: favorites, currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

read in October 2013

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Joey said: " As contemporary literature goes, the sports novel is not a genre that many take seriously. The human condition is also not a topic that a sports novel might seem a good vehicle for. Writing such a novel is particularly risky for a first-time novelist As contemporary literature goes, the sports novel is not a genre that many take seriously. The human condition is also not a topic that a sports novel might seem a good vehicle for. Writing such a novel is particularly risky for a first-time novelist like Chad Harbach. Yet in his novel, The Art of Fielding, Harbach accomplishes the skilled feat of weaving comedy and drama into a wondrous coming-of-age-tale of love, second chances, and pursuit of an American Dream.

At the fictional Westish College in Northern Wisconsin, the Harpooners, the Division three baseball team is looking for its first conference title in more than 100 years and Mike Schwartz, the team’s burly, no-nonsense catcher is determined to get them there. In the Summer before his sophomore year, Schwartz recruits a local shortstop prodigy, Henry Skrimshander, to Westish. The two quickly become close friends as Schwartz molds Henry into an first round draft pick for the MLB.

The Harpooners are looking ready to break their centuries old curse when one errant throw by Henry changes the course of five people’s lives including university president, Guert Affenlight, and Henry’s eccentric roommate, Owen.

These five people are now forced to deal with the deficiencies in there lives as they face life after Westish. A life the some have not planned for.

What is the Human Condition? Harbach writes:

“The Human Condition being, basically, that we’re alive and have access to beauty, can even erratically create it, but will someday be dead and will not.”

Put simply the Human Condition is society’s need to control the uncontrollable and to perfect the imperfectable. In Henry’s case he must break free of Mike’s shadow and come to grips with his own mortality.

Indeed, the Human Condition is the notion that we have very little say over the direction of our lives, so we must be prepared for anything but particularly be prepared for loss. Loss of a loved one; lost years in a dead-end marriage and lost time living through someone else. Still, the Human Condition necessitates that that we also be prepared to reconcile those things we can not control: love, fate and the ever-changing definition of the American Dream. ...more "

progress: On page 314. — Oct 05, 2013 09:16PM

Sep 09, 2026 05:23PM · see review

Joey’s Quotes

“He promised himself he would carry his share of the weight in time, but right now he needed to take a nap. He was really very tired.”
― Stephen King, The Outsider

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“Frankie and Carter Thibodeau would revert to what they’d been before: smalltown losers with little or no jingle in their pockets.”
― Stephen King, Under the Dome

3 likes