The Art of Fielding: A Novel Audiobook

" Baseball fans who are also American literature buffs may be the subset of people most likely to enjoy this novel, particularly during the Hot Stove season, when any form of baseball is a welcomed distraction from winter. Harbach successfully creates a narrative that brings together topics seemingly as disparate as sports psychology and Melvilleania. The novel strikes a nice balance of meta literature and straightforward fiction, using a cast of unlikely friends that navigate their college years playing Division III baseball at a liberal arts college. A great reading performance by Holter Graham helps prop up this somewhat formulaic, but nevertheless fun story. "

" My ambivalence about this novel didn't stop me from blasting through it, but I did take a break to watch "Top Chef." People tossing salmon on TV shouldn't take precedence over a book, but it did. I found the dialogue somewhat predictable, and two of the sexual liaisons unrealistic. The over-the-top Melville references got to me after a while (trust your readers--they can see that a big white house = a big white whale-- you don't have to spell it out). I think if I were 15-20 years younger I would have found this novel compelling...or maybe I just don't know enough about baseball. "

" Well written and hard to put down. "

" A lyrical tale of well-drawn characters set beautifully into the wide-world yet brought close by geography and emotional proximity. The ending was not as well written as the prior portions. "

" I enjoyed this story and its characters. The characters each had their own flaws, but I was able to find something to like and/or admire about each of them. While the framework of the story was set around baseball, the book was really about the characters' personal developments and relationships to one another. Even after the book ended, I found myself thinking about them. "

" Good glory, what a treat. I'm partial to baseball. But this is a baseball book like 'Moby Dick' is a whaling book... "

" Picked it up off the display shelf at a Barnes & Noble. Read it together with my ex. Simply, a great book and promising future for this young writer. If you love baseball and college themed books, read it. "

" I read and heard many great reviews of this novel. I really enjoyed this book and its bittersweet ending. "

" Engrossing novel about the lives of baseball-playing students and faculty members at a small mid-western college. "

" Far too long for the shallow lack of density but nevertheless mildly entertaining. "

" I never cared about the characters and I just never felt like it went anywhere. Too long. "

" As always, the best stories revolve around the people in them: they immerse you in the lives of the characters. If you like baseball, you'll love this book. If you don't like baseball, you'll still love this book because it's not about baseball: it's about people. "

" My book club read this book and it was so brutal getting through it. Not my taste in a read. Didn't really enjoy any of it. "

" This is one of those books that I truly hated to come to an end. I just loved it. "

" Finally finished this after hitting a roadblock at page 350 or so last summer. Happy to have finally finished! Book isn't all baseball but it plays into a pivotal plot point - now I'm looking (even more) forward to spring training. "

" A pretty good story that has baseball in it--as opposed to a baseball novel "

" I almost skipped this bc I didn't want to read a baseball story, but its so much more. Loved. "

" Fantastic book. The sort of story, relationships, and 'world' created that I'm really into. "

" Een soort 'Secret history', maar dan rondom honkbal in plaats van een moord. "

" Plot matched by Writing - both excellent. "

" One of the best books I have EVER read. "

" I really enjoyed this book. Great details on commitment and life choices. "

" Seriously loved this book. "

" I LOVED this book. It was the kind of story that kept me reading into the middle of the night and that I wanted to go on forever. "

" Book club. Overhyped. "

" The characters lacked depth and I found it hard to like them. I did not know why they acted as they did. It was an easy read, however, just not very rewarding. "

" This is my best book of the year. Great characters, engrossing stories beautifully intertwined; and you need to know just the minimal amount of baseball (or none, really). It's over 500 pages, but I read it in 3 days! I was so sad when it ended. I want a sequel! "

" This was a fantastic book. Even if you don't care for or know very well; baseball there is still something in this book for you. The brillance of it is the way the male characters are dissected. If you ever wanted to truely understand the mind of a man, this book is for you. "

" This book is about baseball and only about baseball. The characters are not fully developed and I got to the point where I didn't care. It is way too long. "

" Wonderful story, very well plotted and written with great warmth. "

" Long live the publishing hype machine. I'm not sure the book lives up to it, but I guess time will tell. It hasn't hit the NYTimes list yet, has it? "

" This is a very good book and I enjoyed it very much. Starts w same premise as Blind Your Ponies, a unlikely team going to the championship, but does it much, much better "