Tennis has been Willy Novinsky’s one love ever since she first picked up a racquet at the age of four. A middle-ranked pro at twenty-three, she’s met her match in Eric Oberdorf, a low-ranked, untested Princeton grad who also intends to make his mark on the international tennis circuit. Eric becomes Willy’s first passion off the court, and eventually they marry. But while wedded life begins well, full-tilt competition soon puts a strain on their relationship – and an unexpected accident sends driven and gifted Willy sliding irrevocably toward resentment, tragedy, and despair. From acclaimed author Lionel Shriver comes a brilliant and unflinching novel about the devastating cost of prizing achievement over love.
Download and start listening now!
"I picked this up at the library in preference to the "Kevin" book which falls into the category of books I think I might enjoy but have heard too much about from too many sources to bother with I'm talking slightly tongue in cheek but I've been disappointed by books with clouds of hype emanating from them before and so, well, I don't exactly steer clear of them or refuse to read them, but I tread carefully.This proved to be an excellent read though. Well written on the whole. The odd sentence stopped me in my tracks with either a typo, a missing word, or some odd stressed word meaning that I couldn't make head nor tail of it. It's the story of the relationship between two tennis players, both hoping to make it as professionals. Willy has been dreaming of playing at Wimbledon since she was five; Eric was an Ivy League mathematics major before he picked up a tennis racquet. From the title you can deduce that love's course, as ever, doesn't run smoothly. Shriver does a great job of keeping the tension up and the plot tight. You want to keep reading because the story is so good. I was worrying about the end of the book because I was thinking back to other books which have carried me along on a wave of words and then beached me with an ending that doesn't really matter. That didn't happen here; the close of the book is as good as the rest of it, pitched at the right level.Definitely an author to read more of."
— Kirsty (5 out of 5 stars)
" Full of insight on the difficulties in relationships despite best intentions. "
— Bert, 2/8/2014" Very readable, but disturbing book. I previously read "We need to talk about Kevin", and the heroine was not at all heroic. Neither is the female character in this book. However, I could not put it down. Shriver writes well about relationships, her female characters are fascinating, but not likable. "
— Melinda, 1/16/2014" I think I dislike Shriver's outlook on life. I certainly dislike the feeling I have after reading this novel. She writes well, and I think says true things, but she creates powerfully unpleasant characters whom I don't particularly want to get to know. I hated Willy. I hated Eva in We Need to Talk About Kevin. If I ever read another of her books, it won't be for a while. "
— Jessica, 1/4/2014" Lionel Shiver manages to get the right level of depression into her books - she is very good at her observations of human relationships - though this book doesn't have enough of a story for it's length. "
— Elizabeth, 12/30/2013" Didn't like this. It's the story of two professional tennis players who marry, told from her point of view. I couldn't relate to the characters, they never became real to me. "
— Ellen, 12/29/2013" Not my favorite of her work, but interesting to read. Unrelentingly dark, though. The prose bothered me every now and then. "
— Nancy, 12/19/2013" OK if you're into tennis speak "
— Brenda, 11/15/2013" I love the way Lionel can take an unlikable character and still make you interested in their story. Her writing style is amazing and she tells stories that really have you examining your own character in relation to the ones she has created. I'm looking forward to reading more by her. "
— Amanda, 11/10/2013" Again, wanted to like this as much as I liked "Kevin" but fell far short. The protagonist is kind of pathetic and got on my nerves as soon as she started her slide down hill. Plus the second half of the book could really be condensed in to two paragraphs...felt unecessarily drawn out and painful. "
— Valerie, 10/15/2013" Excellent. All about a couple who meet through playing tennis - Willy and Eric. "
— Issi, 5/31/2013" This is a case of reading a brilliant book by this author ("We Need to Talk About Kevin") and thinking another novel by the same author would be equally good. Sadly it wasn't. "
— Jim, 1/30/2013" This was the first Lionel Shriver book that I read. Since then I've read "We need to Talk about Kevin" and "The Post-Birthday World", each better than the last. "Double Fault" followed two people falling in love whose relationship becomes destructive. Beautifully written. "
— Alan, 12/28/2012" Ho hum. Didn't care much about the characters, unsympathetic and not that interesting. Held my interest enough to finish it but didn't really like it that much even while reading it. "
— Kim, 6/18/2012" Wallowing, uninsightful, smug. 'We Need to Talk about Kevin' this was not. More masochism than art, the ultimate crime of 'Double Fault' is the suffocating monotony of the whole affair. In short: It's simply boring. "
— Chris, 4/9/2012" Double fault indeed. "
— Daisy, 11/24/2011" I just could not get into this book at all despite trying several times. Gave up a third of the way through and have no intention of attempting it again. "
— Rowena, 9/12/2011" Parralels between professional tennis players and marriage. The woman gets injured and falls in the ranks while her husbands goes nowhere but up. Tedious at times and not as good as her others. Maybe I just don't like tennis that much? "
— Abby, 6/18/2011" I liked some of Lionel Shriver's books, but I did not like this one at all. I think this is because I find tennis boring and coquettish banter irritating. "
— Miriam, 6/7/2011" Refreshingly honest and brutal blow of the hardships of marriage. "
— Sarah, 4/12/2011" Exploration of a relationship between two aspiring tennis champions. An interest in tennis I think helps with this book. Shriver offers inciteful insights into these two truly competitive personalities. "
— Lyn, 8/23/2010" I thought that this was good book, though I didn't care for Willy much. But once I think about it, I think I can understand a bit with what she was feeling. "
— Shanel, 8/11/2010" I really enjoyed this book. The main character was just nasty and selfish and not thoughtful towards her husband and I liked how she wasn't perfect and couldn't fix her bad behavior. Very realistic author. "
— Bea, 2/6/2010" I liked some of Lionel Shriver's books, but I did not like this one at all. I think this is because I find tennis boring and coquettish banter irritating. "
— Miriam, 11/27/2009" Didn't like the two main characters and couldn't wait to finish book - didn't care what happened to them "
— Miriam, 10/9/2009" This is a must read. Absolutely excellent. It demonstrates how one cannot remove the ego even from a loving relationship. "
— Kathy, 6/26/2009Lionel Shriver is a novelist whose books include Orange Prize winner We Need to Talk about Kevin, The Post-Birthday World, A Perfectly Good Family, Game Control, Double Fault, The Female of the Species, Checker and the Derailleurs, and Ordinary Decent Criminals. She is widely published as a journalist, writing features, columns, op-eds, and book reviews for the London Guardian, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Economist, Marie Claire, and many other publications. She is frequently interviewed on television, radio, and in print media.
Renée Raudman is an actor and Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator. She has performed on film, television, radio, and on stage and can also be heard in several video games and hundreds of television and radio voice-overs.