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A Gentleman's Game: A Novel | 
 enlarge | Author: Tom Coyne
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Category: Book
List Price: $24.00
Buy Used: $0.01
You Save: $23.99 (100%)
New (4) Used (28) from $0.01
Avg. Customer Rating:  21 reviews
Sales Rank: 1418607
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1st ed
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 264
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.6 x 5.8 x 1
ISBN: 0871137917
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780871137913
ASIN: 0871137917
Publication Date: May 10, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Some wear on book from reading, spine creases, wear on binding and pages.
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Book Description
With a soaring, lyrical prose that grips you from the first page and never lets you go, first-time novelist Tom Coyne brings to life an unforgettable story of a young man and the game he loves that is like no other -- A Gentleman's Game. It is the summer of 1985, and on the shaded fairways and immaculate greens of exclusive Fox Chase Country Club in suburban Delaware, Timmy Price is a young man whose mastery of the game of golf inspires awe among the adult membership and envy among his peers. Under the tutelage of the enigmatic guru Foster Pearse, he is beginning to develop a complete game that will soon make him Junior Champion of the state and draw the attention of college recruiters. But when his self-made father forces Timmy to become a caddy at the club to teach him a lesson in humility, he is thrown into the hardscrabble world of the behind-the-scenes workers who make the game possible. The motley crew of loopers who inhabit the caddy hole introduce him to the other side of the game he loves. There is the braggart lothario Position A, who boasts of his sexual conquests of the member's wives; Jeffrey, the heroin-addicted misfit from West Philly; and above all there is Jamie Byrne, the secretive teenager from the wrong side of town who has lost his thumbs in a mysterious accident and quickly becomes Timmy's closest confidant. And when Jamie abruptly stops showing up at the caddy hole, it begins a series of events that will force Timmy to confront the dark secret that hides behind the community of Fox Chase. Lush with beautifully rendered scenes and unforgettable characters, A Gentleman's Game is more than a coming-of-age story. It is a story of fathers and sons, of class and the pressure to succeed in an era of envy, and of the timeless passion for a beguiling and bedeviling game.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 16 more reviews...
 280 yards, down the middle December 3, 2005
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Coyne's writing is outstanding. The theme of "purity" that he pursues throughout the book is very well-developed as he wrings numerous shades of meaning from that word. The class status differences that he describes so well, the elegant turns of phrase, and the numerous ways that he ties golf to life all indicate a talent for writing that is -- well, quite pure! Although I think it would be somewhat more difficult for a non-golfer to fully appreciate, it nevertheless is a fine story, and I heartily recommend it.
The most notable feature of the book, however, is what Coyne does in the relationship between Timmy and his father. I'm a little surprised that some of the reviewers who had difficulty with the book's story line didn't pick up on this; after all, it's the first ISBN category listed on the book's copyright page. The development of that relationship and all it means is very well-handled, and shows to me that Mr. Coyne has a very clear and insightful understanding of the importance of that dynamic. And to think this is his first book? Kudos, sir - you are indeed a Timmy Price of writing.
Why then not five stars? Two issues. The enormous amount of vulgar language got a bit wearisome for me. OK - call me a prude or call me unable to recognize the need for realism or blind to the fact that Coyne is trying to show the crudity that invisibly demonstrates that the rich and the poor (the "king and the pawn," as he states) are cut from the same bolt of cloth. All of those accusations are probably true. But hey, it's my review! :-)
Second, Mr. Coyne's handling of Timmy's brother Casey was a little unsatisfying. He does use Casey as a very effective foil to contrast Timmy's coming of age and finding a sense of meaning and purpose in his own golf, as opposed to Casey, who finds no meaning in anything. But Casey's character does not get resolved nearly as cleanly as, say, Mr. Price or even Mrs. Price. (Interestingly, the script writer for the movie seemingly came to the same conclusion, as the movie does not even cast a role for Casey.) A tad more closure to that story line would have been welcomed, by this reviewer at least.
Overall, bravo, Mr. Coyne. You hit it between the screws. I'm looking forward to my next round with you!
author hits a hole in one July 4, 2004
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I grew up with a golf course so close to my home that it was not unusual to find balls that had rolled into our yard. I never understood the fascination this game held for the (mostly male) players, but having read this book, I have a better understanding.This is the first book I can recall reading that deals with any kind of young performer where the parents were not the driving (pardon the pun) force. Instead, the author explores the impact a non-pushy parent, one who leaves the decision to excel up to the child, has on their kid. What may be surprising is that this style can have its drawbacks and inflict its not-always-subtle damage, as well as the more familiar type of coaching. The book charts several years in a youth's life as he learns about golf, not only from the "gentlemen" he plays with, but from the caddies he works with. As the reviewers mention, he also uncovers the ugly underside of the game, and what happens when dirty little secrets are revealed very publically. If you're a non-golfer, some of the terminology can be a bit confusing, but the book is worth a read.
 chili dipper August 30, 2002
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I read the book in one sitting but can't figure out why. There are too many unanswered questions. Great charactors that don't go anywhere. Nice writing style that doesn't really say anything.Golf lends itself well to fiction but this book doesn't finish what it starts.
 A powerful and promising debut novel July 18, 2002
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Coyne's story is an exploration of human nature and its relationship to golf. We duffers and teeshirt golfers can find inspiration here, for it is not the aloof country-club types who own the soul of the game, but those who show up in the parking lots of public courses before dawn in hopes of getting a tee time. Coyne's writing at times lacks polish, but that seems to only add to its charm - like most of the courses I play, there are bare spots and hardpan, but you play it as it lies.
 Don't waste your time June 11, 2002
1 out of 8 found this review helpful
Two factors combine to make this a really bad book - a pointless story and an annoying writing style. Save yourself the time and skip it.
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